Disney+ has churned out a considerable amount of content since its launch back in 2019. Many of its titles have been tied to the House of Mouse’s most notable IPs, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars franchises. The shows have seen varied levels of success, with some seeing great buzz and others not seemingly having gained as much traction. The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers would arguably fall into that latter category, as it was recently canceled, alongside another fan-favorite show, after two seasons. Now, only a couple of months later, the streamer has quietly sacked yet another legacy series – National Treasure: Edge of History.
The young adult show, which is a follow-up to the Nicolas Cage-led movies, only ran for one season before the streaming service pulled the plug, as noted by Variety. A specific reason for the decision has not been given, as the company has not provided comment on the matter, as of this writing. And because the platform doesn’t release its viewership metrics, it’s hard to speculate as to how much that factored into this programming move.
National Treasure: Edge of History’s cast was composed of up-and-coming talent like Lisette Olivera, Zuri Reed and Antonio Cipriano and also included heavy hitter Catherine Zeta-Jones. The series centered on Olivera’s Jess Valenzuela, who assembles a group of friends and sets out to find a treasure that may be linked to her father. Some franchise veterans also popped up along the way, as Harvey Keitel, Justin Bartha and Armando Riesco reprised their roles as Peter Sadusky, Riley Poole and Agent Hendricks, respectively. Jones’ Disney+ spinoff received mixed reviews upon its premiere in December 2022, with some critics arguing that it didn’t reach the heights of the movies that preceded it.
This small-screen offering and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers aren’t the only show to have been given the ax in just the last few months. The cancelation of mystery adventure show The Mysterious Benedict Society was confirmed in January. Also, around the time that Ducks’ demise was reported, it was also revealed that the John Stamos-led dramedy series Big Shot met the same fate. And about a month later, news broke that the streamer ended the fantasy series Willow. However, creator Jonathan Kasdan took issue with the use of the term “cancellation” and later explained that the drama is on hiatus.
As far as we know right now, Edge of History’s fate is more definitive, though the same can’t truly be said about the franchise as a whole. For years, there have been rumors swirling about a third installment in the film franchise starring Nicolas Cage. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer provided an update near the end of 2022, saying that work on the proposed threequel is “ongoing.” Also, in January, Justin Bartha alleged that there are currently several scripts on the table. Yet the series OG said a third movie is being held up because director/producer Jon Turteltaub is taking his time to decide on the right screenplay.
Fans of the franchise will just have to wait and see if such a film ever comes to fruition or if the producers ever try to expand the IP with another TV venture. I’d personally be surprised if either of those theoretical projects were to happen, but more surprising things have happened.. Until then though, this beloved property appears to be, well, history.
You can stream the first season of National Treasure: Edge of History and the movies using a Disney+ subscription. CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule can also provide you with information on other major premieres that are coming up. Unfortunately, there are still more 2023 TV shows that could get cancelled as spring continues, so keep an eye on your favorites!
