Marvel TV fans were left devastated last November when Netflix pulled the plug on Daredevil after three seasons, following the cancellations of both Iron Fist and Luke Cage to boot. As all three shows were arguably getting better and better and were still just as popular with viewers, it was hard to unpick the reason for why Matt Murdock and pals had been cut down in their prime.
Reports have followed, though, that have made plain that it was a more of a corporate decision than anything else. There was some speculation that it could’ve been a mutual move from both parties, but Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb has now confirmed that he had no say in the situation and it was entirely Netflix’s doing that the shows ended when they did.
“In the Netflix situations, that was a situation where the network made a decision and we had nothing to say about it.”
In the same chat at the TCA winter press tour, Loeb also said that he was hopeful that the cancelled shows could be revived, as long as the cast and crew are willing to return. This gives some hope to fans, but also conflicts with what we heard about Marvel not being able to use these properties again for another two years after their cancellation. If the creative teams can be reassembled after that time, however, I suppose it’s not out of the realms of possibility that something could happen.
In any case, the cast of Daredevil aren’t ready to put the show behind them just yet. Vincent D’Onofrio’s a big supporter of the popular #SaveDaredevil fan campaign, whose accompanying petition has over a quarter of a million signatures, while Charlie Cox has said he hopes to play the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen again. Not only that, but showrunner Erik Oleson’s already teased that he’s working on a new project that’ll reunite the gang.
The Punisher and Jessica Jones have yet to join Daredevil and the rest of the Marvel/Netflix shows on the scrapheap, but there’s not much doubt that they will in time. Still, at least Loeb has hope for a revival somewhere down the line, though we wouldn’t hold our breath for any of these series to return in the near future.