Recently, Netflix and Marvel canceled all of their Netflix original superhero shows. "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist" took the bullet first, followed by "Daredevil" and then just this week, the final nail in the coffin: "Punisher" and "Jessica Jones." It's not entirely clear which company is directly to blame. With Disney's new streaming service on the way, it seems more than plausible that Marvel canceled their contract with Netflix in order to use the characters themselves.
However, it seems that Netflix made a deal where Marvel/Disney could not use their own characters in a new show for two years after the cancelation. If Disney is behind the cancellation they must be in it for the long haul when it comes to the continuation of their cinematic universe.
Netflix has made poor choices as well, however. The cancellation of "Sense8" received much-enraged uproar from fans and when asked for a reason Netflix stated that the show simply hadn't seen enough ratings to justify a large amount of money spent on it. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that "Altered Carbon's" production has cost Netflix more than "Sense8" did. And immediately after the abrupt cancellation of "Daredevil" it was revealed that Netflix spent an inordinate amount of money to keep sitcom classic "Friends" on their streaming service. 80 million dollars to be exact. And according to members of the cast of the popular "Daredevil," it wasn't Marvel who pulled the plug, but Netflix itself.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who made the choice, perhaps. Except that it was a terrible one. Alongside "House of Cards," "Daredevil" was one of the gateway drugs to the slew of original content that Netflix has been putting out. All of the Marvel/Netflix shows featured complex and thoughtful plots, plots more thought-provoking than the ones featured in Friends.
They all handled complicated and human topics, like Jessica Jones's abusive relationship and Matthew Murdock's struggle with mental illness. The choice to cancel these shows deprived views of incredible content with a deep meaning. The cinematography in "Daredevil" was beautiful and certainly of a higher quality than we would ever get in a mainstream Marvel film. To make matters worse, fans may have to suffer the indignity of a reboot.
The choice is an affront to high-quality media and a slap in the face to everyone who loved and worked on the shows.