‘Iron Fist’ Being Canceled Is the Best Thing to Happen to Iron Fist

I should feel real bummed right now. Why? Well, for a number of reasons, only a few of which actually pertain to the scope of Decider (yeah, I have a few problems not related to streaming!). But Netflix just canned its first Marvel show, snuffing out one of the original four Defenders series they announced yeeeeears ago. Unlike Daredevil and Jessica Jones (and probably Luke Cage), Marvel’s Iron Fist isn’t getting a third season. The solo adventures of Marvel’s martial arts hero is donezo.

That is a bit of a bummer, because Iron Fist Season 2 was actually good–actually, pretty good. The show turned itself around, and then Netflix landed a killing blow. Unfair! Or is it? While I felt an immediate bummer twinge when I saw the headlines, my legit next thought was, “Good. This is going according to plan!” Meaning, if I actually thought we were never going to see Colleen Wing or Mary Walker or Danny Rand again, I would be very upset. But I don’t think their stories are over, cancellation be damned. I think this is a new beginning–and Iron Fist star Finn Jones seems to agree.

Here’s why: This cancellation is comics-accurate, y’all. Iron Fist started out as a solo hero in the ’70s, but his first comic only lasted just under two years (or 15 issues). Then he was done, and his story had to move over to the anthology series Marvel Team-Up to wrap up. Then, not too long after that, Iron Fist semi-permanently teamed up with Luke Cage as the Power Man comic became Power Man and Iron Fist. In the 40 years after Danny first teamed up with Luke, Iron Fist has had a few mini-series and a couple more ongoings, but his most enduring role has been that of Cage’s crimefighting partner. When you think of Iron Fist, most readers think of Power Man and Iron Fist. Heck, when Netflix initially announced they were doing separate Iron Fist and Luke Cage series, plenty of fans (myself included) immediately wondered why they weren’t teamed up from the jump.

The Netflix shows, just like the comics from back in the ’70s, are now at that point. Luke and Danny met in the Defenders limited series last year. Then Finn Jones did a solid guest spot in an episode of Luke Cage this year. Mike Colter didn’t show up on Iron Fist Season 2, but the door is still wide open for more team-ups. In fact, one could theorize that Netflix has been delaying a Luke Cage Season 3 announcement because they’re readying an announcement for a series starring both Luke and Danny. Or maybe they’re finalizing plans to have Danny recur in Season 3 of Luke Cage before such a team-up show is launched. Either way, that’s always felt like the eventual goal for both shows (well, at least for Iron Fist, which struggled a whole lot more than Luke Cage at establishing an identity). That’s especially true for the Finn Jones as Iron Fist, since he’s always seemed way more comfortable as part of an ensemble or supporting player rather than lead; just look at how much more fun he was in Defenders and Luke Cage than in his own show.

This evolution also applies to almost all the major players in the Iron Fist cast. Jessica Henwick and Simone Missick are more than ready to headline their own Daughters of the Dragon series, limited series, or Netflix movie. Like, Colleen’s got her own Iron Fist now! You really want to see another season of her playing back-up to Danny?! No! Cut her loose from this show and let her fly (with her badass detective BFF by her side)! And the same goes for Alice Eve’s terrifying Mary Walker. That character was always a Daredevil villain/love interest (Matt Murdock has iffy taste in women), so her debut on Iron Fist was always a bit puzzling. But Eve killed it, and getting her on a later Daredevil season would be a fiendishly great move for the character.

So I’m not upset, because the end of Iron Fist feels like it was always in the cards–especially after Season 1 earned it a (then deserved) reputation as the weakest Marvel/Netflix show. Season 2 got the show in fighting shape, and now all these characters are ready to disperse to the wider vigilante-verse. Iron Fist is over, but maybe that makes room for Power Man and Iron Fist and Daughters of the Dragon. Or maybe it means we’ll get a Heroes For Hire show starring Luke, Danny, Colleen, and Misty. Don’t all of those options sound way more interesting than another season of Iron Fist? Those are all shows I want to see, ASAP.

The only downside to all this: will we ever find find out WTF was up with those chi guns??

Stream Marvel's Iron Fist on Netflix