James Marsden Comments on ‘Disappointing’ Westworld Cancellation

Following the shocking cancellation of HBO’s Westworld, star James Marsden has spoken out, saying that a show’s financial success should not be the only thing that determines its worth.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Marsden said that it was “disappointing” how Westworld ended, and despite having gratitude for his experience, it would’ve been nice to finish the story of the show.

“I’d be lying to you if I told you that the way we ended Westworld wasn’t a disappointment,” Marsden said. “I’m never going to speak without gratitude about any of my experiences, but it would have been nice to be able to complete the story we wanted to finish. I love this Westworld family. It was one of those unique opportunities to be part of something where I also would be sitting at home ravenously waiting for the next episode as a fan.”

Marsden went on to say that he knows that decisions about shows often come down to just money, but he wishes it wasn’t like that so much.

“I totally understand it’s an expensive show, and big shows have to have big audiences to merit the expense,” said Marsden. “I just wish it was about more than financial success. But who knows — maybe there’s some world where it can get completed somehow. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking because I know we had plans to finish it the way we wanted to.”

Westworld was a dystopian sci-fi drama, based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name. It is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the birth of a new form of life on Earth. It centers around a technologically-advanced amusement park, where human-like android hosts are programmed to fulfill each high-paying guest’s wants and desires.

Season four starred Evan Rachel Wood, Emmy winner Thandiwe Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Aaron Paul, Angela Sarafyan, and James Marsden. Additional cast included Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, Aurora Perrineau, and Daniel Wu.