Why did Netflix cancel Marvel's Jessica Jones and The Punisher?
19 February 2019, 12:38
Why is Netflix cancelling all the Marvel shows? It's likely that the reason is all down to Disney's new streaming service... but the likes of Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Luke Cage and The Punisher could all return in the future.
Another day, another TV show cancellation at Netflix. In the last twelve months, the streaming service has cancelled around twelve shows, including Orange Is The New Black, American Vandal and Everything Sucks! (which still deserves better.)
And now, it's been announced that Marvel's Jessica Jones and The Punisher - the last two remaining Marvel series still on the platform - have been cancelled too. Thanos' snap really did that, huh?
Following the cancellation news, Netflix told Deadline: "We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning."
Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones will be the last Marvel series to leave the platform and will air its third and final season later this year. Season two of The Punisher, starring Jon Bernthal, aired in January 2019.
Why did Netflix cancel The Punisher and Jessica Jones?
It's not been explicitly confirmed why the show was cancelled but it's likely to do with the fact that Disney (who owns Marvel) is launching its own streaming service and as a result, will be moving all content to one platform.
Netflix had already cancelled three Marvel shows before announcing the final snap. Luke Cage and Iron Fist were the first to go, followed by Daredevil a month later. Fans already had an inkling that Netflix's Marvel division was in jeopardy when the streaming service wiped the social accounts for The Defenders and replaced them with a new sub genre called 'NX'.
Head of Marvel TV, Jeph Loeb, released a statement in regards to the cancellation and hinted that the franchise may continue elsewhere: "Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters... but you know Marvel better than that."
Whether or not the shows will be picked up again on the Disney+ streaming service remains to be seen but given that they were some of the most watched shows on Netflix, it'll be a waste if the characters don't return in some capacity.
In other, completely unrelated news, Netflix has also cancelled Friends From College after two seasons. The comedy series starring Keegan Michael Key, Cobie Smulders and Billy Eichner had literally just launched its second season. No explanation was given for the cancellation but it's likely due to low viewership.
