Netflix‘s animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off will not return for a second season, creator Bryan Lee O’Malley announced Wednesday via X. The news ends speculation about the future of the critically acclaimed show, which premiered in November 2023.
“It’s been one year since Scott Pilgrim Takes Off came out. It was an honor to work with all of the cast & staff around the world. It was like conducting a symphony orchestra every day. From the moment [BenDavid Grabinski] sparked the idea, the project felt like a one of a kind miracle,” O’Malley shared.
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“Anyway, we were recently informed that the show will NOT return. As you know, we only intended one season, and called in a lot of favors to make it happen, so making more would have been nearly impossible. Still, I know some of you have been holding out hope.” He added, “Sorry to all Matthew fans and Gideon fans, I know you will suffer the most.”
The eight-episode series featured an impressive roster of returning talent from the 2010 live-action film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, including Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Alison Pill, Jason Schwartzman, Mae Whitman, and Ellen Wong.
The animated adaptation offered a fresh interpretation of O’Malley’s graphic novels, diverging from the original storyline where Scott Pilgrim battles Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes. In this version, Scott vanishes after losing his first battle, leading Ramona and his friends on a search mission throughout the series.
O’Malley had previously discussed the show’s intended limited run in an IGN interview, stating, “It’s self-contained for now. We loved what we did. We put it all in there. We don’t have any ideas lying on the floor. We pretty much put them all in.”
He added that a second season “would take about 50 different miracles simultaneously” to materialize. Addressing questions about possible physical releases, O’Malley responded with “we’ll see” after Netflix’s exclusivity period ends, and regarding the apparent season 2 tease, simply stated, “This is a happily ever after.”
The series received significant critical acclaim, earning spots on various “best of” lists for 2023. This cancellation appears to conclude the latest chapter in the Scott Pilgrim franchise, which began as an indie comic series in the 2000s before evolving into Edgar Wright’s cult classic film and this recent animated adaptation.
