Here's why No Ordinary Family season 2 didn't happen. The quality of comic book movies took a severe hit in the 1990s, which featured notable duds like Batman & Robin and Spawn. That all changed thanks to Blade, which was based on the cult comic. Wesley Snipes turned to the project after being frustrated by development on a proposed Black Panther movie, but Blade's surprise success would help kickstart the subgenre.
X-Men became another surprise blockbuster in 2000, and following the release of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, it seemed the genre was here to stay. That's not to say it was all smooth sailing since the 2000's also had its share of underwhelming comic adaptations, including both Ghost Rider and Fantastic Four movies. One of the few highpoints of the latter franchise was Michael Chiklis as The Thing, who brought heart and humor to proceedings. This made him the perfect choice to lead No Ordinary Family, which involved the titular family being imbued with superpowers. Chiklis' father gains super strength, Julie Benz's mother earns super speed, daughter Daphne can read minds while son JJ becomes super smart.
Despite featuring a great cast and a promising premise, No Ordinary Family struggled to find the right tone during its 20-episode run. Here's why it didn't earn a second season.
No Ordinary Family Was Canceled By ABC In 2011
No Ordinary Family debuted to solid ratings, but the show's numbers gradually dipped as time went on. There were already signs the show wouldn't be returning when ABC reduced its episode order to 20, while Chiklis later signed on for a pilot being produced by Conan O'Brien called Vince Uncensored.
The warning signs proved to be right, with ABC canceling No Ordinary Family a month after the season finale. The show also ended on a major cliffhanger, but with the cast quickly moving on to other projects it was clear there would be no revival. Michael Chiklis would also crop up in superhero show Gotham as villain The Executioner.
No Ordinary Family Season 2 Would Have Found Them Battling 80 Supervillains
The cliffhanger of No Ordinary Family saw villain Mrs. X (Lucy Lawless, Ash Vs Evil Dead) deliberating crashing a plane with 80 convicts injected with a special serum, which turn them into supervillains. After the family works together to stop the threat posed by the season's big bad, they're approached by the NSA, who claims the government needs their help dealing with the supervillains unleashed by Mrs. X.
The finale was clearly hoping to get audiences energized by the prospect of a more epic second season, but it didn't work. The show was at its best when it focused on the relationships within the family itself, which was reminiscent of The Incredibles. The prospect of a more action-focused No Ordinary Family season 2 wasn't so appealing for that reason.