Netflix finally pulled the plug on the last two house-produced MarvelDefendersshows remaining on the streaming service, announcing thatThe Punisheris finished after its second season (which hit the service a month ago) and thatJessica Joneswill conclude after the release of its upcoming third season.
The cancellation of the two shows may not come as a huge surprise to those who have been following the company’s Marvel collaborations. With Marvel now owned by Disney, andDisney planning its own on-demand streaming service, Netflixcanceled all of its original Marvel shows, includingLuke Cage,Iron Fist,andDaredevil.The decision not to renew these two shows, in particular, has been rumored for some time.
The Marvel-licensed shows that Netflix produced will not be leaving the service, despite there being no new episodes, so you can still re-watch any action you missed from the various superheroes and villains surrounding each of Netflix’sDefenders.
“Marvel’sThe Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix,” Netflixtold Deadline. “Showrunner Steve Lightfoot, the terrific crew, and exceptional cast including star Jon Bernthal, delivered an acclaimed and compelling series for fans, and we are proud to showcase their work on Netflix for years to come.”
The company had similarly positive things to say about the cast and crew ofJessica Jones. “We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others.”
This concludes a fruitful half-decade of production partnerships between Marvel and Netflix, with critically acclaimedshows likeDaredevilhelping to increase the attention to the on-demand streamers’ original programming.
For now, fans of Marvel shows can re-watch the episodes still on the service and look forward toJessica Jonesseason 3, which will premiere later this year. They can also anticipateMarvel TV’s new deal with Hulu, which will see four new series and one special coming to the fellow on-demand streamer. And we’re probably very likely to see lots of Marvel content on Disney’s upcoming Disney Plus streaming service when it launches in the coming months.
