Netflix’s decision to cancel both The Punisher and Jessica Jones comes as no surprise to Marvel fans. A few months back the streaming service announced they would not be renewing either Luke Cage or Iron Fist, saying goodbye to both shows after two seasons a piece. Daredevil starring Charlie Cox also ended its run on Netflix after three seasons. Now, The Punisher and Jessica Jones have been given the axe, although the upcoming third season of Jessica Jones (which has already been shot) will air on a future still-to-be-determined date.
“Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on 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. 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. We are grateful to Marvel for five years of our fruitful partnership and thank the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning.” – per Netflix
There’s always the possibility all of the shows which were part of Netflix’s major deal with Marvel could resurface in some iteration on the new Disney+ streaming service. However, it will be a few years between the shows’ final seasons on Netflix and any form of the characters appearing on the new Disney service due to the restrictions in the Netflix/Marvel contract.
Jeph Loeb, Head of Television at Marvel Studios, acknowledged the cancellations in a letter to fans which read in part:
“Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.
We loved each and every minute of it.
And we did it all for you — the fans — who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.
So, Thank You!
On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn’t be more proud or more grateful to our audience.
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.
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.'”
