Here’s Why Netflix Actually Canceled ‘Daredevil’, ‘The Punisher’ & Its Other Marvel Shows

Coming as no great surprise to Marvel fans, Netflix finished off their corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week, giving both The Punisher and Jessica Jones the ax after canceling Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage last year. A new report from The Hollywood Reporter sheds some light on why the streaming titan has cut ties with Marvel Television.

Ultimately, the decision to boils down to hefty licensing fees to carry on with future seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage as Netflix has no stake in the superhero shows owned by Disney. While those series, which also includes The Defenders team-up show between the Marvel heroes formerly of the streaming service, could carry on in some form or another, Netflix is much more focused on owning its own content than it is licensing third-party content, just as other rivals such as WarnerMedia Disney+ begin to launch their own streaming services.

Officially, Netflix released a statement last year on why they chose to cancel Daredevil following its critically acclaimed third season, explaining that they wanted to take the series out on a high note while writers were already in development on the fourth season.

While there has been some hope that the Netflix Marvel shows could be revived possibly on Hulu (which Disney will own the majority once the Disney-Fox merger is complete), or even on Disney+, Disney’s upcoming streaming service set to launch by the end of the year, the latter seems unlikely given the graphic violence and sexual content in Netflix’s Marvel shows, as the Disney platform has been previously described as a home for family friendly content. Although Marvel’s street-level heroes could live on, it will be a while before we see them again as Marvel is not able to use the characters on screen for up to 24 months.

Although Netflix does not release metrics for its viewership ratings, data previously released by Crimson Hexagon, a consumer-insights firm, revealed the social media engagement for Marvel’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage dropped significantly following the debut of each series.

Data from analytics company Jumpshot also revealed The Punisher saw a considerable drop in viewership, falling 40% from the show’s first to second season weekend premieres. Comparatively, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist fell over 60% in first-weekend viewership for their latest seasons.

The third season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones is still on the way despite being canceled by Netflix.

Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of Marvel Television as we learn it.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter