One of the best dramas around right now can’t be watched on your TV screen or at your local multiplex. No, it’s the drama behind the scenes that led to the sudden cancellation of the Netflix/Marvel TV series “Daredevil.” And just when you think you have it figured out, more news comes out that turns everything on its head.
Recently, in an interview with Inverse, actress Amy Rutberg, who plays, Marci, the love interest to Foggy Nelson in the series, details some insider gossip that seems to point the finger to Netflix (and thus, not Marvel TV or Disney) as to the people holding the ax when “Daredevil” was cut from the streaming service.
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“My contacts at Marvel were very surprised. Any of the rumors that it was a Marvel decision are wrong, I think it was purely a Netflix decision. That comes from personal conversations with people high up at Marvel. They were surprised,” said Rutberg.
According to the actress, it’s not just the decision that was so surprising, it was the timing, as well. She says that she heard production was set to begin early in 2019 on Season 4, with everyone assuming there were going to be a total of five seasons.
“We had heard rumors we would start production as early as February 2019,” she says. “It’s a little unusual to be that far ahead in the planning and cancel the show, which makes me think Netflix was laboring over whether or not to cancel it. My guess was it was not an easy decision.”
One thing that Rutberg can confirm is the recent news that says the actors involved in the series signed exclusive deals with Netflix for the show and would not be able to immediately begin work on a new “Daredevil” series, if Disney/Marvel wanted to proceed.
“There is this very real contract with Netflix,” she says. “I had heard 18 months, maybe it’s 2 years. I suppose it’s possible that Marvel could buy them out, but I have not heard so much as a whisper.”
So, where does this leave us? Immediately upon the cancellation, combined with the previous endings of “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist,” many assumed that this was more than just a Netflix decision, as the streaming service had previously said that there were long-term plans with Marvel TV. This led fans and pundits to speculate that Disney (and therefore, Marvel) was behind these moves, in an attempt to get all the Marvel characters under the same umbrella, perhaps on the upcoming Disney+ streaming service.
But with this news, it sounds like Marvel TV (which is separate from Marvel Studios) was completely out of the loop, either way. So, while it appears that Netflix labored over the decision to end “Daredevil,” there’s still the chance that Disney higher-ups (bypassing Marvel TV altogether) had a helping hand in the decision. However, as it stands, this looks to be the sole decision of Netflix, which is shocking to say the least.
It was recently reported that “Daredevil,” in the weeks leading up to the cancellation, was one of the streaming services highest-performing original series. While the sudden demises of “Luke Cage” and especially “Iron Fist” seemed warranted, as quality and popularity waned in second seasons, “Daredevil” was hitting its stride, with perhaps its best season to date.
Perhaps, years down the line, we’ll find out the truth. But as of now, none of this matters, as fans are still without “Daredevil,” and will likely soon be without “The Punisher” (premiering in January, and expected to be cancelled) and “Jessica Jones” (in production, but probably won’t survive, either).