For the past 10 years, we’ve engorged ourselves on the bounties of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in quality film after quality film, culminating with 2018’s ambitious “Infinity War” and this year’s “Avengers: Endgame”. The hype has never been higher for all things Marvel, yet, underneath the surface; that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Of course, I'm referring to the wave of cancellations which hit Marvel TV, most notably the universally-acclaimed Daredevil.
These shows are the underbelly of the MCU, the darker and more mature stories that inhabited this universe of characters. It was a refreshing take on the Superhero archetype and presented heroes as broken and vulnerable people. They carried the same burdens as the everyday person, they were not swashbuckling heroes with colorful costumes, in fact, these shows rejected the comic book aesthetic in favor of a noir and dark flavor. Their comic-book counterparts in the Marvel Knights stories and beyond translated over to the small screen accurately and lovingly thanks to the amazing people behind these shows who truly loved the source material. Yes, these shows were flawed, as were their characters, but it was a gift to have these beloved heroes and villians represented in the larger cultural awareness. They deserved to have a spotlight due to the merits of their excellent source material. I contend that they remained some of the finest Marvel had to offer, standing strong alongside the company’s juggernauts such as Spider-Man or Captain America. The MCU had a knack for bringing obscure characters and making them household names, and I believe that these street-level heroes had that capability as well. However, all good things must come to an end. The 4+ year experiment was bound to have a death sentence. Perhaps, it was too good to be true. To talk about these shows, one must assess their chronological succession and why they became expendable to Netflix. The Marvel Netflix shows opened to favorable reception, with Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage all being admired by fans and critics alike for their refreshing perspective on the comic-book hero. Daredevil portrayed a morally-conflicted lawyer by day, blind vigilante by night, who struggled with his darker side and his Catholic guilt. Jessica Jones involved a strong and cynical person who suffered PTSD at the hands of a frightening past and faced her demons in the present. Luke Cage was a love letter to Harlem and a deeper narrative to the real-life issues that affected African American people in America. The poetic justice of a bulletproof black man was not lost on its audience. Daredevil even received a second season, which was met with universal praise and a new star in Jon Bernthal’s excellent Punisher. Excitement for this universe grew, as the promise of a connection to the larger MCU was teased again and again. Then came along the controversial Iron Fist, met with near-universal panning from critics, alongside a mixed audience. Still, it was one of the most highly-viewed shows on the streaming giant. There was still potential to make things better, and the much-awaited Defenders was around the corner.
On August 18th, The Defenders was streaming exclusively on Netflix. Yet, it had the lowest viewership numbers of all the Marvel shows. What happened? Four characters, with four shows that had a receptive crowd, and the show that brought them together was a lukewarm affair? It was a shock to many, including myself. I happened to enjoy both Iron Fist and Defenders, despite their glaring flaws, and I still supported this different side to the larger MCU. With promised future seasons for these other characters, there was still hope. The Punisher came along and was met with a half-hearted response from critics, but fans likened it to Daredevil season 1 level of quality. Fans were still immensely excited for Punisher’s solo outing because of how outstanding he was in Daredevil season 2. Hope seemed to be regained for these characters, in a solid comeback for the Marvel Netflix universe.
Then came Jessica Jones season 2, which was met with a mostly positive response from critics, but fans were extremely divided on the show. There was an increasing number of viewers who were concerned with what they believed to be the number one Achilles heel of these shows: pacing. 13 episodes also brought filler to pad up the runtime, though, I certainly thought that it wasn’t such a bad thing as it gave us more time with these characters; to understand their complicated psyche. After that, the superb Luke Cage season 2 released to encouraging feedback. An excellent villain in Bushmaster, an exciting Cameo from Iron Fist which seemed a course correction, and a hell of a cliff-hanger led to fans looking forward to what was next. Iron Fist season 2 came along, with a hell of a course correction for Danny Rand. Critics still couldn’t wash the bad taste of season one out of their mouths, and fans were mixed on the supposed political correctness with Danny and Colleen’s character arc. Still, it ended on a cliffhanger promising the true Iron Fist, and fans were excited about that prospect. There was a question on everyone’s minds, however. Where the hell was Daredevil?
The flagship show for this corner of the MCU, Marvel’s Daredevil, was nowhere to be seen, and it was the biggest pull for audiences. The long wait from June until September was excruciating, where we finally got news about when Daredevil season 3 would be released and what it would be about. However, the lack of marketing after The Defenders was odd. Luke Cage season 2 came, but it seemed slightly buried behind the noise of the Netflix platform. Daredevil should’ve been one of the shows that they were the most eager to announce. Yet, we waited for a long while for any news. Then, in a huge blow to the fans, Iron Fist and Luke Cage were canceled. The former, people likened to its diminishing returns and concerns of quality. The latter, however, shocked many to their core. Daredevil season 3 was around the corner to save the day, perhaps? Sadly, they chose to cancel Luke Cage on the precise day Daredevil would debut its third season, leaving fans bitter-sweet. Still, Season 3 was arguably the most well-received season of the entire Marvel Netflix universe as it garnered universal adoration over its complex narrative, iconic performances and a new beloved villain in Benjamin Poindexter, who exceeded even his own comic-book counterpart. One month after its release, on Nov. 29th, the show was canceled to an uproar from Marvel fans around the world. People were confused as to how it could possibly be canceled. What is left? Punisher season 2 came out on January 18th, to a mixed response from critics and fans for what they considered questionable writing decisions. Still, Jon Bernthal is a force of nature and the action scenes were on a whole other level. It was even amongst the better marketed seasons of Marvel since Jessica Jones season 2; as it received a red carpet opening, a noticeable social media push and stayed on Netflix’s trending for a while. Nonetheless, Jessica Jones is the last woman standing.
Corporate drama and economic jargon aside, the reality is that these shows may have reached their expiration date, to the dismay of many fans. The future for these characters is uncertain, whether they’ll be rebooted or not. I, for one, believe it is a disservice to the incredible performances given by each respective cast for their respective shows. Charlie Cox IS Daredevil for so many fans, Mike Colter brought a unique take on Luke Cage, Krysten Ritter couldn’t have been more perfect as the sardonic yet caring Jessica Jones and Finn Jones brought a vulnerability to the powerful Iron Fist. These shows garnered critical acclaim and critical planning. There was no middle ground, they were either loved or hated. They were subject to the intense, heated debates by comic book nerds across the globe. They have been subject to many flaws, they were not perfect, but that’s reflective of the characters they portrayed to the core.