The overwhelming majority of Netflix’s Marvel shows were well received by fans and critics alike, with the notable exception of Iron Fist, which is generally acknowledged as the weakest of the bunch by quite some distance. There was uproar when Daredevil, Jessica Jones and The Punisher were initially canceled, but it wouldn’t be unfair to say that few tears were shed over the demise of Finn Jones’ Danny Rand.
One area where Iron Fist excelled was in the fight scenes, which was the very least that was expected from a series with such a heavy martial arts element, but everything else from the performances to the pacing was subject to much criticism. The first season could only muster a 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second improved to a still disappointing 55%.
Once the entire roster of superhero shows were given the axe, word started filtering out that there was a two-year hold on each property before the rights would officially revert back to Marvel Studios, and yesterday marked exactly two years since Iron Fist was taken off the airwaves. In theory, then, Marvel could now be back in control of the Defender and can do with him as they see fit.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that Kevin Feige has any major plans in store for Danny Rand, especially given the underwhelming response to the last iteration of the character. That being said, production on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is back underway now after a lengthy hiatus, and with the movie heavily rumored to involve an underground fighting tournament of some description, there’s certainly an easy opportunity to parachute the rebooted Iron Fist in for a cameo appearance.
