The CW Axes 'The Professionals,' But the Show Isn't Dead Yet
The CW has officially canceled another series, as The Professionals has gotten the axe, but it may not be the last time we see the series. Co-creator Jeff Most told TVLine that the network didn't give the series a renewal for Season 2, but they are "shopping the second season of The Professionals to other networks and streaming platforms." While it may be the end of Tom Welling's latest venture on the network, this may not be the last of The Professionals.
The series, which is a spinoff of 2012's Soldiers of Fortune, was co-created by Most and Michael Colleary. Season 1 was initially filmed back in 2019 in South Africa and Ireland before finally making its way to U.S. screens on The CW late last year. Smallville vet Tom Welling stars as top-tier security operative Vincent Corbo who is paid to protect the interests of rich and powerful clients. He gets hired by billionaire futurist Peter Swann, portrayed by Brendan Fraser, who is suspicious of sabotage of his next-generation medical satellite.
It's possible that this won't be the end of The Professionals, so fans will just have to keep their hopes up. Unfortunately, if a second season does happen, don't expect Brendan Fraser to return. The Whale actor has exited from the series ahead of the potential Season 2, but Most did say that they didn't intend to have his character return, so it seems like he was just part of a one-season story. Welling, however, would be expected to come back if the series finds a new home.
As of now, there are no other updates on the future of The Professionals, but considering what the fates of prequels The Winchesters and Walker: Independence looked like, it's not good. The freshman series were both canceled, but efforts to find new homes quickly started following the cancellations. However, it was recently announced that neither found a new home, only adding more on to The CW's very harsh cutbacks of original series.
Hopefully, some good news on The Professionals is announced soon, but the last five episodes of Season 1 are available to stream for free on The CW App and only the last five episodes. It's unknown if it will find a permanent streaming home elsewhere, so fans will just have to make do until any details are released, which could come at any time.