An American Gods spin off is on the way, but does Amazon Prime have a winner on its hands?

Los Angeles, California - While the original TV show has been given a premature boot, could the announcement of an American Gods spin off pour new life into the franchise?

After three seasons, American Gods was cancelled.
After three seasons, American Gods was cancelled.  © Copyright Amazon Prime Video

In March, fans were dismayed to learn that after three rousing seasons, American Gods was canceled.

The fantasy-drama, based on the novels of the same name by Neil Gaiman, was an instant hit upon its debut in 2017.

However, viewership dropped between the second and third seasons. Because of this, Amazon decided to boot the show from their line-up and bid farewell to the fans.

American Gods canceled after cliffhanger season finale

Many shows have survived despite lacking much of an audience, making the end of the series even more distressing. This was made all-the-more worse because of a particularly gut-wrenching, cliffhanger finale.

During the final episodes of season three, Shadow Moon, played by Ricky Wittle, had a peculiar journey that came to a shocking end when he and Mr. Wednesday, portrayed by Ian McShane, were both killed.

Though Shadow Moon and Mr. Wednesday's stories came to an unfortunate and fiery end – there may still be hope at the end of the tunnel.

American Gods spin off announced by Amazon following cancelation

On Wednesday, the Hollywood Reporter announced that a American Gods spin off was on the way. Based on Anansi Boys, it has been officially given the green-light by Amazon Prime.

While the show won't focus on the daunting war between the old and new gods, it will bring back a character whose time was cut short before American Gods' abrupt ending.

Anansi Boys will follow the tale of Charlie Nancy, who realizes that his father was Anansi, the West African God of Tricks – but only after his father's death.

Charlie will embark on an epic adventure alongside his brother Spider, who he never knew existed, as he learns about the world of the Gods.

Who is the god Anansi, and who will play Anansi in the American Gods spin off?

Orlando Jones as Mr. Nancy and the Ghanaian trickster God Anansi in American Gods.
Orlando Jones as Mr. Nancy and the Ghanaian trickster God Anansi in American Gods.  © imago/Everett Collection

For those who don't remember, God Anansi, aka Mr. Nancy, appeared in the first two seasons of the Starz series and was effortlessly played by Orlando Jones. But, the actor didn't reprise his role for the final season.

Initially, it was reported that Orlando didn't appear in the third season because his character's story didn't fit into its premise. However, in 2019, Orlando uploaded a video on Twitter claiming that he was fired from the show without even knowing.

The Evolutions star's exit did cause a bit of stir for American Gods – which could also explain the show's sudden cancellation. Still, Amazon and Neil are looking forward to the future with Anansi Boys.

There hasn't been any word on who will star in the upcoming series. From Orlando's previous fallout, it doesn't look like he will be reprising the role of the God of Tricks this time around.

Cover photo: 2018 Starz Entertainment, LLC / Jasper Savage

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