Exactly one week after Netflix and Marvel Television announced that their much-maligned superhero seriesIron Fistwould not return for a third season, the companies also made the decision to pull the plug onLuke Cage, another (and significantly better-received) show to come out of their partnership.
The decision, which was announced October 20 viaDeadline, has caused no small amount of questions, rumors, fan campaigns, and concern among the fans of — and teams involved with — the remaining three series in the companies’ interconnected universe:Daredevil,Jessica Jones, andThe Punisher. AlthoughIron Fistwas widely regarded as having improved in its second season, the success ofLuke Cageacrosstwo critically acclaimed seasonsmade a third season seem like a foregone conclusion.
Now, though, nothing seems certain for Marvel’s Netflix universe.
According to the initial report regarding the cancellation ofLuke Cage, behind-the-scenes tension between the show’s creative team Netflix and Marvel prompted the sudden decision to end the series. According to the report, “The pink-slipping ofLuke Cagewas ultimately a combo of the age-old Hollywood ‘creative differences’ and the inability for the parties involved to reach a deal on how to move forward, according to sources.”
The looming debut ofDisney’s own streaming servicereportedly complicated matters as Netflix and Marvel struggled to figure out where these series fit, now that Disney is making efforts tobring its various Marvel small-screen propertiesunder its own banner.
While creative tensions and backroom politics have been the downfall of many shows on various platforms over the years, the suggestion that Disney’s consolidation of its Marvel properties played into the decision has sparked some concern about the rest of the Marvel-Netflix collaborations.
Filming on the second season ofPunisherand the third season ofJessica Jonesis already underway or completed, and thethird season ofDaredevilpremiered on Netflix in mid-October (the day beforeLuke Cagewas canceled). There’s been no confirmation of a fourth season forDaredevilat this point.
Whether a season 4 announcement forDaredevilis made in the next few weeks, following the season 3 premiere (when Netflix has typically announced series renewals), will likely say a lot about the future of Marvel’s street-level superheroes on Netflix.
One popular theory making the rounds is that Netflix and Marvel could be planning a team-up series for the lead characters ofIron FistandLuke Cage.
In Marvel Comics lore, Danny Rand and Luke Cage have been partners for much of their comic-book history, forming a duo known as “Heroes for Hire” at one point. The pairing of the two heroes in the second season ofLuke Cageand the crossover miniseriesThe Defendersearned praise from critics and general audiences, so it’s within the realm of possibility that the two solo series could be replaced with aHeroes For Hireteam-up project.
In announcingthe cancellation ofIron Fist, Netflix and Marvel added fuel to the fire of that particular rumor by stating, “While the series on Netflix has ended, the immortal Iron Fist will live on.”
Iron Fiststar Finn Jones echoed that sentiment withhis own responseto the news ofLuke Cageending, which featured a photo of his fist meetingLuke Cagestar Mike Colter’s hand in one of the show’s memorable moments between the two.
A post shared by Finn Jones (@finnjones)
While that theory certainly gives fans some hope, it seems somewhat unlikely, given the messaging coming from those involved with both series.
Luke CageshowrunnerCheo Hodari Cokerbid a public farewell to the show onTwitter, and he was later joined by series actressKaren Pittmanand Colter himself, whothanked Marvel and Netflixfor the opportunity to play Harlem’s hero.
https://twitter.com/realmikecolter/status/1054220817603551232
Of course, none of this has stopped fans from campaigning for the return ofIron Fist, and a currentcampaign on Change.orgto bring backLuke Cagefor a third season was closing in on 30,000 signatures as of October 22.
Unfortunately for those fans, the changing face of the streaming landscape for Netflix itself also makes the continuation of the two series unlikely.
When Marvel’s collaboration with Netflix was first announced, the latter company didn’t have nearly as many high-profile projects in production as it does now. Given the massive success of in-house projects likeStranger Thingsin recent years, the decision by Netflix to begin moving away from shows it doesn’t wholly own makes sense — just as much sense as Disney’s decision to consolidate properties it owns on its own streaming platform, in fact.
Keeping all of that in mind, it might be wise for fans of the Marvel-Netflix series to hope for the best, but expect the imminent end of the companies’ grand experiment. The third season ofDaredevilis available now, and it’sbeen one of the series’ best, while new seasons ofPunisherandJessica Joneswill hopefully send both series out on a similarly high note if they don’t continue beyond those story arcs.
