Netflix has a reputation for canceling quite a bit of genre content after only one season. However, this time the streamer decided to let go of a show before it even had a chance to hit the screens of those with a Netflix subscription. The show in question is Grendel, which is an adaptation of a Dark Horse comic book series of the same name. This news can’t be easy for anyone involved with the project, and one of its stars, Andy Mientus has opened up about the “heartbreak” he is feeling about the show not moving forward.
Grendel followers the story of Hunter Rose AKA Grendel, he’s a talented fencer, assassin and writer. The story takes place in New York’s underground crime scene as Grendel avenges the death of his significant other. Grendel was set to be played by Abubakr Ali, who would have been the first Arab Muslim man to play the lead character in a comic book adaptation. The cast also included Julian Black Antelope, Antonio Marziale, Philip Granger, Pavel Kríz and Mientus. Mientus took to Instagram to post his thoughts on the show getting canceled.
This instance is reminding me of when it was announced by Warner Bros. that Batgirl would not be moving forward, which was a decision that was heartbreaking for the cast and creatives of that project. Much like when Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace posted about Batgirl’s cancellation without release, Mientus had similar feelings. He wrote that this was his first job post-pandemic and had been a “dream role.” He also noted how sad he was that it got canceled before anyone could see it.
Mientus, who is known for his roles on The Flash, Smash, and his work on Broadway, was set to play Larry Stohler in Grendel. His character starts as a city gossip and eventually turns into Rose’s right-hand man, helping the title character launder money.
This is not Mientus’ first foray into superhero shows, he has had a recurring role as Hartley Rathaway/Pied Piper on The Flash since 2015. Barry Allen himself, Grant Gustin, who is in the midst of making the final season of The Flash, commented on his co-star's post, with a broken heart emoji saying he was “sorry” for his friend.
While it’s sad that the show was picked up for an eight-episode order last year by the streamer, and then got scrapped before it could finish filming, there is still a little bit of hope. It is filmed and, Grendel has a chance to be bought by another platform.
Hopefully, the show is able to find a new home. The showrunner, Andrew Dabb, who was also a producer of Supernatural, has had a rough run with the streamer this year. He executive produced Resident Evil which got canceled, and now Grendel is gone before it got a chance to be seen.
As Mientus wrote, getting news like this cannot be easy, but hopefully, the show will be able to air on a different streamer. In the meantime, you can check out the 2022 TV schedule for other genre shows premiering soon, and maybe someday a Grendel premiere date.
