Barely a week after Netflix announced its decision not to continue Iron Fist, the company has shocked fans by announcing the cancellation of one of the more successful Netflix Marvel Shows of 2018, Luke Cage. Is this the beginning of the end for Marvel- Netflix collaboration? What's the real reason Netflix are seemingly withdrawing from Marvel? Is it financial? Reception? Creative differences or is it just the imminent arrival of a much bigger threat than Netflix would care to admit!?
Let us firstly lay it out there that the decision to cancel Luke Cage is principally because of all of the above listed reasons. There was a time when Netflix was running a few blockbuster series, like back in 2015, when Daredevil debuted, there was basically no show as ridiculously budgeted as it was, and Netflix could manage the input and actually did get a lot of kick out of it in the form of viewer reception and a whole lot of positive reviews. In fact, some people still consider Daredevil s1 as the best to date due to its reception in 2015 in the absence of any stern competition. But we know that statistically Jessica Jones S1 was a whole lot better.
Now, like we have complained previously, Netflix now has a lot of content to push out, a lot of huge projects that put a lot of financial strain on the company, and if we must be honest, a lot of tv shows that are more successful than the Netflix Marvel franchise. Netflix being a result oriented company expects its shows to generate a whole lot of income and bring viewership, but after the first few glory years of their partnership with Marvel, there has not been that much critical reception and success on the Marvel-Netflix partnership. So it only seem natural that Netflix would want to pull the plug on these shows that were not delivering for the company as they would have hoped for. Thus, why continue to incur expenses over a project that is not even theirs?
That brings us to the other aspects, these Netflix Marvel shows are not owned by Netflix, they are originally the property of Disney. Thus it created a three way agreement, between Marvel and Disney, and between Disney and Netflix, where Disney produces the show's for Netflix, but Netflix claims it as a Netflix show, thereby bearing the brunt of the expenses and a part of the profits. Now that means that Netflix needs those shows to be hugely successful if they are to make any profits. Since the shows are not really making the kind of profit the company wants, it's only wise that they end the relationship, no?
Moreover, Creative differences is another reason why this is happening, and this we learn cost Luke Cage it's promised 3rd season. The show runners just could not agree on the way forward with the 3rd season as parties from all three camps wanted something totally different, what marvel wanted was different from what Disney wanted and ultimately different from what Netflix wanted. Sources reported that even though the conflict over the number of episodes for the 3rd season had been resolved in favour of Netflix's decision to go for 10, and even settled the scripting for the 1st half of the season, the decision on who to be the show runner for the 3rd and also issues of financial input being uneven for the upcoming season seemed to have decided the fate of the show from Netflix's perspective. Netflix just didn't feel it was worth fighting a battle on three fronts; trying to win on the creative front, getting the 3 parties to be equally financially committed and further fighting to ensure the financial success of those shows when they finally aired. It's just ridiculous, and it may turn out to be one of the most financially wise decisions Netflix ever made, we just hope it doesn't come back to haunt them.
That then brings us to the final act. Why is financial input becoming lopsided? Because Disney is slowly backing out. Disney's streaming services would be launching in 2019 to rival Netflix's streaming services, so it's only a business strategy to not continue financing the Marvel project you loaned out to a soon to be fierce rival. It's Disney's way of ensuring that Netflix pulls out of the Marvel project without having to pull the plug themselves, which we must state they have no legal right to do, seeing as the said agreement is for a specified period, and the stars of the project are also signed on to the contract for the duration of the agreement. Disney would have had a massive Law suit on their hands, and it's definitely something they won't want so early into their streaming services. So what better way to do this, than cut back on financial support they weren't even obligated to provide before? It does seem as though Disney already have capable hands on board, people capable of outwitting Netflix.
Concluding this, we are sure that the decision to cancel Luke Cage is not performance based, but more of a business decision. This leaves only 3 Marvel shows left on Netflix, being Daredevil( unconfirmed if there would be a 4th season), Jessica Jones( renewed for a 3rd) and The Punisher( renewed for a 2nd season). The wild card The Defenders was never more than a one show project, there was never talk of a sequel, and thus we may conclude that it's a foregone conclusion.
We are however not convinced about the impact the decision will have on the structural integrity of the Netflix Marvel project. With two gone, we have a feeling Daredevil would go off soon too, and if that is done, the entire project is compromised and the fabric of the Netflix Marvel collaboration will definitely come crashing down. We are also not happy about the waste of very talented people. I for one hate the fact that Simone Missick ( Misty Knight) won't be gracing our screens anymore. She is a refreshing sight every time she pulls on that persona. Bad bad decision.
This decision effectively ends the speculations we had about the destination of some of the stars of Iron Fist after its cancellation. We feel that Netflix's concern about financial viability and profit margins is causing them to make decisions that leave a lot of projects and stories unresolved. Why end a season with a sneak peek of the next season and then cancel the show? It's poor decision making. It's better to end a season on a final note and if we don't see a follow up, no one is bothered.
Hope? We are hopeful that Disney when it's streaming services finally take off may consider saving our faces and our souls by picking up what was originally theirs and at the very least concluding these shows, if not for anything, to at least given viewers and fans closure. Well, bye bye power man.... Till we meet again, in Disneyland maybe?
.....'definitely I do need the closure that Luke Cage begs to have. I don't want to imagine that Detective Misty Knight won't be ravishing our senses with her beauty, her creativity and her marvelous on screen presence any more'
...@skaeiyrecszxx
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