This past year has been a mixed bag for fantasy and sci-fi fans. We got new seasons of some of our favorite shows and plenty of incredible moments that had us all talking. But here's the thing: not all of our beloved shows will be coming back in 2026.
Some got cancelled unexpectedly, leaving fans heartbroken and storylines unfinished. Others wrapped up exactly as their creators wanted, giving us satisfying endings but still leaving a hole in our watch lists. Either way, here is a list of 13 shows we're about to say goodbye to that made fantasy and sci-fi TV so exciting over the past few years but won't be returning in 2026.
1. The Wheel of Time (Prime Video)
The most shocking cancellation of the year came just five weeks after The Wheel of Time's season 3 finale aired. Despite critical acclaim with a 97% critics score and 83% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Prime Video pulled the plug on the epic fantasy adaptation.
The culprit? Declining viewership that couldn't justify the show's massive production budget. After a strong premiere, the series fell out of Nielsen's Top 10 within weeks. Prime Video and Sony TV explored various cost-cutting scenarios but ultimately couldn't make the numbers work. The series only adapted 3 of Robert Jordan's 15 books, leaving fans frustrated with the abrupt ending of one of fantasy's most beloved literary series.
Why it won't return: High production costs combined with viewership that didn't meet Amazon's internal benchmarks. Even strong critical reception couldn't save it from the budget axe.
2. The Sandman (Netflix)
Neil Gaiman's dark fantasy masterpiece wrapped up with a special Death episode as its season 2 finale. While technically not a cancellation, the show's ending came earlier than many fans hoped.
Showrunner Allan Heinberg revealed they had determined back in 2022 that they only had enough Dream material from the comics for one more season after the first.
The timing of the announcement coincided with sexual misconduct allegations against creator Neil Gaiman in July 2024, though the decision to end the series was reportedly made before filming began in summer 2023. High production costs also factored into the decision to condense the remaining story.
Why it won't return: The creative team planned for two seasons from the start, but high costs and external controversies surrounding the creator sealed the fate of what could have been a longer-running adaptation.
3. Resident Alien (USA Network)
Alan Tudyk's beloved sci-fi comedy about an alien stranded on Earth barely made it to its fourth season. The show survived with a significant budget cut and a network move from Syfy to USA Network but the writing was on the wall.
Creator Chris Sheridan knew going into Season 4 it would likely be the final season and wrote it to provide closure with the aptly titled finale "The End is Here."
Despite Netflix exposure boosting awareness and a devoted fanbase, new episodes remained modest ratings performers amid declining cable viewership. The show also didn't gain traction on Peacock streaming. By the time of cancellation, Resident Alien was USA Network's only current scripted series.
Why it won't return: Declining cable viewership, budget constraints, and failure to gain streaming traction meant the fourth season would be its last.
4. Kaos (Netflix)
Jeff Goldblum's darkly comedic reimagining of Greek mythology became one of Netflix's most frustrating cancellations in the genre. Despite positive reviews scoring 74% with critics and an impressive 93% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the streaming giant cancelled the show after just eight episodes.
The series had decent viewership numbers, but fell victim to Netflix's notorious quick cancellation decisions for high-cost productions that don't immediately become massive hits. Fans were left hanging with unanswered questions and an unfinished story that clearly had more to tell.
Why it won't return: Netflix's internal viewership thresholds weren't met, and the expensive production couldn't justify a second season in the streamer's current cost-cutting environment.
5. Arcane (Netflix)
Netflix's League of Legends adaptation concluded its story exactly as creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee had always intended. The animated series which featured the voices of Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell as sisters Vi and Jinx wrapped up with its second season after three acts released across November 2024.
The show was a massive critical success, earning 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for both seasons and winning four Primetime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Animated Program.
The creators revealed they had a specific ending in mind from the very beginning and the show's reported $250 million budget for both seasons made it one of the most expensive animated series ever produced.
Why it won't return: Always planned as a two-season story. However, Riot Games confirmed that Arcane is just the beginning of their storytelling journey in the League of Legends universe with more shows set in Runeterra on the way.
6. Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
The beloved animated Star Trek comedy ended after five seasons with creator Mike McMahan knowing well in advance that season 5 would be the finale. The show premiered its finale season in October 2024 with the first two episodes and released weekly through its December series finale "The New Next Generation."
Despite being well-received with an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score for its final season and earning three Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations throughout its run, Paramount+ cancelled the series as part of a broader streamlining of Star Trek content. Fans launched a passionate "All Hands On Decks Streamathon" campaign in May 2024 to show support for the series.
Why it won't return: Paramount+ decided to streamline its Star Trek offerings, ending Lower Decks despite strong critical reception and fan support. McMahan has expressed interest in continuing the series in other formats like films or comics.
7. Superman & Lois (The CW)
The final remnant of The CW's Arrowverse era concluded with a ten-episode fourth season in late 2024. The series finale "It Went By So Fast" brought closure to Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch's portrayal of the iconic DC couple, adapting elements of the famous Death of Superman storyline.
The final season was shortened from previous seasons due to budget cuts, but CW President Brad Schwartz praised it as "Emmy-worthy" with "10 bangers."
The show was always meant to end around this time, with DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran indicating in January 2023 that they expected the series to run for "one or two more seasons."
Why it won't return: The show concluded as planned after four seasons, marking the unofficial end of the Arrowverse era that began in 2012 with Arrow. Budget cuts and the new direction of DC Studios under James Gunn contributed to the decision.
8. Goosebumps (Disney+)
Disney's anthology series that adapted various Goosebumps novels into cohesive seasonal storylines won't continue beyond its second season. Despite the strong brand recognition of R.L. Stine's horror franchise and its family-friendly appeal, Disney+ decided not to move forward with additional seasons.
The cancellation came as a surprise given the Goosebumps IP's enduring popularity with multiple generations and Disney's usual commitment to family content.
Why it won't return: Disney+ opted not to continue the anthology format after two seasons, likely due to viewership not meeting expectations for the platform.
9. Hysteria! (Peacock)
This 1980s "Satanic Panic" horror-thriller never stood a chance. Despite scoring an impressive 91% on Rotten Tomatoes with critics, Peacock gave the show minimal promotion and it failed to make it into any streaming rankings.
The series explored the moral panic of the 1980s with wit and style but audiences never got the chance to discover it.
Why it won't return: Almost non-existent marketing from Peacock combined with low viewership led to a swift cancellation after just one season.
10. The Bondsman (Prime Video)
Kevin Bacon's supernatural drama became one of Prime Video's quietest cancellations.
The show received almost no promotion from Amazon and was cancelled quickly after its premiere due to poor viewership numbers. Despite Bacon's star power, The Bondsman never found its audience.
Why it won't return: Lack of promotional support from Prime Video and resulting poor viewership meant a quick cancellation.
11. Extraordinary (Hulu)
This quirky British sci-fi comedy had a fantastic premise. A woman without superpowers trying to navigate life in a world where everyone else has them.
The show ran for two seasons but was cancelled frustratingly leaving viewers on a cliffhanger. Despite its charm and originality, Extraordinary didn't achieve sufficient viewership numbers to convince Hulu to continue the series.
Why it won't return: Low viewership meant Hulu cancelled the series after two seasons, leaving the story unfinished.
12. Castlevania: Nocturne (Netflix)
The sequel to Netflix's wildly successful Castlevania series couldn't capture lightning in a bottle twice.
While the animated series was well-made with solid production values, it failed to attract the same passionate fanbase as its predecessor.
As of this writing, Netflix has neither renewed nor cancelled Castlevania: Nocturne, leaving its future in doubt after two seasons. It's been speculated that viewership didn't meet expectations for the continuation of the Castlevania universe.
Why it won't return: Despite being well-crafted, the show didn't generate viewership comparable to the original Castlevania series, leading Netflix to put it into a hiatus after season 2. Whether it will ever return remains uncertain.
13. Andor (Disney+)
The most critically acclaimed Star Wars series of the Disney+ era concluded exactly as creator Tony Gilroy intended. Andor wrapped up after two seasons and 24 episodes with its finale bringing Cassian Andor's journey full circle and leading directly into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Season 2 adopted an unprecedented format by dropping three episodes per week over four weeks, with each arc representing one year in the four-year period between the start of season 2 and Rogue One. The ninth episode, "Welcome to the Rebellion," won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and the show was named best of 2025 by Empire, IGN, Variety and Vulture.
Originally planned as five seasons covering one year each, the remaining four years were condensed into season 2 due to production realities and the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes. Despite the compression, the series delivered a complete and satisfying story that enhanced appreciation for Rogue One.
Why It Won't Return: Always planned as a prequel leading directly into Rogue One, Andor concluded exactly where it needed to.
The "endless content" era of streaming is officially dead and platforms are way pickier about what they'll keep around. For fans, this means getting attached to new shows is riskier than ever. Your favorite series might only get one season to prove itself and even multiple seasons doesn't guarantee a proper ending.
In the end, some of these endings did sting more than others, and some closures felt just right.