Cowboy Bebop: John Cho speaks out about cancellation

Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the iconic anime series Cowboy Bebop starring John Cho was heavily hyped on the road to its release but just three weeks later, the streaming service cancelled the series. Given the lackluster reviews it received and high cost of producing it, you can understand why Netflix decided to scrap the series, but it still came as a disappointment to many, including the cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring Cowboy Bebop to life.

John Cho starred in Cowboy Bebop as Spike Spiegel, along with Mustafa Shakir as Jet Black and Daniella Pineda as Faye Valentine. While speaking with THR, the actor was asked how he felt about the cancellation of the series.

I put a lot of my life into it. I’d gotten injured shooting that show and so I took a year off because of the surgery and devoted myself to rehab, came back and finished the show. It was this huge mountain for me to climb, healing from that injury. I felt good about myself as a result. We also shot the show in New Zealand, so my family moved there. It was just a huge event in my life and it was suddenly over. It was very shocking and I was bummed.

Despite the disappointment over the cancellation of the series, John Cho said that he was “very warmed by the response. I wish I could have contacted everybody and gotten hugs. You can’t do that now, but … I don’t know what this is. I’m mystified a little bit about how you can connect with people that you don’t know doing your work, but I won’t question it. I will value it and treasure it. I’m just really deeply appreciative that anyone would care. It’s stunning to me.” Cowboy Bebop showrunner André Nemec had “big plans” for a second season, but sadly, it won’t come to pass.