Back in 2024, the Ultraman franchise got a new and unexpected iteration. Ultraman: Rising told a standalone story that looked like the beginning of a new and exciting adventure… but it looks like it is not moving forward. This week, the movie’s co-director and co-writer Shannon Tindle answered a fan who was wondering if we were ever going to see a sequel for Ultraman: Rising. His reply was devastating for Ultraman fans.

In a short message written on Twitter/X, Tindle suggested that a sequel for Ultraman: Rising is looking like a distant reality. He did have good news for fans of his work, though. He wrote:

“I’d love to make another, but currently, it’s not in the cards. However, I’ve just started working on something I’m very excited about:) More to come…”

Tindle is an Emmy winner who had showcased his talent for animation way before Ultraman: Rising came along. He was a character designer in titles like Static Shock, Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends and Oscar nominee Kubo and the The Two Strings. For Netflix, he created and wrote the adorable miniseries Lost Ollie. Ultraman: Rising was his first feature film as director, a title he shared with John Aoshima (Gravity Falls).

‘Ultraman: Rising’ Brought a Whole New Slate Of Fans To The Franchise

Ultraman: Rising received excellent reviews from critics in 2024, and it has an 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Among fans, the movie fared even better, landing a 92% score in the Popcornmeter. The excellent reception is one factor that makes fans eager for a sequel, but Netflix has its own methods of deciding what moves forward and what doesn’t. Back in October, Tindle seemed far more enthusiastic about a sequel, going as far as announcing that he had already started working on the script and it had the working title of Ultraman: Fallen. So, either Netflix completely pulled the plug on the sequel plans or simply decided that it’s not a priority for the coming years. Either way, Ultraman fans end up losing this one.

Not that Ultraman is going away, though. The Netflix movie was the 44th installment of the franchise, which kicked off in Japan in 1966 and has already entertained several generations of viewers. The superhero is the one who helped establish the culture of tokusatsu and kaiju in Japan and across the world. In the last ten years alone, Ultraman had a dozen movies released, including the critically acclaimed Shin Ultraman. Last month, Japanese audiences got to watch in theaters the latest installment of Ultraman Arc The Movie: The Clash of Light and Evil. So it’s safe to say that there will be plenty of Ultraman to go around in the coming years.

You can stream Ultraman: Rising on Netflix.

via Collider