The end of the Marvel/Netflix partnership is finally here.
A month after The Punisher premiered its second season on the streaming giant, and a month before Jessica Jones is set to unveil its third season, Netflix has finally put out a formal confirmation that it would be cancelling its final two Marvel shows.
Netflix is still expected to air the third season of Jessica Jones but it will be the last Marvel project for the streaming service. This marks the end of the multi-series, big bucks and big ambitions relationship between Marvel and Netflix that started in 2013 with the announcement of four series and a The Defenders limited series.
In a statement, Netflix confirmed the cancellation, thanking and praising both the Punisher and Jessica Jones crews:
“Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix. Showrunner Steve Lightfoot, the terrific crew, and exceptional cast including star Jon Bernthal, delivered an acclaimed and compelling series for fans, and we are proud to showcase their work on Netflix for years to come.”
“In addition, in reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvel’s Jessica Jones. We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others”.
The final nail in the coffin was the quote below, which has Netflix thanking Marvel for the last five years:
“We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning.”
Netflix’s move to cancel all of their Marvel shows comes at a time where Marvel’s parent company, Disney, is ramping up development on their own streaming service. Disney+, which is expected to be unveiled by the end of 2019, will feature Marvel shows of their own, including ones on Loki, The Scarlet Witch, and a Falcon/Winter Soldier series.
As of now, it is unclear as to what the future is for the Netflix heroes. Recently, Hulu, which Disney will claim majority ownership of when their deal with Fox is completed, said that they would actually be open to reviving the shows, should the opportunity present itself.
While it has been reported that Disney cannot use characters like Punisher, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil for two years following the cancellations, I would keep a close eye on Hulu and their future with Marvel.
Source: Deadline
