As good as the first season of Starz’s American Gods was, the behind-the-scenes drama involving co-showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green almost ended up eclipsing the show’s strengths before they were suddenly dismissed from the production by the network.
While the specific reasons for Fuller and Green’s departures were never explicitly laid out, most agree that it ultimately came down to money, specifically Starz’s desire to have American Gods produced much more cheaply. Interestingly, Fuller took to his Twitter account last night to share a bit more information about what American Gods’ second season might have looked like had Starz kept him and Green on board.
In addition to attempting to meet Starz’s expectations regarding the show’s budget, Fuller explained that the showrunners were in the process of getting Media, then portrayed by Gillian Anderson, to appear as both Fred Rogers and Star Wars’ Princess Leia.
https://twitter.com/a/status/1074363981467242496
It’s wild to think that American Gods could have paid tribute to the Neighbourhood of Make-Believe and the galaxy far, far away as it continued to build out the magical world the show takes place in. But that doesn’t mean that the series won’t be back in fighting form when it returns to Amazon Prime Video in March.