Netflix has cancelled “Luke Cage.”
“Unfortunately, Marvel’s Luke Cage will not return for a third season,” Marvel and the streaming service said on Friday. “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.”
This axing of the series came as a surprise.
“Luke Cage” was part of a five-series deal between Marvel and Netflix for a group of interconnected shows — “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage,” “Iron Fist,” and “Defenders.” Another series, “The Punisher,” was also later added to the mix.
This past July, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos assuaged investors in interviews for Netflix’s Q2 earnings report that the future of its Marvel shows was bright despite the Disney/Fox merger—comments that resurfaced online this week (via Inverse) after the cancelation of Iron Fist last week. Sarandos said:
Those shows are for us to cancel. And we’re super happy with their performance so far.