DAREDEVIL Cancelled at Netflix
Continuing to defeat the Marvel street-level heroes where the Hand failed, Netflix continues its cancellation streak, this time putting Daredevil on the chopping block after a highly acclaimed third season.
It has seemed inevitable for some time, following the cancellations of Iron Fist and Luke Cage last month. The Netflix shows are falling one by one as we inch closer to the debut of Disney+ and the takeover of Hulu. With the acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney now owns 60% of the streaming service.
“Marvel’s Daredevil will not return for a fourth season on Netflix. We are tremendously proud of the show’s last and final season and although it’s painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to Deadline. “We’re thankful to showrunner Erik Oleson, the show’s writers, stellar crew and incredible cast including Charlie Cox as Daredevil himself, and we’re grateful to the fans who have supported the show over the years. While the series on Netflix has ended, the three existing seasons will remain on the service for years to come, while the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel.”
Back on November 16, Oleson had posted on Twitter that he had pitched season four:
Just pitched @netflix #Daredevil Season 4. Fingers crossed!
— Erik Oleson (@erikoleson) November 17, 2018
So there’s at least a plan for more story, and while it won’t be on Netflix, the company’s statement does seem to confirm that something will develop in the wake of this announcement. “While the series on Netflix has ended, the three existing seasons will remain on the service for years to come, while the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel.”
Does that mean Daredevil and Company will land on Disney+ in the future? Or could it be that Disney+ becomes the channel for more family-friendly fare while Hulu becomes home to the darker, more mature programming?
One major difference is that Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige will be involved in the new shows headed to the Disney stream. Already announced are solo shows for Loki and Scarlet Witch, as well as a team-up show featuring the Winter Soldier and Falcon. What does that mean for Ike Perlmutter and the Creative Committee that was left out to dry after Feige started reporting directly to Disney CEO Alan Horn? Will Marvel Television only be producing the shows that air on ABC?
Deadline notes that the cancellation comes amid “strained relations” between Netflix and Marvel Television, with disagreements over episode counts and production costs. Add into that mix the fact that the shows have had showrunner turnover, plus Netflix building its own stable of original shows, and things start to look a little dicey even without Disney+ looming on the horizon.
Deborah Ann Woll posted this reaction on Instagram:
Despite how she phrases it here, there’s little chance the show will undergo any kind of reboot, since these characters have been clearly placed inside the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Speculation on our part: the next round of Marvel TV shows will feature team-ups: Luke Cage and Danny Rand in Heroes for Hire, Colleen Wing and Misty Knight in Daughters of the Dragon, Jessica Jones and Trish Walker in Jewel & Hellcat, with Daredevil and Elektra back together to play out parts of the Bullseye story from Daredevil #171-172 and #182.
Stay tuned for the Netflix announcement about Jessica Jones and The Punisher.
Sad to see this one go. Although it was flawed, Charlie Cox gave us a solid Murdoch/Daredevil, and his parkour stunt double was a thrill to watch.