Venture Bros. Canceled While Season 8 Was Being Written

Seventeen years and seven seasons (yes, the math is right…this show always took its time), it seems like we may have seen the last of Hank, Dean, and Doc Venture. Word broke on Twitter over the weekend that beloved cult animation series The Venture Bros. has been canceled.

There are very few details at this time, but The Venture Bros. co-creator Jackson Publick did offer a brief statement on Twitter confirming the news.

“Unfortunately, it’s true: #VentureBros has been canceled. We got the highly disappointing news a few months ago, while we were writing what would have been season 8. We thank you, our amazing fans, for 17 years of your kind (and patient) attention. And, as always, We Love You.”

The thought of there being no The Venture Bros. Season 8 is almost too much to bear, especially considering how the most recent two seasons were perhaps the best in the show’s history.

However, the official Adult Swim Twitter account may have just given fans a little bit of hope.

“We also want more Venture Bros. and have been working with Jackson and Doc to find another way to continue the Venture Bros. story.”

What could that possibly mean? While Venture Bros. would be perfectly suited to the world of say, comic books, the idea that another medium entirely would be sufficient to “continue the Venture Bros. story” isn’t exactly the most encouraging thought, especially for a series as steeped in animated lore as this one. Could it return as a series of shorts? A web series? Who the hell knows.

In a far better world, the hilarious, yet surprisingly soulful Venture Bros. would have achieved the kind of cultural ubiquity of the far more nihilistic Rick and Morty. But its fans know what’s what. Far more than a traditional lampooning of animation and superhero tropes, The Venture Bros. also routinely boasted a sly knowledge of things like NYC nightlife, as well as the best musical taste of any animated series in history (the season four finale’s use of Pulp’s “Like a Friend” being a stunning example, although usually its musical knowledge was wielded for background jokes and character names rather than traditional needle drops).

We’ll keep you posted if this is only a temporary blip and/or if Adult Swim sees the light and un-cancels the show. You’d think that in the midst of this seemingly never ending pandemic, animation would be a safe bet for studios and networks.