Marvel’s ‘The Punisher,’ ‘Jessica Jones’ Canceled by Netflix
But Marvel TV hinted that the superhero sagas will continue elsewhere.
The last two Marvel-spawned Netflix superhero series have officially been canceled.
The Punisher and Jessica Jones are ending after their respective second and third seasons, reports Entertainment Weekly.
The streaming giant previously cancelled three other shows set in the Marvel universe: Iron Fist, Luke Cage and, most recently, Daredevil.
“Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix,” reads a statement from Netflix.
“Showrunner Steve Lightfoot, the terrific crew, and exceptional cast including star Jon Bernthal, delivered an acclaimed and compelling series for fans, and we are proud to showcase their work on Netflix for years to come.”
“In addition, in reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvel’s Jessica Jones.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL4Fo6dJ3o8
“We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter, and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others.”
Bernthal posted his own emotional statement addressing The Punisher’s demise on Twitter and Instagram.
“I’m endlessly grateful to the comic fans and the men and women of the Armed Services and law enforcement community who Frank means so much to.”
To all who have served. All who know loss. All who love and understand Frank and his pain. It has been an honor to walk in his boots. I’m endlessly grateful to the comic fans and the men… https://t.co/Na0qUrfezZ
— Jon Bernthal (@jonnybernthal) February 18, 2019
Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb penned an open letter posted on the comic company’s website in which he expressed gratitude for fans’ support and hinted that the superheroes’ stories will continue elsewhere.
“Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters…but you know Marvel better than that,” he wrote.
“As Matthew Murdock’s Dad once said, ‘The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it’s how he gets back up.’ To be continued…!”
Forbes has speculated on the logic behind Netflix’s purge of Marvel content:
Disney is creating what could be one of Netflix’s biggest competitors with its Disney+ streaming service. And they will be taking all their programming with them.
Netflix did not fully own its Marvel shows like it does so many of its other originals, so they were paying to make and promote them with the end result being far less profitable for them than with other programs.We’ve also seen random shows like canceled for this very reason, despite being far less expensive.
Season 2 of The Punisher is currently available on Netflix, while season 3 of Jessica Jones has finished production and will air on Netflix on a yet-to-be determined date.