Marvel’s Netflix Shows Leaving the Service After Rights Revert to Disney

Update, March 1, 2022: Marvel’s Netflix series will now be Disney+’s Marvel series, as all six shows plus Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be moving to Disney+ on March 16. In addition, the service will roll out new content ratings and parental protection in conjunction with the debut of the shows. Original story follows.

After a flurry of worried Marvel fans noticed that Netflix’s series were all sporting a note saying the shows, ranging from Daredevil to The Punisher, are leaving the service on March 1, Decider can confirm that the rumors are true. The rights for the Netflix Defenders-verse have reverted to Disney, and the shows should be available elsewhere in the presumably near future.

Though no specifics were shared at the current time about where Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders and The Punisher will end up, it will most likely be one of two places. The more likely ending point for the Netflix series will be Disney+, as the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) content, including movies, TV shows, and one-shot shorts all reside there. It is, however, possible that given some of the more adult content present in the Netflix shows, they may end up on Hulu, home to animated fare like Hit-Monkey and M.O.D.O.K. However, even some of Hulu’s Marvel content has ended up on Disney+, including Runaways. Point being: TBD.

In case you’re confused how a Netflix Original series could end up leaving Netflix, it’s rare, but not unheard of. The Killing started as an AMC original series, before heading to Netflix for a fourth season. However, the Fox produced series is now only streaming on Prime Video and Hulu. More to the point of massive franchises, however, is Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The history of the series is convoluted, at best, but the short version is that after getting canceled by Cartoon Network, the series headed to Netflix. Then in 2019, it all — including the Netflix episodes — left for Disney+.

Like Star Wars, Marvel is a property owned by Disney. The Marvel/Netflix shows are currently categorized as Netflix Originals, but they’re also licensed content. Meaning that after the rights have expired with Netflix — as they have in this case — Disney has the rights to grab the episodes. That’s legally speaking! (I honestly have no real idea, I’m a journalist, not a lawyer, dammit!)

Anyway, point being that these episodes will be making their way to some Disney service post-March 1, timeline TBD. Though also of note, Disney has yet to announce what will be heading to Disney+ or Hulu in March, which should drop some time in the next few week or two. That should give us further clarity whether the shows will be heading directly from Netflix to a new home, or if you’ll have to make do with your copious stacks of ripped copies on DVD-ROMS.

Also, given that — and spoilers here — Charlie Cox showed up as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Vincent D’Onofrio showed up as Kingpin on Hawkeye, both in December of last year, chances are this move has been in the works for the while. So with the series headed over to Disney’s streamer(s), will we see additional seasons of any of the shows in the offing? Stay tuned, true believers.

Additional reporting by Brett White.

Where to watch Daredevil