Watchmen season 2 would "feel like a huge betrayal", says Damon Lindelof
The superhero series' showrunner has confirmed that he won't be returning for a second season on HBO.
HBO's Watchmen may have just picked up a handful of Emmys for its first season, including Outstanding Limited Series, but showrunner Damon Lindelof has ruled out the superhero drama's return – at least with him at the helm.
Speaking backstage at the virtual awards ceremony on Sunday, Lindelof said: "It would feel like a huge betrayal of winning limited series to come back and say, 'it was only a limited series'."
"Watchmen is something I've loved since I was 13-years-old. Someone else created it and this was my run on it," he added. "I've invited any other artist who wants to take the baton."
The comic-book drama - which follows a group of masked police officers attempting to take down a white supremacist group in Tulsa, Oklahoma - took home the most Emmys this year, winning 11 in total including Lead Actress for Regina King, Supporting Actor for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Outstanding Writing.
In December, Lindelof revealed that he did not want to continue with Watchmen past season one, having finished the story he wished to tell in all nine episodes.
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Although he told Deadline in February that he would "never wanna close the door completely", he "would say it's barely ajar".
Speaking about the show's win, HBO president Casey Bloys told Deadline that Watchmen "has the making of a classic" that people will revisit in years to come.
He added that following Lindelof's departure from the series, there are no plans for future seasons of Watchmen. "It's hard to imagine doing it without Damon. It seems unlikely, he told a pretty complete story. Never say never but there are no plans for another instalment."
Regina King, who starred as police detective Angela Abar/Sister Night, also confirmed that "there's no confirmation about a future of Watchmen right now", adding that if she were to do it again, "it would be with Damon".
"It's just about settling and enjoying this strange moment," she said backstage at the Emmys. "We're coming to a close on this chapter of the Watchmen series. It's bittersweet and emotional."
Watchmen also stars Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Jeremy Irons and Hong Chau.
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