It’s been a strange month for fans of the Marvel/Netflix shows, and often not in a good way. While the internet was still reeling from the sudden cancellation of Iron Fist, the axe was once more swung on Luke Cage. This second termination proved to be the greater surprise of the two, not just because Netflix had recently assured us that the rest of the Marvel shows were safe, but also because a whole lot of people actually liked this one.
The shocking development has led some fans to speculate that Disney could have new plans in mind for Luke Cage, and perhaps Iron Fist too, with a Heroes for Hire spinoff being suggested in some corners of the internet. But while the future feels mysterious right now, the Deadline piece that reported this news does put a bit of a damper on these predictions with the following paragraph:
“At this point there are no plans for owner Marvel to resurrect Luke Cage on the upcoming Disney streaming service. But, being that the Simone Missick co-starrer crashed Netflix in its first season opening weekend in September 2016 and had a very well watched and well received 13-episode Season 2, it could be a Sweet Christmas, as Cage likes to quip”
As you can see, this part does end on a cautiously optimistic note, but if Disney do eventually bring back Cage in some form, they’re sure letting the fans dangle in the wind for the time being.
After the news first broke, showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker issued a statement via Twitter that thanked all involved in this series, including the fans who watched and enjoyed.
“A lot [of] memorie s,” Coker tweeted. “A lot of individual thank you calls to make. Just want to say thank you to Marvel, Netflix, the best Writer’s room, cast, crew, the Midnight Hour, all those who graced the stage at Harlem’s Paradise and the most incredible fan base in the world. Forward always…”
While it’s unclear if and how Luke Cage will be moving forward, there remains at least two Marvel shows that surely have a future on the platform. The third season of Jessica Jones is already well on its way, and given the strong reception to the recently premiered Daredevil season 3, it doesn’t look like Netflix will be shedding its last remaining Defenders quite yet.