Netflix Cancels Fan-Favorite Show After Just One Season
Mattson Tomlin, the creative force behind Terminator Zero, has confirmed that Netflix will not be making a second season of the animated series. The news came directly from Tomlin on social media on Friday, February 13.
He explained that even though fans and critics loved the show, the viewership numbers were not high enough to justify the cost and time required for another season. The show, which premiered in August 2024, was an ambitious mix of the classic Terminator story with anime-inspired visuals.
Tomlin shared that Netflix gave him a lot of freedom to tell a story he cared about, calling it a personal project. “The feedback was amazing, but the only way to justify such an expensive project is if people actually watch it, and sadly, they didn’t,” he said.
Originally, Tomlin had plans for five seasons, diving deeper into the “Future War” storyline in seasons two and three. But he said he’s happy with the way the first season stands alone. Netflix reportedly offered a few extra episodes to wrap up the story after the cancellation, but Tomlin chose to let the season finale remain as the complete story.
Despite its short run, Terminator Zero earned strong praise, with an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The voice cast included Timothy Olyphant as the Terminator, along with André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rosario Dawson, all of whom brought depth to their characters.
It was cancelled. The critical and audience reception to it was tremendous, but at the end of the day not nearly enough people watched it. I would’ve loved to deliver on the Future War I had planned in season’s 2 and 3, but I’m also very happy with how it feels contained as is. https://t.co/Dh7G6gkBF7 pic.twitter.com/dqCSXHIytg
— mattson tomlin (@mattsontomlin) February 13, 2026
Fans had been wondering about the show’s future since its premiere, and Tomlin’s statement finally confirmed what many had suspected. While this chapter of the Terminator universe ends, the cast and crew are moving on to other big projects.
Tomlin himself is busy co-writing The Batman Part II with Matt Reeves, which starts filming this April in the UK. Timothy Olyphant is starring in FX’s Alien: Earth and the action-comedy Over Your Dead Body, premiering at SXSW in March. Sonoya Mizuno returns as Mysaria in season three of House of the Dragon, and Rosario Dawson has joined the soccer drama Baton, executive-produced by David Beckham.
Even as Terminator Zero fades, the franchise is far from over. James Cameron has hinted at a new live-action script, though it will move away from the original cast. Tomlin said he’d love to return to the world of Skynet someday, but for now, his focus is on Gotham and other major film projects.
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