Hulu Cancels 'Deli Boys' After Two Seasons
Hulu has cancelled the Onyx Collective crime dramedy Deli Boys after two seasons, with ratings cited as the reason by sources speaking to Deadline.
The series starred Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh as Mir and Raj Dar, pampered Pakistani American brothers who lose everything and are pulled into their father Baba's (Iqbal Theba) secret life of crime. Poorna Jagannathan played Naveeda "Lucky," Baba's confidant and a crime boss auntie — a role she said gave her a masculinity, fieriness and physicalness she had never been able to play before.
Deli Boys was a priority for Onyx Collective, the Disney-backed content brand that programmes for Hulu. To broaden the show's appeal heading into its second season, the team pushed for high-profile casting additions. Fred Armisen joined as a series regular, playing Max Sugar, a legendary gambling savant with a global casino empire whose crown jewel sits in Philadelphia. His casting was announced alongside the Season 2 renewal in August 2025, with Hulu's press release describing the show as a "critically acclaimed comedy series" — a characterisation Variety echoed in its own renewal report.
Season 2's supporting cast was stacked with familiar names: Andrew Rannells, Kumail Nanjiani, Lilly Singh, Robin Thede and Tan France all joined the show. Nanjiani's involvement was announced in April 2026 ahead of the season's May 28 premiere on Hulu, Deadline reported.
The show's journey began in October 2022, when Onyx Collective ordered a pilot with Ali, Shaikh and Alfie Fuller attached. Jagannathan joined as a lead later that same month. In May 2023, the project was picked up to series — a straight order, meaning no pilot would need to test before a full season was greenlit — with streaming exclusive to Hulu in the United States.
Deli Boys centred South Asian characters and talent at every level. Series creator Abdullah Saeed is Pakistani American, and the three core lead actors — Ali, Shaikh and Jagannathan — are all of South Asian descent.
For the people who made it, the cancellation ends a run that spanned nearly four years from pilot to second season. Jagannathan will next appear in HBO Max's Lanterns, which premieres August 16.
