With "The Defenders" newly launched, and "The Punisher" coming down the pipe later this year, the Netflix and Marvel partnership is just gaining real steam. It is also, as announced by Disney a few weeks ago, a distribution agreement that is under discussion.
Marvel TV
Reviews for "The Defenders," the latest series in the Marvel TV world, have been largely positive. Some media pundits have critiqued the crowded stage that includes Danny Rand as the Iron Fist (Finn Jones), Matt Murdock as blind vigilante Daredevil (Charlie Cox), P.I. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), and Harlem's indestructible hero Luke Cage (Mike Colter), along with assorted supporting characters for each, like Claire, the night nurse played by Rosario Dawson.
But even the critics acknowledged the series' sense of fun and its action-packed pacing.
It's good news for Marvel and Netflix, what with the disappointing reception for "Iron Fist" that debuted in March. While there was a lot of initial interest in "Daredevil," which kicked off the series, maintaining viewership for all four individual series along with the collaboration has proven a challenge. According to Jumpshot, a data analytics specialist, the premiere for "Daredevil: Season 2" pulled in the most viewers of all. Perhaps surprisingly, "Iron Fist" comes in second, but with only 26% of the viewers against the benchmark "Daredevil." By the same measure, "Luke Cage" comes in next at 23%, "The Defenders" at 22%, and "Jessica Jones" at 20%.
The data takes into account viewership rates in the first 24 hours of "The Defenders" release on August 18, 2017.
A few days after "The Defenders" dropped, Netflix released the first trailer for "The Punisher," a series that spins off "Daredevil." Jon Bernthal stars as Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, a brutal anti-hero who goes from elite military operative to vicious vigilante.
Frank is smashing through a concrete floor with a hammer in the teaser as a taste of the small screen mayhem to debut later in 2017.
The future of Disney/Marvel and Netflix
Some of the individual series, such as "Daredevil: Season 3," are currently in production, but a recent announcement in early August by Disney that it was pulling all its movies from Netflix may put the next "The Defenders" season and others into question.
Previously, Disney had an exclusive streaming agreement with Netflix that included the Star Wars Franchise along with the Marvel TV collaborations, and Pixar films. Instead, Disney intends to establish its own streaming service in 2019. It's seen by many sources as a shake-up in the media industry as companies rush to cash in on the streaming goldmine.
Disney and Pixar films will be pulled from Netflix, but where does it leave Marvel and Lucasfilm properties? According to a statement by Disney CEO Bob Iger, as of August 11, a decision on where to distribute Marvel movies or TV, or the Star Wars franchise under Lucasfilm had not yet been made, with Netflix discussions ongoing.