Ever since it was first announced, the Superman prequel TV series Krypton has arguably felt like a project that's too overtly ambitious for Syfy. And after two seasons, the cable network decided to call it quits on Krypton, leaving fans to wonder about what happened after the events of the Season 2 finale. Though showrunner and executive producer Cam Welsh didn't speak publicly right when Krypton got the axe, he did recently take to social media to share some "hope"-filled thoughts with fans.
Krypton Is Reportedly Being Shopped Around For Season 3
Cam Welsh shared that he was actually in the middle of moving houses whenever news of Krypton's cancellation made the rounds, which caused his delayed reaction. That gratitude-filled reaction from Welsh isn't only meant to shower others with thanks, but also to spark a little optimism within fans. In Welsh's words:
I'm incredibly moved by the outpouring of support from fans all over the world, and to see #SaveKrypton trending on the day the news was announced was, paradoxically, both heartbreaking and heartening. Heartbreaking because it confirmed that most of you feel the same way all of us making the show do – we're not ready to say goodbye to these characters and we're just as hungry as you to see this story through. Heartening because if a few years of working on Krypton has taught me anything, it's that 'hope' is a powerful force, capable of defying the most impossible odds.
Cam Welsh noted in his Twitter post that he and others on the Krypton team are "not ready to say goodbye" to the universe that they created together. Especially at this point in the storyline. If there's a chance for Krypton's creative team to sway another studio or network to step up in Syfy's stead, they're going to take it. Here's hoping their pitches fall on listening ears.
As disappointing as it would have been if Krypton had ended after its first season, the narrative then wasn't nearly to the level that it reached for the sophomore year's conclusion. In particular, viewers still hadn't met Emmett J. Scalana's new character Lobo, whose Season 2 emergence was coupled with news that the fan-favorite character would be getting his own spinoff show. Unfortunately, the Lobo standalone project also got the ax, though it's assumedly going to be part of Cameron Walsh's package pitch for Krypton Season 3.
Here's what else Cameron Walsh said in his post:
Everybody working on the production was aware of the contribution they were making to the legacy of the multiverse's greatest hero, and I hope – whether we get the chance to add to it further or not – that what we offered up will be looked upon fondly. And that the mythology of the Man of Steel's home-world feels deeper and richer now.
Once again, the showrunner addresses the issue in a way that holds out hope for Krypton's future, though Cameron Walsh didn't offer up any specific details about what other platforms he might be reaching out to about picking Krypton up for a new season.
It's probably a safe assumption that the streaming service DC Universe is being thought of as a potential new home for the DC Entertainment and Warner Horizon series. Though most of its original series are developed in-house, such as Kaley Cuoco's Harley Quinn or Titans, DC Universe did resurrect Young Justice for its ongoing third season (labeled Outsiders), so there's established precedence for the service's resurrection powers. Granted, DC Universe shot itself in the foot with Swamp Thing, which was cancelled in the same week that Season 1 premiered, but perhaps that show could also be saved.
Given all its Warner Bros. ties, Krypton could also be an interesting early contender for WarnerMedia's impending streaming service that being marketed under the name HBO Max. That company is already in the midst of setting up its Day 1 output, licensing big brands like Doctor Who – and possibly even The Big Bang Theory – to balance its original projects such as the upcoming Gossip Girl reboot. Krypton could be a good way to draw in genre fans with an already established name.
How Krypton Season 3 Would Change Things Up
After having posted his initial message to fans, Cameron Walsh hopped online a few hours later and answered one lucky fan's inquire about what fans could have expected from Season 3 had it not been cancelled. Rather than spitting out a handful of plot points that wouldn't necessarily make a lot of sense without context, Walsh shared a super-important Season 3 scene that would have kicked the new season off.
For one thing, Krypton would indeed be jumping ahead to the future for its next batch of episodes. The newly revealed scene, which Walsh wrote with Luke Kalteux, takes place in middle America in 2020, centering on a bullied schoolboy attempting to come to an understanding with his aggressor. It's hinted that the victim bears a resemblance to the El family, setting viewers up to believe they're watching the Man of Steel's father, Jor-El.
Then, the wool is pulled over everyone's eyes as it's revealed that the kid's glowing-eyed bully is the real Jor-El, who was kidnapped and raised on Earth by Blake Ritson's Brainiac, just without his signature alien look. Jor-El ends up killing the kid he was bullying, while Brainiac destroyed the kid's father. And the scene ends on Jor-El uttering a most disturbing phrase: "I love you, Dad."
This is definitely not the familial dynamic that would have seemed the most likely to develop back when Krypton was just starting up. Plus, it sets up all kind of questions surrounding Jor-El's legacy, and how the character would go from confused adolescence to the point when he is raising his own super-powered son. And whether or not it would make sense for him to remain in the current timeline on Earth, as opposed to returning to Krypton around the same time span when he was taken away.
You can check out the full scene synopsis in Cameron Welsh's tweet below.
For now, Krypton remains in the Cancelled Zone, where it shall be until another network or streaming service steps up and pledges a commitment to bringing Season 3 to life. While waiting to hear what happens next with it, be sure to keep track of all the big summer TV premieres and fall TV debuts that are on the way.
