The cancellation of Marvel’s Iron Fist and Luke Cage on Netflix may or may not be the result of Thanos’ snap from the end of Avengers: Infinity War (spoilers: it’s not), but the abrupt hammer brought down on both shows reveals that no hero is safe. If the news has you worried about the fate of a Daredevil Season 4 release, the latest statement from current showrunner Erik Oleson won’t exactly put you at ease.
In a post-release interview of Daredevil Season 3 with Entertainment Weekly, Olsen says he’s “hopeful” a fourth season happens and that he can be a part of it. Sadly, that is a far cry from direct confirmation that Season 4 will happen anytime soon, if at all.
“I can tell you that I’m very hopeful to go do a Season 4,” Oleson said when asked about a Netflix renewal. “There has not yet been any kind of an official pick-up, but if there is, I’m very hopeful that I will be a part of it.”
Earlier this month, Netflix made the decision to cancel Iron Fist just weeks after its second season premiered. A week later, Netflix canceled Luke Cage. When Deadline broke the news on Friday, it reported that it was “a combo of the age old Hollywood ‘creative differences,’” with sources claiming there was an “inability for the parties involved to reach a deal on how to move forward.”
“We hear that some execs had issues with the more developed scripts, even though the scripts strongly incorporated suggestions from both Netflix and Marvel brass,” reported Deadline.
Aside from creative differences, TV journalists, critics, and other industry professionals are speculating if the true culprit is Disney’s upcoming streaming service and what role it played into Netflix’s decision to cancel almost half its Marvel offerings. From a financial perspective, Netflix was paying lots of money for programming it didn’t own, and the costs were soaring enough to the point that cancellation seems logical.
Marvel’s parent company is coming to an end to its agreement with Netflix to offer Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney programming on the popular streaming service. Current Disney titles available for U.S. Netflix users include Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Beauty and the Beast. But just like half the MCU, that will go away when Disney launches its own platform next year.
Marvel shows still on at Netflix include Jessica Jones, currently filming its third season, and The Punisher, which is in production of its second season.
