Today’s the day. After two years, it’s likely Marvel Studios can once again use the characters that first appeared in Iron Fist on Netflix. As Disney started putting more emphasis on its own streaming service, the company quickly pulled all content from Netflix and the Finn Jones and Jessica Henwick-starring series was the first domino to fall. After a second season earned substantially better reviews than its widely-panned first outing, Iron Fist was cancelled on October 12, 2018.
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Shortly thereafter, Luke Cage was sent to the chopping block — then the proverbial crap hit the fan when Daredevil was canceled around Thanksgiving 2018. Shortly after the New Year, Netflix then pulled the plug to both The Punisher and Jessica Jones, and just like that the streaming service was without any Marvel shows.
It’s important to note the two-year moratorium has yet to be confirmed by either Marvel or Netflix, nor will it ever. Hollywood trades, however, like Variety’s Joe Otterson were among the first to report the news, meaning the reports at least carry some serious clout. That news was then repeated by some cast members involved with the shows, like The Punisher’s Royce Johnson.
“I mean, talking to [Marvel TV president] Jeph Loeb, I read that the memo had said, ‘To be continued,’” Johnson told us last February. “There is a clause that I heard through rumor that we have to wait 18 months, up to two years.”
“Will we get the same people? We don’t know that,” he added. “I think they got together with a great team, I mean, with the writers, producers, editors, scorers, the stunt teams, everybody.”
It was during this moratorium that it was expected Marvel Studios couldn’t use the character in any properties. Furthermore, most insiders agreed it wasn’t even possible for the Kevin Feige-led outfit to use the characters in development, meaning they couldn’t write the characters in the script for any future properties.
Now, should the trade reports be true — it would seem Marvel Studios could officially start using those Iron Fist characters beginning today, including Danny Rand (Jones), Colleen Wing (Henwick), the Bride of Nine Spiders, and others. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings cameo, anyone?
Both seasons of Iron Fist are now streaming on Netflix.
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