How All Of Netflix’s Marvel Shows Ended (& What Would Have Happened Next)

The abrupt end of Marvel’s partnership with Netflix meant there are a lot of loose ends – what would have happened to Daredevil and the Defenders?

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How did the Marvel Netflix shows end, and what did Marvel plan to do with them next? Back in 2013, Marvel Television and Netflix entered into an unprecedented deal that brought a flurry of superhero TV shows to the streaming service. The partnership was a tremendous success – right up until the moment it wasn’t.

The relationship between Marvel and Netflix began breaking down in early October 2018, with the writer’s room for Luke Cage season 3 put on hold as the partners argued over costs and episode numbers. On October 12, Netflix cancelled season 3 of Iron Fist, and just a week later they pulled the plug on Luke Cage as well. Marvel remained confident their other shows were safe, but their certainty turned out to be misplaced. At the end of November, Netflix canceled Daredevil season 4, leaving the writer’s room reeling in shock. The cancellation of Marvel’s flagship TV series clearly symbolized the end of the Marvel Netflix era, and it wasn’t long before both Jessica Jones and The Punisher were gone as well.

The abrupt end of the partnership between Marvel and Netflix meant several of these shows came to something of an unsatisfactory close; in fact, several ended on cliffhangers, setting up major plots that will most likely never be continued. Here’s how each series ended, and what little is known of Marvel’s plans going forward.

Luke Cage Ended On The Most Abrupt Cliffhanger

The dramatic end of Luke Cage season 2 saw Luke take radical steps in an attempt to keep the peace in Harlem. Crime lord Mariah Dillard was murdered by her own daughter, poisoned with a kiss, while her deputy Shades was arrested and imprisoned. In a shocking twist, Mariah left her club, Harlem’s Paradise, to Luke Cage himself, saying she knew it would lull him like a siren’s song. Mariah believed this was her last act of revenge, because she believed Luke would become the very thing he had fought against. Although Luke accepted the role, he attempted to distance himself by proclaiming himself the new “Sheriff of Harlem.” Luke’s friends feared his newfound position of power would lead him down a dark path, with Luke’s friend D.W. accusing him of becoming “Luke Trump.”

This clearly sets up a story where Luke Cage must battle with the temptation to compromise and use his new power for evil. “We know absolute power can corrupt absolutely,” Mike Colter observed. “And sometimes when you don’t have someone checking you, someone to put you in place, someone to tell you ‘you can’t do that,’ we sometimes get out of control.” Rosario Dawson, who plays Luke’s lover Claire, suspected these themes would mean her Marvel Netflix story had come to a close. Interestingly, the overarching narrative appears similar to a Daredevil story called “Shadowland” rather than any Luke Cage adventure in the comics; in “Shadowland,” the Man Without Fear took charge of the Hand, but was ultimately turned to evil.

Iron Fist’s Six Months Later Flash-Forward Will Never Be Resolved

Iron Fist season 2 saw a similarly radical change in Danny Rand’s status quo, and it set up some fascinating stories. Danny chose to give up the mantle of Iron Fist to Colleen Wing, believing he was unworthy of the position and the power until he had truly come to know himself. As part of this decision, he resolved to learn the truth behind the Iron Fist legends, and he and his friend Ward traveled to Asia on a quest. A “months later” cliffhanger revealed Danny would regain the power of the Iron Fist, learning to channel it in fresh ways – through guns and bullets. Meanwhile, back in New York, Colleen accepted she needed to step up to protect the city. She seemed set to be a more diplomatic Iron Fist, but the same “months later” scene teased she’ll find it difficult to resist the Iron Fist’s propensity towards violence. She, too, has learned to channel the Iron Fist, although in her case she uses a katana.

According to actor Tom Pelphrey, who plays Danny’s friend Ward, the bond between the two would have played out as a sort of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid kind of camaraderie.” Throwaway dialogue at the end of Iron Fist season 2 seemed to suggest Colleen’s work in New York would bring her into direct conflict with Luke Cage, given she now possesses the only thing on Earth that could hurt Luke. It’s unclear whether that would have been a subplot in Luke Cage season 3 or Iron Fist season 3, however. Whatever the case, the new powers on display certainly teased the secret history of the Iron Fist would have been revealed. It would have been interesting to see how all this could be done on the limited budgets offered to Marvel Netflix. Meanwhile, it’s safe to assume Alice Eve’s Typhoid Mary story would have continued in some form as well.

Daredevil Found A New Lease Of Life

In contrast to the earlier two shows, Daredevil season 3 was a fairly satisfying conclusion. Daredevil unmasked himself to Wilson Fisk, but was able to force Fisk to go back behind bars with the threat of finding evidence against his beloved Vanessa. Matt Murdock reconciled himself with his friends Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, and they went back into partnership together as Nelson, Murdock & Page. It was a poetic close to the series, bringing Matt’s life full circle and neatly resolving almost all the character arcs. The one loose end was “Dex” Poindexter, the master-marksman who had framed Daredevil as a killer. His back was broken, and a final scene revealed he had agreed to undergo experimental surgery. That concept was lifted straight from the comics, and confirmed Poindexter was becoming Bullseye’s, Daredevil’s brutal arch-nemesis from the comics. Sadly, the rematch between Daredevil and Poindexter will never happen.

Frank Castle Committed To Life As The Punisher

The Punisher season 2 presented Frank Castle as a ticking time-bomb of violence just waiting to go off. For all his best efforts, Frank kept being drawn back into criminal circles, and eventually he succumbed to the temptation to kill them. Matters were worsened by the return of Billy Russo, now known as Jigsaw, the man responsible for the deaths of Frank’s family. By the end of the season, Castle had accepted his calling as the Punisher, and showrunner Steve Lightfoot ended the story with a scene ripped straight from the comics – as the Punisher enacted bloody justice upon a group of gang members. “My philosophy is always make every season like it could be your last,” Lightfoot explained. “Don’t save anything for next season, even if that means you’ve painted yourself into a corner.” It was sound advice, and it meant The Punisher wrapped up as a complete story. Marvel apparently had plans for The Punisher season 3, but they’ve never been revealed.

Jessica Jones’ Story Is The Most Complete

Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg seems to have always envisioned the series as a single three-season story, and intended to leave after season 3. This final season focused in on the difference between Jessica and her “sister” Trish Walker, who had gone to insane lengths to become a superhero – but had turned into a brutal murderer. Jessica was forced to reveal Trish’s identity to the police, and successfully captured her before she left the country. This turned the public in Jessica’s favor for the first time in her life, with the press responding to her selflessness by praising her as a hero for turning her sister in. Jessica headed to the airport and booked a flight to El Paso, Texas, planning to travel on to Mexico; however, Jessica heard the spectral voice of Kilgrave taunting her that she was doing the right thing in giving up and running. Stubborn to the core, Jessica instead decided to stay, presumably returning to Alias Investigations. Marvel used Jessica Jones season 3 to tie up as many plot threads as possible. An unexpected cameo from Luke Cage reset his narrative, clearly revealing Luke had not fallen from grace after all, while there was a nod to Danny Rand still being on sabbatical from Rand Enterprises.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/netflix-marvel-shows-ending-explained/