Marvel Fans React to ‘Luke Cage’ Cancellation

Marvel and Netflix officially cancelled Luke Cage Friday, just one week after the pair pulled the plug on fellow Defender Iron Fist — and fans are upset and bewildered.

The series was previously expected to be renewed for its third season, joining the now-shooting season three of Jessica Jones, and Daredevil, which launched its third season Friday.

"Unfortunately, Marvel's Luke Cage will not return for a third season," Marvel and Netflix said in a joint statement announcing the cancellation. "Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem's Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series."

A reason for the abrupt cancellation was not given. Like Iron Fist, the development has come as particularly upsetting for fans, who were already left frustrated last month after Netflix rebranded a social media page for crossover limited series The Defenders, apparently signaling there would be no future installments re-teaming Cage (Mike Colter), Danny Rand (Finn Jones), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Daredevil (Charlie Cox).

Luke Cage season three was already being developed by showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker and its writers room. As told by Colter just last month, the new season would have explored "Luke's ability to govern and be fair," with the bulletproof de facto protector acting as the new king-slash-sheriff of Harlem.

"We're going to see how he deals with this power, because we know absolute power can corrupt absolutely," Colter revealed.

"And sometimes when you don't have someone checking you, someone to put you in place, someone to tell you 'you can't do that,' we sometimes get out of control. We see that everywhere.... Luke is in Harlem, and so Harlem is going to be his place that he's going to have to control. And I think he's decided to use organized crime in a very not practical way."

Speculation is rampant Marvel and Netflix could instead partner on a Heroes for Hire television series, effectively merging both Luke Cage and Iron Fist, as both their titular heroes were longtime best friends and superhero partners in the Marvel comic books.

Alternatively, the decision to axe Luke Cage could be tied to Marvel owners Disney, who intend to populate its own streaming service with its MCU characters. The studio is eyeing its own big-budget television series for Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).

That service, Disney Play, launches next year and will be "the biggest priority of the company" in 2019, said Disney CEO Bob Iger.