Recently Netflix announced that it was canceling Marvel’s Iron Fist, and a week later announced that it was also canceling Marvel’s Luke Cage. Both came as a bit of a shock to fans, and has led to a lot of speculation regarding the future of Netflix’s entire Marvel-Verse and whether it is drawing to a close.
As yet Netflix has not announced any further cancelations, save for Defenders which it previously revealed would not be returning for a second season. Recently the third season of Daredevil concluded, and new seasons of Jessica Jones and the Punisher will be released in 2019.
Of the two canceled series, Luke Cage won over critics with its first season and had a strong second season, while Iron Fist struggled in its first season and was subject to lots of criticism. The second season of Iron Fist emerged stronger, however, which made its cancelation surprising.
Initial speculation revolved around the fact that Netflix may be drawing its Marvel-Verse to a close as Disney looks to reclaim its properties for its own streaming service. However, although Disney will pull its Marvel cinematic universe titles from Netflix in 2019 – the Netflix Marvel shows don’t fall under the same bracket.
In fact, Netflix had stated as much when asked about the future of its Marvel-Verse. The streaming giant’s Chief Content Officer, Ted Sarandos, commented that “Those shows are for us to cancel, and we’re super happy with their performance so far.”
Although the unveiling of Disney’s streaming service may have contributed to Netflix’s decision, it is more likely that it was made based on the performance of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. While Netflix does not disclose its viewership data, analytics by Jumpshot indicate that both Iron Fist and Luke Cage lost substantial viewers going into their second season.
Another factor in Netflix’s decision may have been the fact that there will be no new Defenders season to tie-in its multiple properties. Instead, each of Netflix’s Marvel-Verse shows needs to sink or swim on its own strength, and it appears as if Iron Fist and Luke Cage failed to meet that mark.
Assuming the other Marvel-Verse shows suffer similar drops in their audience, Netflix could very well cancel them as well. Considering Disney is looking to produce its own Marvel-based content, it is unlikely to expand its partnership with Netflix to produce new shows in their place.
Overall, however, Netflix’s efforts to produce its own content are set to continue, as it attempts to fend off renewed competition from other streaming services. Its features are expanding as well, though if you want to download Netflix movies you’re still better off with a third-party tool such as Movavi Screen Recorder.
All in all the days of Netflix’s Marvel-Verse seem numbered and its longevity hinges solely on how new seasons of its current shows perform. The next indication may come soon enough, based on whether or not Netflix decides to renew Daredevil for a fourth season.
