If you were left stunned by the news of Daredevil's cancellation, you were far from alone. One of the series' executive producers, Sam Ernst, took to Twitter to share that he was left just as floored when he found out. In a heartfelt post, Ernst revealed his thoughts and the shocked responses his fellow Marvel executives experienced with him:
Had a last lunch yesterday with the Daredevil writers. Sushi provided by our Captain, @erikoleson. Marvel execs there too, just as stunned as we were. More than lunch, really: a wake. A show gets cancelled, all those characters we love die. Why I hate my job. Why I love it, too.
Sam Ernst's summation of the shock and awe that hit in the wake of the cancellation news is gripping. The upsetting announcement broke late last week, and it still came as a sad surprise despite the news surrounding Marvel's two other bygone Netflix series. Based on what Ernst is saying, the news came as an equal shock to some Marvel executives, which is obviously a sign they did not see Netflix's decision coming.
As was the case for Iron Fist and Luke Cage's cancellations, which came within a week of each other, Netflix announced the cancellation of Daredevil on a Friday. The news of the Man Without Fear's fate was revealed a little over a month after its third season bowed on the streaming giant and gained some of the best reviews yet for any of the superhero dramas.
From what Sam Ernst is saying, Marvel executives thought there was a chance, Daredevil would continue despite the rocky atmosphere. That seems to potentially indicate a lot about Marvel's role in the decision to forego another season of the superhero drama.
In mid-November, Daredevil's showrunner, Erik Oleson, announced that he had pitched Season 4 to Netflix. Now, fans know that season will not come to be. What makes things interesting is that Netflix was willing to hear a pitch for Season 4, in the first place. That indicates a firm decision had not been made until after.
Sam Ernst referenced those Season 4 plans in the previous post that he was adding onto earlier.
Man, so weird to be in the Daredevil writers room today, getting the news that we're cancelled. On the walls were an entire season 4 laid out - and it was so fucking cool. So many moments we wanted the fans to see... Sigh, this business.
As Sam Ernst pointed out, it all feels like a death to him. For three seasons and nearly 40 episodes, Daredevil entertained its fans in big ways. In the span of a single announcement the chance for that world to continue is pretty much over. It is quite rare for fans of Netflix originals to be holding out hope for cancelled series to be saved, since Netflix is usually the one doing the rescuing.
One thing that would be neat to learn is what the fourth season of Daredevil would have included. Since we are unlikely ever to see it take shape, it would be nice to know what could have been. Thankfully, Daredevil's third season did not leave off with a cliffhanger, and we learned about Karen's secret past.
All of the characters got a sense of closure. Matt, Foggy, and Karen even went into business again. Still, the shock of knowing they will not be revisited in the same way is only settling in. Not just for fans but for the crew that brought Daredevil to life.
The cancellation of Netflix's first Marvel series does not seem to bode well for its other series. Daredevil was the first of its kind, the genesis for the other shows that came after. Having played host to The Punisher in Season 2. With Daredevil gone, the fate of The Punisher and Jessica Jones remains unclear. In light of Daredevil's shocking end, whatever fate awaits them would not be entirely surprising.
Sam Ernst's tweet offers fans a glimpse into all the investment that the creatives put into making these shows. It might even make some of us appreciate them more.
All three seasons of Daredevil are currently available to stream on Netflix. While the Marvel drama will not be returning, many series will be this fall and during the midseason on the streaming giant.
