Dexter: Original Sin was cancelled mainly due to a major corporate merger between Paramount and Skydance, which brought a change in leadership and new priorities. The merger led to a shift in the company's content strategy and budget allocation, favoring costly new deals like UFC rights and exclusive content from big creators instead of continuing the Dexter prequel. The cancellation came just days after these major commitments were announced. Other reasons include lower viewership numbers compared to the sequel Dexter: Resurrection and a strategic scaling back of the Dexter franchise plans under new management. Despite an initial renewal for a second season, the show was abruptly cancelled, disappointing fans and the creator, Clyde Phillips, who had envisioned expanding the Dexter universe with multiple spin-offs. The cancellation was also criticized for how it was handled internally, with the creative team being informed of the renewal before the reversal happened.