Two of Netflix’s remaining Marvel superheroes are bowing out as the streaming service ends their partnership with the company.
“Jessica Jones” and “The Punisher” are the last Marvel properties to get the ax from Netflix, according to TV Line, who shared this Netflix statement:
“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.”
"The Punisher” tweeted out a graphic that read “it’s been an honor.”
While “Jessica Jones” had been renewed for a third season and plans to release that season on Netflix, “The Punisher” will end with the second season’s finale.
Marvel Television’s Jeph Loeb published a letter to fans thanking them for their support as character Jessica Jones becomes the last member of superhero team “The Defenders” to leave Netflix. The team also consisted of Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, which shows were all cancelled before.
“On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn't be more proud or more grateful to our audience,” Loeb said in a statement. “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.”
Marvel’s parent company, Disney, is building its own streaming offerings after buying 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for $71.3 billion. The entertainment giant is gearing up to launch services such as ESPN Plus and Disney Plus.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.