Earlier today, we told you about a message appearing on Netflix that warns viewers of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher that these shows will no longer be available starting March 1. This is the first we heard of it, of course, but Variety has shared a few more details that better explain the situation.
While all of these Marvel Television shows were originally branded as "Netflix Originals" (they launched at a time Netflix had House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and...well, that was pretty much it), they were only ever licensed out to the streaming service from Disney.
Now, that licensing deal is over.
As a result, the rights to each of these shows has reverted to Disney. The trade notes that the studio has yet to announce plans for Daredevil and company, but believe we'll likely see them on Hulu and Disney+. Given the adult content seen in shows like Luke Cage and The Punisher, we're betting they go to Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+'s "Star" platform across the rest of the world.
It's also been confirmed that the contract prevented any of these characters from appearing in non-Netflix TV projects for two years after their respective cancellations. That explains why we didn't see Matt Murdock and The Kingpin until last December, and why all of these heroes and villains are now free to join the MCU. How much of a big deal Disney makes of reacquiring these shows might tell us how invested they are in fans revisiting these stories before any planned returns.
Check out what Jon Bernthal had to tell us about a possible return as Frank Castle below:
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