On the heels of Netflix’s decision to cancel The Defenders, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Daredevil, the streaming giant has axed its two remaining Marvel shows: The Punisher and Jessica Jones.
According to Variety, Netflix confirmed on Monday that it had canceled The Punisher after its second season, which premiered in January. Two seasons of Jessica Jones are currently available to stream, while its upcoming third season has yet to premiere. Even so, the streaming giant acknowledged that despite this, the latter series had also been canceled.
Netflix explained the situation in a statement to the press:
“[The Punisher] 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. In addition, in reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvel’s Jessica 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. 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.”
Considering the previous cancellations, Netflix’s decision isn’t all that surprising. Many of its original Marvel shows weren’t critical darlings (though Daredevil‘s third season redeemed it significantly). Sure, the streamer’s strategy was initially thought to be ill-conceived, especially since many of these programs are some of its best performers. But with Marvel’s corporate owner Disney getting ready to launch its own streaming service, these decisions are now seen primarily as business and competition-driven.
(Via Variety)