Marvel's Cinematic Universe project has been a massive success for the company on multiple fronts, but one of the areas it has always struggled with is TV. In the early days of the MCU, TV shows were considered entirely separate from the larger universe, and often received mixed reviews. When the company launched several Marvel Netflix shows, however, it was clear that the company was looking to get a bit more ambitious with its non-film output.

This resulted in six shows: DaredevilJessica JonesLuke CageIron Fist, and The Defenders, which saw all four of the previous shows team up to take on a larger foe, and then spin-off show The Punisher. These shows had their own ups and downs, but overall were much better promoted and received than the various Marvel television output that came before, particularly Daredevil, which was quite well regarded by both fans and critics alike.

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After The Defenders had a disappointing launch, however, the Netflix project started to lose steam. In hindsight, it now seems that Disney likely already had plans to move forward with their own streaming service on the horizon, but the underwhelming performance of the team-up vehicle likely didn't help either. One by one, the various shows began to get officially cancelled, with no word on whether any of the starring heroes would return in any future Marvel continuity.

Ever since, fans have been clamoring to have the Netflix crew make their way back to the MCU, particularly with Disney's increased focus on streaming shows that will directly connect to the larger universe. Now that Netflix's contract has fully expired, there is nothing blocking Marvel from bringing the characters back for future projects, but as of right now, nothing has been confirmed.

During an interview with Deadline, Marvel Boss Kevin Feige wouldn't promise any particular revivals or cameos for the characters, but did say that nothing was off the table: "Well, certainly you’ve seen what we announced at Comic-Con a year and half ago and on Disney Investor Day a few weeks ago, so that’s our focus. But I’ve been at Marvel long enough to never say never about anything."

So it would seem that for the time being, Disney is focused on its current suite of shows and announcements, including WandaVision, which is kicking off Phase 4 of the MCU. So long as those are still coming out, there likely won't be many announcements about a return to the Netflix shows/characters, but there's always hope.

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Source: Deadline