Netflix chief promises Marvel shows aren’t going anywhere

Disney rules the world of cinema right now, and its acquisition of Marvel Entertainment back in 2009 is a big part of the reason why. Captain America, Black Panther, The Avengers…Marvel’s spiderwebbing network of superhero movies dominates headlines and makes all the money. The company also has a big presence on Netflix, where live-action shows based around superheroes like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist have been plugging along for a few years.

But those shows have never been as popular as the movies, and we’re starting to see them get pared down. Earlier in the week, it was announced that Iron Fist, which stars Game of Thrones alums Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) and Jessica Henwick (Nymeria Sand) in the lead roles, was cancelled, making it the first of Marvel’s Netflix properties to go. Now, with Disney set to launch its own streaming service sometime next year, fans are wondering if there will be more cancellations in the near future, or if the shows will be moving off Netflix. Speaking during a Netflix earnings interview, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos put them at ease.

"Those shows are for us to cancel, and we’re super happy with their performance so far."

You’re super happy? I mean, you can’t be happy with all of them if you cancelled Iron Fist, but okay.

Anyway, although this is admittedly not much to go on, Sarandos’ comment implies that Netflix, rather than Marvel or Disney, has control over these shows. Whatever deal these companies signed back in the day may have given Netflix a degree of control we’re guessing the House of Mouse wouldn’t hand over now that it’s going to make its own Netflix competitor. It sounds like the kind of deal Marvel made with film studios before the Disney buyout, back when it had comparatively little bargaining power. Those deals had virtually no expiration date, only stipulations that films based on the characters at issue had to be made within a certain time frame. That’s how we go such travesties as 2008’s Punisher: War Zone.

That doesn’t mean Netflix couldn’t cancel the shows for other reasons, but for now, they’re not going anywhere. In fact, the third season of Daredevil drops today!

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h/t Inverse