It’s been a strange couple of weeks to be a fan of Marvel TV. On the one hand, we’ve had Daredevil season 3 to binge-watch, which is perhaps the best thing that’s come out of the union between Netflix and the House of Ideas. On the other hand, though, both Iron Fist and Luke Cage have been mercilessly cancelled by the streaming service. Sure, they each received mixed reviews in their first and second seasons, but they were still solid entertainment for superhero lovers. So, with that in mind, it makes us wonder why Netflix cut them down in their prime?
Well, according to some new info from The Hollywood Reporter, we might now know the reason. THR’s unnamed “source” tells them that Luke Cage wasn’t axed due to a ratings drop in its recent second season. This was generally assumed to be the thinking behind the move, though it was difficult to say due to the company keeping those stats under wraps. Instead, THR says the issue was that old chestnut of “creative differences” and an “inability to agree to terms” for a third season of the series.
So, let’s think about what this could mean. It’s possible that the creative differences involved showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, but the studios have made clear before that they don’t have any qualms about removing execs from their series if the situation warrants it (see Scott Buck being taken off Iron Fist after season 1). Given that, it’s more likely a corporate problem between Marvel and Netflix, as that would fit with the issues over the terms, whatever they might be.
It’s also unclear whether the explanation behind Luke Cage‘s cancellation applies to why Iron Fist got the chop as well. If there’s some sort of schism forming between the two corporations though, we’d hazard a guess that this is the case. And that certainly doesn’t bode well for Daredevil, Jessica Jones and The Punisher.