The Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been considered to be the venue for adapting superheroes of the comic book publishers for a more mature audience. And indeed, the first such series on that line, “Daredevil”, was dark, violent and bloody like nothing else in the MCU so far, despite the street-level stakes. But not all Marvel Netflix shows were that successful. The mediocre “Iron Fist” that premiered early last year and returned months ago ended up cancelled by the streaming giant. While it seemed that was the end of it, another MCU show has been axed anew.
Variety tells us that Netflix has also pulled the plug on “Luke Cage” just days after doing the same to “Iron Fist”. This comes four months after the release of its second season, similar to its similarly cancelled sibling series. With that, the Marvel presence on Netflix has been reduced to just four: the pioneering show “Daredevil”, its follow-up “Jessica Jones”, “The Punisher”, and the team-up series “The Defenders”.
In a joint statement Marvel and Netflix dropped the bomb to audiences saying, “Unfortunately, ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ will not return for a third season. Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem’s Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series.” Insider info has it that “Luke Cage” was put forth for production of a third season, with cast members put on notice. The streaming giant however made the call to axe the show citing the unfeasibility of a follow-up.
Unlike “Iron Fist” which starred “Game of Thrones” alumni Finn Jones, “Luke Cage” was a decent performer in terms of viewership, with a spike in the second season this past June. However according to The Hollywood Reporter was bedeviled with a rise in “creative differences”, but was unclear on whether the conflict was between series creator Cheo Hodari Coker and Marvel TV, or the long-rumored Marvel-Netflix split borne of the pullout of the former’s parent company Disney of most its other content on the streaming platform.
The final theory is gaining traction as more and more information is being disclosed on the development of Disney’s own digital streaming service, which includes its own Marvel-based content in seeming competition with Netflix. The pioneering service is assuring that the other shows are still good to go for additional seasons when needed, but after two major cancellations in less than a week, MCU fans cannot help but be concerned.
Image courtesy of CNet
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