Neil Gaiman, the creator of American Gods, says the series will be finished in some form despite its cancellation on Starz. Based on Gaiman's epic sprawling fantasy novel of the same name, the series debuted in 2017 under showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, with Gaiman taking on executive producer's role. While American Gods season 1 diverged from the book in many ways, it was hailed for its vibrant tone and fearless storytelling approach. Fuller and Green then left the show (or fired, depending on who is talking) midway through writing season 2.
And it all seemed to change from there. American Gods season 2 was even more of a departure from the source material and was largely a failure. Gaiman promised that season 3 would bring the series back on track, and it largely did so, tightening its focus at the same time. But the series was best by problems throughout all three seasons, from budget concerns to a rotating door of showrunners to controversy over a black cast member getting fired ahead of season 3. Then, it was announced in late March that American Gods was canceled after three seasons at Starz.
But Gaiman insists that this is not the end of American Gods. Taking to Twitter, the writer and producer say it's "definitely not dead." Paying tribute to Starz for airing the first three seasons of the show, Gaiman says he and Fremantle, the production company behind American Gods, will finish the story. They need to figure out how to do so and where that will happen. You can read Gaiman's tweet below:
The news will provide comfort to the audience who stuck with American Gods through its difficult season 2 and enjoyed season 3 only to see it canceled just as it seemed to be getting back on track. Just what form the end of the story will take remains to be seen. There was talk of a TV movie being produced to end the show, and there is always the chance that American Gods could be picked up by a streamer like Netflix, where it could gain a much wider audience. The streaming giant has done so in the past with Lucifer, ironically also a Gaiman project, picking it up just after Fox canceled it following season 3 and renewing it through season 6.
And given that Gaiman is working with Netflix on a Sandman series, as the tweet he was replying to mentions, there is every chance that the streaming giant may indeed acquire American Gods and help finish telling the story. Whether that happens and audiences get a season 4, or the story is completed via a TV movie remains unclear. Still, Gaiman is determined to ensure things aren't over when it comes to his fantasy series.
Source: Neil Gaiman/Twitter