Marvel TV’s boss Jeph Loeb wrote an open letter to fans who supported their Netflix shows which included Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Punisher, Jessica Jones, and Defenders. Loeb’s open letter to fans came after Netflix announced that both Jessica Jones and Punisher had been cancelled and there would not be new seasons for either show.
Netflix announced, “Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix.” They would add, “ShowrunnerSteve 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.”
They also announced that the upcoming third season of Jessica Jones would be the show’s last.
““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,” Netflix’s statement read. “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.”
These cancellations shouldn’t surprise anybody as Netflix had previously cancelled Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil following the release of their most recent seasons.
Loeb would respond to the cancellation in an open letter posted on Marvel’s website hinting that these shows might find a home on a different network outside of Netflix.
It reads:
It had never been done before.
Four separate television series, each with different super-talented showrunners, writers, directors, cast and crew, coming out months apart and then…
…they would meet in a single event series all set in the heart of New York City.
We called them The Defenders.
And together we were thrilled by stories of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and even the Punisher joined in!
They said it couldn’t be done.
But Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 161 one-hour episodes.
Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.
We loved each and every minute of it.
And we did it all for you — the fans — who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.
So, Thank You!
On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn’t be more proud or more grateful to our audience.
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.
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.”
To be continued…!
– Jeph Loeb and all of us at Marvel Television
Loeb wouldn’t be the only one to respond to the cancellation. Punisher actor Jon Bernthal would take to Instagram to thank the fans, but more importantly he thanks those who served in the armed forces writing:
“To all who have served. All who know loss. All who love and understand Frank and his pain. It has been an honor to walk in his boots. I’m endlessly grateful to the comic fans and the men and women of the Armed Services and law enforcement community who Frank means so much to. Thank you to the USMC and all the wonderful soldiers who trained me. Go Hard. Be safe.”
Krysten Ritter who plays Jessica Jones would also take to Instagram to thank fans of the show calling them ‘THE BEST fans.”
What do you make of Netflix cancelling Punisher and Jessica Jones? Were you surprised by the cancellation? Do you think the shows will continue on a different network, or do you think we might see different iterations of these characters show up in live-action elsewhere?