Netflix Rescued Then Canceled This Sci-Fi Show Before Even Giving It A Second Season

Key Takeaways

• Netflix canceled the highly acclaimed Scavengers Reign despite critical praise and potential for a second season.
• Lack of viewership likely led to the show’s cancelation, with only 600,000 views on Netflix.
• The future of adult animation in streaming faces challenges due to the competitive nature of the market.

Netflix is home to some of the best original television content, but the streaming giant has often faced backlash from fans fuming over their favorite shows being canceled prematurely. Interestingly, this time, the series in question was originally from HBO Max – revived by Netflix only to be swiftly canceled.

The show that met this unfortunate fate is Scavengers Reign. Despite receiving immense critical acclaim, including a coveted 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the animated sci-fi drama couldn’t progress beyond a single season. Netflix’s decision to cancel the series has drawn heavy criticism from fans, who had renewed hopes after it migrated from HBO Max.

No Season 2 For Scavengers Reign On Netflix

Series Creator Announces Decision

Netflix acquiredScavengers Reign in May 2024, sparking optimism among its niche but devoted fan base, who eagerly anticipated a second season. However, co-creator Joe Bennett took to Instagram to announce that the show would not be renewed. In a heartfelt post, he shared the struggles his team endured to bring their vision to life.

Season 2 Might Get Renewed Elsewhere

Although Bennett’s caption didn’t mention Netflix directly, he expressed gratitude to those at HBO Max who had initially helped launch the series. Yet, there’s still a glimmer of hope for Scavengers Reign fans. The showrunners remain deeply invested in the story’s continuation, as seen in Bennett’s post, which included an in-house teaser for a potential second season. Bennett revealed:

But this is not the end. There is more story to be told, we are ready to make another season, and we produced in-house at Green Street a teaser for what was going to come in the second season.

Why Did Netflix Cancel Scavengers Reign?

Lack Of Streaming Numbers

In his post, Bennett refrained from specifying why Netflix canceled the show, and no official statement from Netflix has been released either. The decision is most likely due to the show’s failure in terms of viewership. According to Netflix’s engagement reports for 2023 and 2024, the first season of Scavengers Reign managed to get only 600,000 views (or 2.8 million hours watched). Despite all its critical praise, the series failed to make a dent in the global top 10 daily/weekly streaming charts.

Previous Failure On HBO Max

Sadly, this marks the second time in the same year that Scavengers Reign has been let down by a streaming platform. The show first premiered on HBO Max in October 2023, but was canceled in May 2024. Netflix then took a chance on the series, with the unspoken expectation that it would make an impact in the limited regions where it streamed. Speaking to What’s On Netflix right after the acquisition, executive producer Sean Buckelew expressed his measured optimism about the show’s chances:

I think that it’s just whether or not it’s received well by their audience. […] I think for us; it’s like Blue Eye Samurai and Arcane and all these shows that we think like, if you like that show, you can roll straight into Scavengers, and you’ll like it too. […] I would say our messaging right now is mainly just like this: the more people watch it now, the more likely it is that it’ll expand and season and everything else.

What Is Scavengers Reign About?

Plot Details & Praise

Scavengers Reign follows the survivors of a damaged interstellar cargo ship, Demeter 227, stranded on Vesta – a dangerous but visually stunning alien planet. Split into separate groups, they face numerous challenges before their paths converge near the crash site. The show’s intricate world-building and atmospheric storytelling were widely celebrated. Critics have hailed Scavengers Reign as one of the most original pieces of science fiction in recent memory, and audiences have been thrilled with the story. Even veteran filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is a Scavengers Reign fan:

Generally, the science fiction genre portrays alien worlds as similar to Earth, with only minor variations in the planet’s rules or living conditions. Alternatively, it veers completely off-track, depicting fully hostile, desolate environments devoid of life. What makes Scavengers Reign unique and special is the way it builds the world of Vesta. The planet is both beautiful and life-threatening, mainly because human life has never existed in such a world – yet it’s still home to awe-inspiring flora and fauna.

Future Of Adult Animation In Streaming

So, what went wrong? Perhaps the show’s beginnings were too humble for it to let it grow any further. First, it started as a Toonami short film in 2016 before being dropped by Adult Swim. Then, HBO Max rescued it, but also shares responsibility for its early demise, which Netflix only compounded with the debacle at hand.

The real problem lies in the dog-eat-dog streaming market and its urgency to boost viewership. Shows that get off to a slow start often don’t get the chance to reach wider audiences before being shut down. The success of shows like Arcane makes it seem as if the demand for adult animation is booming. However, any animation project not made for kids is still considered a gamble in today’s streaming numbers game. Let’s hope studios like Netflix rethink their focus on short-term results and allow shows like Scavengers Reign to thrive in the long run.