After the Marvel Cinematic Universe achieved the impossible by assembling Earth's Mightiest Heroes on the big screen, the sky wasn't even a limit anymore. Superhero stories could reach unprecedented new heights across different mediums, and epic crossovers could materialize at any time. As a result, the Netflix and Disney deal was born — a collaboration that resulted in the creation of a genre-redefining series that took the world by storm during its first seasons.
Matt Murdock, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and Jessica Jones would each star in multi-season shows that would eventually collide in a big crossover event in the form of The Defenders. For a moment, it seemed this new television universe would go on to be as successful as the MCU itself. However, fast-forward a few years and all that we can do is re-watch these now-cancelled projects.
So what happened? Why did a show so psychologically investing as Jessica Jones bite the dust? Well, the answer might seem obvious at first, but the real situation is a little bit more complex than anyone would expect.
Interest in the Defenders Universe was slowly dying
Back in November 2013, it was announced that Disney and Netflix were collaborating to create iconic shows based on beloved Marvel heroes. The two industry giants made a deal that would last until 2018, and during that time we saw the release of many critically acclaimed projects including Jessica Jones, which starred Krysten Ritter and earned particular praise for its gripping first season. Unfortunately, the deal wasn't renewed once 2018 came, and many assumed that it was because Disney's new streaming platform was coming and they wanted complete control over the Marvel series to make their digital catalog much stronger. However, that ultimately wasn't the case.
While it might be easy to point at the release of Disney Plus as the sole and only culprit behind the cancellation of Jessica Jones, the reality is a little bit different. Instead, Netflix was the one to pull the plug and cancel all of the Defenders shows because they were too expensive to make, and interest in the saga was slowly dying. Netflix is known for keeping their shows' ratings close to the chest but, according to The Wrap, their Marvel shows "were too expensive to produce given their viewership level". The former head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb revealed the decision to cancel these series didn't come from Disney itself, but rather from Netflix:
"It was not a decision that Marvel made, it was a decision that Netflix made. It was their right to do that. All I can say about it is, those characters will live on, and we’ll see what happens."
While no official viewership numbers for the Netflix Marvel series were ever released, Screen Rant published a graph detailing the decay in views as monitored by Jumpshot — an analytics company that monitored the "online consumer behavior" of Netflix users. The pattern is evident: there was a clear decline in interest from audiences, and the shows were slowly dying with every passing season. In that light, the end of the Netflix and Disney collaboration was a way for the former to finally break free of any legal obligations to produce a Marvel project that could lose them money in the long-run. Besides, things were only going to get more complicated with the arrival of Disney Plus.
The arrival of Disney Plus was the nail in the coffin
Ever since the first season of Netflix's Daredevil premiered, the same question plagued everyone's minds: Are these shows a part of the MCU? Unfortunately, even if some Avengers Easter Eggs indicated a loose connection existed, no character from The Defenders universe ever made it onto the big screen next to the likes of Iron Man or Captain America. For the longest time, they could be considered two different universes shining the spotlight on different Marvel characters. However, that problem would soon be resolved, except on another streaming platform altogether.
When it was revealed that WandaVision would premiere on Disney Plus, it became evident that Disney and Netflix would become direct competitors had they both released simultaneous Marvel projects. However, the former had a big advantage considering its shows would actually tie into the bigger MCU narrative. Coupled with the decaying interest in the Defenders universe, Netflix had no real reason to keep fighting for a lost cause.
Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage are all very beloved characters in their own right. However, they weren't big enough to compete with an entire army of heroes that included the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and eventually Spider-Man. As a result, the deal between Marvel and Disney wouldn't be renewed, and the fourth season of Jessica Jones would never be made.
Will we see Jessica Jones again in the MCU?
While Netflix's Daredevil came to an end, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen made a spectacular MCU comeback thanks to Daredevil: Born Again. With that in mind, we need to ask ourselves: Can the same scenario happen for the super-powered private investigator?
According to a new report, The Defenders are expected to return to the MCU, and we could see a part of that narrative pan out during the events of Daredevil: Born Again season 2. With Wilson Fisk becoming the Mayor of New York and announcing his intention to outlaw all superheroes in the City, that would surely get the attention of Luke, Jessica, and Danny. Matt Murdock will reportedly try to convince the rest of The Defenders to step out of the shadows, but we can't imagine that task will be realized so easily on the first attempt.
But whether Jessica Jones is excited to make a public comeback or not (the latter of which seems all the more likely), it appears there's more to her story in the MCU. On the bright side, the second season of Daredevil: Born Again is currently filming and is expected to be released in 2026. So it isn't long before we finally figure out if Jessica Jones will make a big comeback, and how could it happen.