Back in October, Netflix revealed that Marvel's s Iron Fist and Luke Cage lost 2/3 of their viewership during the second seasons, and weren't really all that binge-worthy compared to other shows. It gave some context to their decision to cancel both shows at a time when fans were shocked at the news. But the same couldn't be said about Daredevil. Not only was it critically-acclaimed, but remained popular where others in the brand faded. And yet nobody was surprised by its cancellation because of the other Marvel shows ending, and the general idea has been that Marvel is clearing the decks in order to move these characters over to Disney+ next year.
Turns out that may not have been the case. While we may not have been surprised by Daredevil getting the ax, an actress on the show says Marvel definitely was. The comments come straight from Amy Rutberg, who plays Foggy Nelson's love interest Marci on the show. She tells Inverse...
“My contacts at Marvel were very surprised. Any of the rumors that it was a Marvel decision are wrong, I think it was purely a Netflix decision. That comes from personal conversations with people high up at Marvel. They were surprised."
Ruthberg says the timing was confusing for Marvel and the cast, because season 4 was on the verge of starting production...
“We had heard rumors we would start production as early as February 2019,”It’s a little unusual to be that far ahead in the planning and cancel the show, which makes me think Netflix was laboring over whether or not to cancel it. My guess was it was not an easy decision.”
Easy or not, Netflix made the call and the shockwaves are still being felt. Ruthberg was able to confirm news from a few days ago that the Marvel Netflix actors are exclusive for a time after cancellation, meaning they couldn't move to Disney+ even if there was a plan for it...
“There is this very real contract with Netflix. I had heard 18 months, maybe it’s 2 years. I suppose it’s possible that Marvel could buy them out, but I have not heard so much as a whisper.”
So if we're to take Ruthberg at her word, and there's no reason we shouldn't, that changes the narrative around these cancellations. It looks as if these were solely Netflix decisions and not part of a broader movement by Marvel. Then again, we should be aware that Marvel Studios and Marvel TV are not the same thing, and it's possible Disney and Kevin Feige played a role in Netflix's decision without the input of anybody at Marvel TV.
Anyway, expect The Punisher and Jessica Jones to take the rocket sled to termination after their next seasons in 2019.
