‘Heels’ Fans Are Finally Getting a Definitive Answer Regarding the Future of the Show, and It’s Not the One They Wanted

Wrestling dramas rarely get a second life on network television once they’re canceled, which is exactly why ‘Heels’ fans have spent the last two years holding onto a very specific kind of hope. The Starz series built a devoted following for its gritty look at independent wrestling and the family drama tangled up inside it, and that following never really let go, even after the show got the axe.

That persistence had real reason behind it. When Netflix struck a licensing deal in 2024 to bring both seasons of ‘Heels’ to its platform, it came with the open possibility that strong viewership numbers could convince the streamer to step in and rescue the show for a third season, following a well-worn Netflix playbook of reviving other networks’ cancellations.

That door has now officially closed. Netflix has passed on reviving ‘Heels’ for a season 3 after the first two seasons dropped on Netflix US two years ago, and the series will depart the platform entirely in September 2026.

Removal notices on Netflix now confirm that both seasons of ‘Heels’ will exit Netflix US on September 15, 2026, marking the end of the show’s fixed two-year licensing window with Lionsgate and Starz. That kind of licensed pickup typically runs on a strict, predetermined timeline, and with the 24-month contract now expiring, there’s no indication Netflix intends to extend it or step in with a renewal.

The hope for a revival wasn’t just fan wishful thinking, either. Showrunner Mike O’Malley and the cast actively campaigned for people to watch the show on Netflix, with the widely understood expectation that strong enough numbers could push the streamer to rescue the series outright. Even WWE star CM Punk, who played Ricky Rabies on the show, publicly hinted during interviews that a broader audience was all it would take to justify bringing ‘Heels’ back.

That broader audience never quite materialized. Despite finding a solid niche fanbase on Netflix, the show reportedly never pulled the kind of global viewership numbers the streamer typically requires to justify picking up someone else’s cancellation.

Star Stephen Amell has continued advocating for the series even as the outlook dimmed. Speaking during the Arrowverse Heroes panel at Motor City Comic Con, moderated by Joe Deckelmeier for ScreenRant, the actor reflected on the show’s two-season run and said he had hoped ‘Heels’ would get four or five seasons total, a reminder of how much unfinished story the cast and crew still felt they had left to tell.

‘Heels’ isn’t the first show to find itself in this exact position, either. Netflix similarly picked up licensing rights for shows like ‘Warrior’ and ‘Scavengers Reign’ hoping strong performance might justify continuing them, only to ultimately pass on both, a pattern that’s become familiar enough to feel like a warning sign for shows chasing a Netflix afterlife.

With the September 15 departure date now locked in, fans still have a small window to revisit Jack and Ace Spade’s story inside the Duffy Wrestling League before it disappears from the platform for good. Whether ‘Heels’ finds another home down the line remains an open question, but for now, its Netflix chapter is closing exactly the way so many licensed revival hopefuls eventually do.

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