LUKE CAGE And IRON FIST Reportedly Lost 2/3 Of Viewership During Their Second Seasons

LUKE CAGE And IRON FIST Reportedly Lost 2/3 Of Viewership During Their Second Seasons

Fans were shocked to learn that Netflix had decided to cancel both Luke Cage and Iron Fist within a week of each other but a new report may help make sense of that. Hit the jump for further details...

By JoshWilding - Nov 01, 2018 02:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Luke Cage
We recently heard that Luke Cage and Iron Fist's respective social media impressions plummeted by the time their respective second seasons hit Netflix but a new report from a company called Jumpshot suggests that viewership fell as well. 

According to an analysis of Netflix viewing numbers, Luke Cage lost around 59% of viewers and Iron Fist dropped a staggering 64% when compared to its first run of episodes. While the latter losing viewers probably shouldn't come as a surprise after that disappointing first season, it is shocking that Luke Cage lost so many fans. Perhaps Diamondback can be blamed for that?

As a result, poor ratings are what led to the demise of Danny Rand and Power Man's respective TV shows and while we don't know the finer points of Marvel's deal with Netflix, it could be that neither company thought it would be worth spending money on 
a third season (this would also explain why Iron Fist's episode count was shortened). 

Will Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher be next to face the axe? That remains to be seen but we should probably forget about seeing a Heroes for Hire TV show for the time being. 


What does the future hold in store for The Defenders? Click on the 
"View List" button below for everything we know so far!

Heroes For Hire?



A specific reason wasn't given for Iron Fist's cancellation but we can probably blame it on poor reviews and low viewership. In the case of Luke Cage, though, it's been said that it boiled down to creative differences behind the scenes and Marvel not taking the series in a direction that Netflix was happy with. 

Could all of that have something to do with Netflix wanting to pair these two up for a Heroes for Hire series? Given where the characters are right now, bringing them together will be a challenge but it could work and would ensure that their stories could continue.

Fans have been saying for years now that they want Heroes for Hire so if combining Iron Fist and Luke Cage to make that show is an option, it could be one all parties involved will be happy with. Unfortunately, if Netflix doesn't feel they work individually, why would they spend money putting what they view as two failures together? 

 

A Possible Future On Disney's Streaming Service



Disney can't just take these characters from Netflix for its own streaming service but now that their shows are cancelled, they can do whatever they want with them. While the first couple of seasons of Luke Cage and Iron Fist would remain on Netflix, Disney must know that people won't ever ditch the streaming service for theirs because of the different content; if anything, they'll want both.

So, with the solo shows easy enough to find, Disney could easily launch its own version of Heroes for Hire or even deliver third seasons for both characters, a smart way to attract Marvel fans away from Netflix (Daredevil was the main reason I signed up back in 2015 and I'm sure the same is the case for a lot of fans). 

Here's an exciting option for you: what if Disney decides to put these characters in the hands of Marvel Studios so Kevin Feige and company can tell some stories with them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper? That would be incredible but whether or not he would want to handle what are essentially second-hand goods is hard to say. 

 

No More Defenders



When Iron Fist was cancelled, it was said that the character would live on elsewhere and while Heroes for Hire was the series most fans immediately started dreaming up, what about The Defenders

Unfortunately, all the signs are pointing to that show having been cancelled after the disappointing first season which failed to take advantage of the premise and dropped the ball on The Hand in a big way. As a result, there's no way we'll see the team reassemble in the near future so that pretty much closes the door on bringing them back there. 

Luke Cage could show up in Jessica Jones but that would feel very forced now that he's a "crime lord" and while Iron Fist has often been an ally to Daredevil, I don't see Marvel wanting to complicate things by throwing that mythology into the Man Without Fear's mix.

 

Luke Cage And Iron Fist As Supporting Characters?



As I mentioned above, this certainly isn't the best option but it ould be the only one that works for Iron Fist and Luke Cage assuming Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher aren't cancelled by Netflix.

We could see Frank Castle take aim at Luke in a future season of the latter if he believes that he really has turned bad, while Iron Fist might be able to squeeze his way into Jessica Jones if he hires her to help him track down Orson Randall. In terms of Daredevil, I'm not sure either of their stories would fit into his world in a way that wouldn't feel incredibly forced and convoluted.

The fact is, neither of them 
are meant to be supporting characters but short of a third season for them both or a team-up of some sort, there's no other way for the heroes to remain part of this world.
 

A Big Screen Reboot



This probably isn't even remotely likely (at least not in the next five to ten years) but assuming we're witnessing the beginning of the end for this iteration of The Defenders, then the door could be open to Marvel Studios rebooting them for the big screen somewhere down the line.

Daredevil has a huge amount of cinematic potential as does a Heroes for Hire movie and I could definitely picture Jessica Jones showing up as a supporting character in a movie somewhere. As with any reboot, Kevin Feige and company would have to give it some time before delivering fresh versions of the heroes but there's nothing to say they have to stay on television.

Personally, I think Charlie Cox's Daredevil is particularly worthy of his own movie but seeing as Kevin Feige doesn't really seem to have much interest in the Man Without Fear (he was willing to let Fox keep him in exchange for Galactus and Silver Surfer back in 2012), this may be wishful thinking.

 

The Beginning Of The End?



I mentioned the beginning of the end for these heroes in the previous slide and, sadly, that may be what we're witnessing. Disney has made no secret of the fact that they're looking to create a Netflix beater and while I'm not sure they'll achieve that (even with Fox's content, there's a lot of great TV shows and movies they won't have), they're going to hurt the streaming giant in a big way.

Disney is pulling its content from Netflix and a lot of people will choose to pay to see something like a Star Wars TV show over more Stranger Things any day of the week. 

As a result, Netflix cancelling these Marvel shows could be a way of punishing Disney and it honestly wouldn't be at all surprising if we see no more of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher after their respective upcoming seasons. On the plus side, as crappy a prospect as that may be, at least the Man Without Fear ended up going out on a high with season three. 

 

Daughters Of The Dragon



A number of reliable sources have claimed that Netflix won't be giving the green light to any future Marvel TV shows but what if Iron Fist and Luke Cage were cancelled because they see greater potential in supporting characters Colleen Wing and Misty Knight?

Fans are demanding more diversity in superhero adaptations and putting the spotlight on these two strong female breakout leads (both of whom happen to be women of colour) would be a great move by Netflix and one which would undoubtedly be welcomed.

The only potential problem here is that Marvel would be tempted to shoehorn Iron Fist and Luke Cage into proceedings, something which could backfire in a number of different ways. Still, a Daughters of the Dragon TV show would definitely be worth watching.

 

Future Spinoffs Could Be Dead



As I said, we've heard rumblings that no more Marvel TV shows are coming to Netflix and that probably means all those spinoffs we've been banking on are well and truly dead. To be fair, it's not like a huge number of them have been rumoured to be in the works beyond Daughters of the Dragon and Heroes for Hire but if those shows do happen, it probably won't be via this platform, sadly.
 

Can Daredevil Save The Defenders?



Maybe? Daredevil season three was superb and quite possibly one of the best Marvel Comics adaptations ever. Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and fans have responded to it really positively, so that may be enough to save at least some of these shows on Netflix.

The problem is, the marketing campaign for the show was abysmal and it's hard to escape the feeling that Netflix wanted it to fail. 

We didn't learn when it would debut until the last minute and aside from a few trailers and posters, Netflix didn't do much to promote it at all. Here in the UK, I can't turn the TV on without seeing a commercial for that Sabrina the Teenage Witch reboot but where's Daredevil? It took me ten minutes to even find it with their algorithm last Friday!

Still, if any show can save The Defenders, it's undoubtedly this one. 

 

Comic Book Continuations



There's no guarantee that this will happen but it could if we're lucky. If Marvel decides that Luke Cage and Iron Fist's stories really are over, there's nothing stopping them allowing the comic book division to launch limited series' which wrap up their respective tales with Luke's return to being a hero and Danny's transformation into the Iron Fist from the comics after finding Orson Randall.

Sure, it wouldn't be as satisfying as actual TV shows but it's not a bad option, especially if Marvel enlists the showrunners and writers who worked on these heroes on the small screen! 

We have seen this sort of thing happen in the past and while I'm sure it's not a huge priority for 
Marvel, if they can keep releasing those terrible Marvel Cinematic Universe prequel stories, then surely they can do something with the Netflix characters whose shows have been scrapped...

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CamtonoOfBeskar
CamtonoOfBeskar - 11/1/2018, 2:23 AM
Jessica Jones is next, 2nd season was abysmal. Only Daredevil and Punisher are good.
Gizmoduck
Gizmoduck - 11/1/2018, 8:30 AM
@Primordiac - 100%, JJ was HARD to finish, i got through s2 iron fist np, and LC was ezpz but JJs2 was the worst show out of all the Netflix Marvel shows - shame too because JJ s1 was awesome.
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/1/2018, 2:24 AM
rebellion
rebellion - 11/1/2018, 2:25 AM
Like 95% of the article is a copy paste from an older article. Its like a groundhog day on this site.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 11/1/2018, 2:29 AM
I gotta admit I am one of those viewers that stopped watching. Only thing I really enjoyed were Daredevil and Jessica Jones initially, and later the Punisher. I don’t Jessica Jones gets renewed after season 3, but Daredevil and Punisher will get renewed
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/1/2018, 2:30 AM
@MalseMarcel - Am i the only one who wants to give jessica another chance?
minusman
minusman - 11/1/2018, 2:47 AM
@SpookyCipher - Nope. I loved JJ season 1. I thought season 2 was weaker but enjoyable although the episode quality fluctuated a bit.
I also liked both seasons of IF and LC.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 11/1/2018, 3:23 AM
@SpookyCipher - I do too, but I just dont see it getting to the level of S1 ever again
RolandD
RolandD - 11/1/2018, 9:49 AM
@SpookyCipher - Really I wanted to give all of the shows another chance, although w have to admit I still haven’t gotten through Season 2 of JJ. Liked her relationship with the new super, the arc with her first boyfriend, Malcolm and to some extent Jerri. Just couldn’t get into her mom as the big bad and Trisha was getting annoying at times. Will probably finish at some point.
Spock0Clock
Spock0Clock - 11/1/2018, 2:31 AM
Yeouch.
Krav
Krav - 11/1/2018, 2:32 AM
the lack of costumes in this TvVerse is a factor too , the stories are good and everything buut come on b at the end of the day its a super hero show you gotta give us something heroic man
dracula
dracula - 11/1/2018, 3:19 AM
@Krav - what is Luke suppose to wear, yellow shirt and jeans is fine, do we really want disco shirt and head band. Iron Fist did need a costume
JustAChillFan
JustAChillFan - 11/1/2018, 2:36 AM
And how exactly did this company come up with viewership numbers? Only Netflix has those and they don't show anyone, so any company claiming to know Netflix viewership I don't trust.
Kur5e
Kur5e - 11/1/2018, 2:39 AM
What a pity.

I just watched Luke Cage S2 and thought it was really entertaining for the most part. I loved the Bushmaster character.

If I were to rank these shows it would look like this:

1) Luke Cage S1 --> only the first half
2) Daredevil S1
3) Jessica Jones S1
4) Luke Cage S2
5) The Punisher
6) Daredevil S2
7) The Defenders
8) Iron Fist
9) Jessica Jones S2


I haven't watched DD S3 and IF S2 yet.

A heroes for hire would be awesome. However I just think that the Danny Rand character is just miscast. Could've been a lot better.
TheObserver
TheObserver - 11/1/2018, 1:38 PM
@Kur5e - In my opinion Daredevil S3 has been fantastic (just have one episode left), my favourite DD season so far. Iron First Season 2 was definitely an improvement over the first, but was still a bit too grounded.
Kur5e
Kur5e - 11/2/2018, 6:31 AM
@TheObserver -
Good that I still have this one left.
I started IF S2 yesterday. Felt more like a duty than like some entertainment.
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/1/2018, 2:39 AM
If you ever feel sorry danny or luke remember they got it easy compared to poor julie.

Vigor
Vigor - 11/1/2018, 3:27 AM
@SpookyCipher - argh. I'm like 2 episodes from the end of season 3. Welp, guess that's spoiled for me
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/1/2018, 3:29 AM
@Vigor - Sorry about that. ALthough to be fair all you know is dex is in a car with julie.
Snowbirdd
Snowbirdd - 11/1/2018, 1:33 PM
@SpookyCipher - u alluded to the fact that she died lol
CaptainElrond
CaptainElrond - 11/2/2018, 2:20 AM
@Snowbirdd - He should already know she's dead, you see her get shot in the head.
Snowbirdd
Snowbirdd - 11/2/2018, 12:03 PM
@MadameCipher - oh yeah you're right, I misread his comment
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