Netflix Cancels Marvel's 'The Punisher' & 'Jessica Jones'; Marvel TV Teases Its Superhero Series Might Return In Different Network
Netflix has officially pulled the plug for Marvel's TV series The Punisher and Jessica Jones. Both shows will not return for more seasons.
In a statement, Netflix thanked Marvel for five years of partnership and also the fans who followed the series from the beginning. The streaming service also expressed its gratitude to the cast and crew of the two shows.
Jessica Jones is set to bid goodbye to its viewers when it airs its third and final season this year. Netflix and Marvel have yet to announce an exact premiere date for the show. The series stars Krysten Ritter in the lead role of Jessica Jones, a former superhero who opens her own detective agency. Carrie-Anne Moss, Rachael Taylor, and Eka Darville are also in the series.
The Punisher, on the other hand, will not return for another season despite its strong Season 2. The second season of the series was released on January 18. The Punisher starred Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, who took revenge to those responsible for the death of his family.
The latest cancellations mark the final Marvel series that have been canceled by Netflix. Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil were canceled late last year. It also put an end to the Netflix-Marvel partnership that started in 2013.
The five Marvel shows plus The Defenders are all part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on television. Following the Netflix announcement, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb teased that their canceled superhero TV series might be picked up 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. As Matthew Murdock's Dad once said, 'The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it's how he gets back up.' To be continued...!'" he wrote in a letter published on Marvel's website.
The canceled TV series may return in Hulu as Marvel TV recently inked a four-series and one special deal with the network. The shows might also get a second life in upcoming Disney+. Marvel parent company, Disney, is set to launch its own streaming service-Disney+-in late 2019.
Bernthal also hinted to The Hollywood Reporter that "there will be more Frank Castle one way or the other." Disney+ chairman Kevin Mayer also told the publication that there is a possibility the "high-quality shows" could be revived on their platform.
However, it may take time before viewers will see the Defenders on Disney+. Variety cited some sources as saying that the deal for the original four Marvel shows prevents the series characters from appearing in any non-Netflix property for at least two years after cancellation.