Two out of the four Defenders have had their solo series axed.
Fans didn't have any warning before Luke Cage and Iron Fist were cancelled, so why did Netflix
pull the plug on a pair of their Marvel shows?
Let's go over all the possible reasons.
While it seems unlikely that sudden creative differences could ever be the sole reason
why Luke Cage and Iron Fist failed to nab third seasons within a week of each other,
The Hollywood Reporter claims that was part of the issue, at least with regards to Luke
Cage.
Considering both cancelled shows had managed two solo seasons, it seems odd that the showrunners,
Netflix, and Marvel suddenly hit back-to-back speed bumps in their relationships that couldn't
be mended.
Still, boiling creative tensions could definitely be the straw that broke the camel's back if
there were other issues already in play.
Speaking of play….
It's not a stretch to imagine that the impending arrival of Disney's streaming service, Disney
Play, is likely throwing a huge monkey wrench into the works for all of Disney and Netflix's
joint TV properties.
Given that Disney Play is arriving in 2019 and is set to be the exclusive host for almost
all of Disney's original content, including Star Wars and Marvel projects, it makes sense
that this might be the first move by Disney to bring its boys home.
Since the company has already reclaimed Danny and Luke, perhaps Disney is also gearing up
to take back Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Punisher, once those properties' outstanding
Netflix obligations have run their course.
If Disney really is terminating shows with Netflix in order to have all its Marvel eggs
in one basket, the question remains: what will Disney actually do with them?
The whole point of the Netflix shows was to be an outlet for grittier stories within the
Marvel Universe.
If Disney doesn't want to bring that kind of edge over to their family-friendly streaming
service, could this be the end of Luke Cage and Iron Fist for good?
At least on the Iron Fist side of things, quality control has been a real issue.
Both seasons 1 and 2 failed to win the world over.
Critics and fans alike just couldn't get behind the show's slow pacing, mishandled protagonist,
and the scores of other issues.
"You're scared...no."
Luke Cage definitely fared better with critics, but it couldn't escape some of the wider cross-brand
complaints either.
Bloated episodes and unnecessary plot threads weighed down the storyline, proving that perhaps
Netflix's and Marvel's formulaic approach to TV still needs some work.
There's a chance the two companies recognized this and determined that these shows were
sinking ships and that it was better to pull the plug now rather than throw more good money
at them.
After Matt, Luke, Jessica, and Danny received their big team-up season with The Defenders,
fans of the Netflix-Marvel-verse got excited about future cross-brand opportunities.
Would we get another team-up round with a Defenders: Season 2?
Would the street-level heroes finally make some sort of appearance in the Marvel Cinematic
Universe?
These questions swirled through fans' minds, until… nothing happened.
No second season of The Defenders ever materialized, and the MCU still hasn't so much as admitted
the existence of the Netflix shows' characters.
"Who the hell are you guys?"
This paints a pretty clear picture of where the Netflix shows have been heading: nowhere.
"You're goin' nowhere."
There's still no Defenders Season 2 in sight, and it's not like Matt Murdock and his crew
are going to get a big-screen spotlight in a Marvel movie.
When you combine that with everything else, it's no surprise Netflix and Marvel saw little
consequence in ending half of the b-list Avengers' solo runs.
Netflix doesn't release viewership numbers publicly, so there's no way of knowing whether
those figures had a major impact on the decision to end Iron Fist and Luke Cage.
Still, between over-saturation and brand stagnation, there might very well have been a dip in viewership.
Across all of Netflix's Marvel shows, 11 seasons' worth of television were produced and released
between 2015 and 2018, with four of those seasons debuting in 2018 alone.
That's a lot of superhero shenanigans to stuff down Marvel fans' throats, especially when
you consider that most of those seasons contained copious amounts of padding and filler.
Maybe people just got tired of watching Danny punch things.