Netflix Pulls the Plug on ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘The Punisher’

Marvel shows on Netflix are no more. After canceling Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil last year, the streaming giant has officially put an end to its Marvel era by pulling the plug on Jessica Jones and The Punisher. Despite the cancelation, however, the third season of Jessica Jones will still air but will now be treated as its final season.

Netflix released a statement following the announcement, praising the entire cast and crew of both shows. The statement reads:

“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.”

Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter and show creator Melissa Rosenberg thanked the fans for three long seasons with the character and promised that the show would end with a bang. “To all JJ’s fans and followers, thanks for your support! What an extraordinary rid (sic) it’s been,” Rosenberg posted on Twitter. “So much gratitude to K Ritter et al. We’ll be going out with a bang for our last 13 eps when they air. Can’t wait for you to see them! Xom.”

Netflix decision to end its Marvel partnership comes after Disney announced that it would be launching its own streaming service, Disney+. Marvel Studios is currently developing live-action TV shows for Disney’s new platform, including ones for MCU characters like Loki, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and Bucky Barnes AKA The Winter Soldier.

It’s unclear whether or not the canceled shows will continue on Disney+. In December, Media Analyst Matthew Ball posted an in-depth commentary of the whole Netflix cancellation drama and said that the shows would remain Netflix Originals for years. “Disney would have to buy them back (and says they don’t fit with Disney+’s positioning and won’t be rebought) and there’s likely a hold on re-using the IP in TV (i.e., Disney can’t just launch a new Luke Cage in 2019),” Ball said on Twitter.

In another statement, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb offered hope in the midst of fan dismay. “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,” Loeb says. “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.'”