Should we expect word about “Jessica Jones” next week? It’s heroes for hire indeed. One week after Danny Rand was forced to hit the unemployment line as “Iron Fist” was canceled just weeks after season two premiered, Netflix and Marvel have also agreed to pull the plug on yet another show. Yep, “Luke Cage” has been deep-sixed following its season two run and won’t be returning for a third.
READ MORE: Hero For Hire: Netflix Cancels Marvel’s ‘Iron Fist’
“Unfortunately, Marvel’s Luke Cage will not return for a third season,” Netflix and Marvel said in a joint statement. “Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem’s Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series.”
While Deadline breaks the news, The Hollywood Reporter says a source tells them the cancellation was “due to creative differences and the inability to agree to terms for a third season of the show.”
Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker was expected to return for the third season of the Mike Colter-led show, but that plan obviously has been scrapped. Three Marvel shows remain on Netflix: “Daredevil,” which just premiered its third season today (timing!) “Jessica Jones,” which was renewed for a third season in April, and “The Punisher.”
READ MORE: Marvel’s ‘Iron Fist’ Could Make The Leap To Disney’s Upcoming Streaming Service
“The Defenders,” the one-off, eight-episode team-up effort featuring all the character minus The Punisher aired August 2017, but it’s not expected to repeat either.
The cancellation of “Iron Fist,” wasn’t exactly a surprise, critics and fans roasted the show, but “Luke Cage,” not great by any stretch either–Colter being extremely wooden for one– still fared better with critics.
One has to wonder if these characters will pop up again—rebooted and recast of course on Disney’s streaming channel expected to open for business in late 2019. Many are likely hoping for Colter and Finn Jones to reprise their roles down the line, and there have been some reports that “Iron Fist” could still appear in Marvel/Netflix shows, but I’m not holding my breath.
It feels like Marvel is essentially sunsetting their mediocre shows and that’s it. If I’m a betting man, I’m assuming we get one more season of “Jessica Jones,” “The Punisher,” probably “Daredevil” and that’s it and the focus shifts to the Disney streaming channel and starting over from there. The announcement of “Luke Cage”s cancellation comes just one day after a Netflix CEO said they are “super happy” with the performance of Marvel’s series on their streaming service.