Coming as no great surprise to Marvel fans, Netflix finished off their corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe this week, giving both The Punisher and Jessica Jones the ax after canceling Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage last year. A new report from The Hollywood Reporter sheds some light on why the streaming titan has cut ties with Marvel Television.
Ultimately, the decision to boils down to hefty licensing fees to carry on with future seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage as Netflix has no stake in the superhero shows owned by Disney. While those series, which also includes The Defenders team-up show between the Marvel heroes formerly of the streaming service, could carry on in some form or another, Netflix is much more focused on owning its own content than it is licensing third-party content, just as other rivals such as WarnerMedia Disney+ begin to launch their own streaming services.
Officially, Netflix released a statement last year on why they chose to cancel Daredevil following its critically acclaimed third season, explaining that they wanted to take the series out on a high note while writers were already in development on the fourth season.
While there has been some hope that the Netflix Marvel shows could be revived possibly on Hulu (which Disney will own the majority once the Disney-Fox merger is complete), or even on Disney+, Disney’s upcoming streaming service set to launch by the end of the year, the latter seems unlikely given the graphic violence and sexual content in Netflix’s Marvel shows, as the Disney platform has been previously described as a home for family friendly content. Although Marvel’s street-level heroes could live on, it will be a while before we see them again as Marvel is not able to use the characters on screen for up to 24 months.
Although Netflix does not release metrics for its viewership ratings, data previously released by Crimson Hexagon, a consumer-insights firm, revealed the social media engagement for Marvel’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage dropped significantly following the debut of each series.
Data from analytics company Jumpshot also revealed The Punisher saw a considerable drop in viewership, falling 40% from the show’s first to second season weekend premieres. Comparatively, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist fell over 60% in first-weekend viewership for their latest seasons.
The third season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones is still on the way despite being canceled by Netflix.
Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of Marvel Television as we learn it.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it’s a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he’s no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we’re officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and now everyone’s attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that’s around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he’s one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes’ arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he’d love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I’ve always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he’s done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio’s best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c’mon, the guy’s look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn’t deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He’s charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he’s young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
