What’s Next For Marvel’s Netflix Shows?

The future of Netflix’s Marvel shows is kind of up in the air this morning. Based on word of mouth and Google trends, Daredevil Season 3 seems to be something of a hit for Netflix, but the streaming service canceled both Iron Fist and Luke Cage last week. While the lackluster Iron Fist seemed doomed for a while, Luke Cage‘s cancellation came as something of a shock. Earlier this year, it was reported that Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg would be jetting off to Warner Bros. TV soon, which suggests that series may also be ending. So is there a future for the Marvel Universe on Netflix? Or is this kind of the end?

To get to the bottom of this, Decider’s resident Marvel/Netflix fans Meghan O’Keefe and Brett White discussed what’s next, and why this may be happening now:

Meghan O’Keefe: Okay, Brett. Daredevil Season 3 was phenomenal, but it hit Netflix at a weird time for the Marvel Universe. It looks like Netflix might be shutting down their Marvel properties. Do we think this is the end, and if it’s not the end, what’s Netflix’s next move?

Brett White: I know what their next move should be: commit to shorter seasons, shorter episodes, and a more procedural tone for the surviving shows and launch Heroes For Hire combining the casts of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Is that what they’ll do? I don’t think so. When Iron Fist proved to not be immortal, my first thought was, “It’s time for him to join the cast of Luke Cage anyway, so this is fine.” And then Luke Cage was canceled, even though the writers and showrunner had been hard at work on scripts for six months. These two cancellations feel different; the first one felt like a foregone conclusion, but the second felt like a real vote of no confidence. Now there’s not a show for Iron Fist and Colleen Wing to join, and the fact that Netflix didn’t have a Heroes For Hire announcement waiting to ease the pain of that Luke Cage news is really worrying. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jessica Jones wraps up when Melissa Rosenberg exits, and if Punisher wraps with Season 2 in 2019. I think Daredevil is safe, if only because it’s far and away the most popular Marvel/Netflix show, but can it exist on its own? And do you really think we’ve seen the last of Luke, Danny, Colleen, and Misty?

Meghan O’Keefe: I agree with you that we’ll likely see an announcement about Jessica Jones soon. They’re working on the third season, and after that, Rosenberg is set up for a graceful exit. Punisher is a weird one because I think it is popular, but it’s the one you always forget about. Jessica Jones got a nice little shoutout at the end of Daredevil Season 3, which suggests that she could crossover into that series, and Frank Castle started out as a Daredevil character.

So what I hope might happen is that they keep Daredevil going and they fold in characters from other shows — like Jessica, like Frank, like Iron Fist Season 2 villainess Typhoid Mary — and it becomes more of a procedural with multiple aspects, almost a superhero Law & Order like you were suggesting earlier.

However, there are two big business issues that could stop that from happening. One is the fact that we don’t know if the actors’ contracts allow for those kinds of future crossover appearances. The second is that as Disney preps its own stand alone streaming service, Netflix may want to drop the Marvel titles so as not to create a direct competition between Marvel Entertainment’s offerings and the A-list Loki and Scarlet Witch series Marvel Studios is reportedly prepping. I hope that Netflix and Marvel keep Daredevil trucking, but will they?

Brett White: If Season 3 is even as popular as Season 2, Netflix really should keep Daredevil going. I don’t think the hardcore superhero fans realize just how much more of a mainstream hit Daredevil is compared to the rest. The first seasons of Jones and Cage got critical praise, but they were nowhere near as popular–at least where Google searches are concerned–as DD. And I think you’re right, that all of these characters can come in and out of Daredevil with ease just as they did in the comics. When you look at the major villains Netflix’s Matt Murdock has yet to face, Typhoid Mary (a.k.a. Alice Eve’s Mary Walker) is the only one left now that we’ve seen Elektra, Kingpin, and Bullseye. Give us Daredevil vs. Typhoid Mary!

Will contracts let that happen? I… think so? I’ve always assumed that all the Netflix/Marvel contracts meant those actors were able to pop up wherever needed. That’s why we’ve seen so much crossover to date with Iron Fist, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, Foggy Nelson, Jeri Hogarth, Ben Donovan, Blake Tower, Karen Page, and Luke Cage all jumping from show to show. But then again, Rosario Dawson, the definitive series-jumping actor, had a contract specifically for that kind of cross-series trajectory. It’s entirely possible that the four primary leads (Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones, and Mike Colter) all have contracts that are way more restrictive than Dawson or Deborah Ann Woll or Jessica Henwick or Elden Henson or (I could keep going).

And then there’s the giant mouse in the room. I really don’t know what to make of Disney’s streaming service and its effect, if any, on these shows. This has been the #1 question with comic fans from the moment that service was announced, and Netflix has been very clear about it, saying that the Netflix shows are theirs to cancel. Marvel can’t pull them, and Marvel probably can’t pick up their toys and take them to their new home either. It’s Netflix’s decision whether or not they continue (and that’s a decision they are making now).

But that doesn’t mean Disney can’t make working with Netflix (the new competition) harder. That also doesn’t mean that Netflix will want to keep working with Marvel now that they’re making new shows for what a lot of industry peeps are literally calling a “Netflix killer.” And then there’s the even more confusing distinction between Marvel Studios (who’s making those rumored Scarlet Witch and Loki limited series for Disney) and Marvel Television (who makes all the Netflix shows and so far have nothing in the works with the Disney service)! Who is making what for which?!

Meghan O’Keefe: So it all comes down to Netflix and what they want to do. It’s been noted (around our office) that the first wave of Netflix hits — House of Cards, Orange is the New Black — is reaching an end. Netflix’s Marvel deal was one of its early wins. Now, shows like Iron Fist are clearly seen as bigger liabilities than they’re worth, hence the cancellations. Plus, Netflix is funneling money into Mark Millar’s original comic book based universe, which includes the upcoming Jupiter’s Legacy, American Jesus and more. They may want to invest in that more than another Marvel series. It would make as much sense to gracefully end the Marvel/Netflix universe as it would to keep it going.

I don’t know, man, Netflix could redirect the tone and trajectory of these shows, but do they want to put that effort in? Is Daredevil worth that much to Netflix?

Brett White: It’s worth that much to me, but Ted Sarandos doesn’t respond to all my texts and DMs. I think you’re right, though. We should have been way more wary of the Defenders’ future when Netflix got into business with Millar, instead of placing all that anxiety on the Disney service. I think a combo of both of those events sadly signal the end for this era. Look at all the work we’re asking Netflix to do, and what Netflix would have to do in order to keep Iron Fist and Luke Cage going on other shows. They’d have to devote a lot of brainpower, money, time, and marketing to launch new spinoffs or seasons for a brand that’s gone from being a partner, to the competition.

This all sucks. 2017 and 2018 were very frustrating years for the Netflix/Marvel shows, but I never stopped liking the characters or the actors. And Daredevil Season 3 being the best thing Marvel TV has done since… Jessica Jones Season 1?… only makes all this suck more. Or maybe it means the entire universe is preparing to go out on a high note. Or do fans need to start a change.org petition to get Disney to shell out to get an iteration of these shows on the new service??

Meghan O’Keefe: At least we’ll always have Wilson Fisk’s reunion with Vanessa…

Watch Marvel's Daredevil on Netflix