It felt inevitable. After Netflix axed Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil, the end was surely nigh for The Punisher and Jessica Jones – and now it’s official. According to Deadline, neither series will return on Netflix. The Punisher recently released its second season, while Jessica Jones’ now-complete third season will still get a release this year – but once that’s out, Netflix will have closed the book on its ground-level Marvel hero series.
“Marvel’s The Punisher will not return for a third season on Netflix,” the streaming service wrote in a statement, as reported on Deadline. “Showrunner Steve 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.
“In addition, in reviewing our Marvel programming, we have decided that the upcoming third season will also be the final season for Marvel’s Jessica Jones. 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.”
Bernthal, who’s held the role of The Punisher since Daredevil’s second season, released in March 2016, released an Instagram post to mourn the end of his time playing Frank Castle. He wrote: “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.”
Jessica Jones Season 3 is expected to arrive on Netflix later this year, though an official release date has not yet been announced. The run will mark the end of the Marvel / Netflix partnership, which began with the first season of Daredevil in 2015.
UPDATE: Marvel’s Jeph Loeb has released ‘A Letter to Marvel Television Fans’, thanking them for viewing – and teasing a possible future for its roster of axed Netflix heroes. Read the letter in full below:
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…!
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