Daredevil & Other Marvel Character Profile Icons Removed From Netflix
Right after removing its lineup of original Marvel TV series' this month, Netflix has also now taken down the various available profile pictures based on the Defenders shows themselves. The shared universe of Marvel Netflix shows began in 2015 with the first seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones debuting in April and November, respectively, paving the way for Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher to follow. All of the series' eventually came together for The Defenders team-up which acted as a crossover event series between the properties, receiving mixed reviews from critics but being generally praised.
Shortly after the establishment of Disney+ as its own successful streaming service, all five of the mainline Marvel shows on Netflix were cancelled. Later, Disney reacquired the rights of each of these characters and it was soon announced that Netflix would be losing this content from their service, leaving the fates of the live-action futures of the Marvel Comics icons up in the air for audiences. It was not until this week after the Netflix-Marvel contract officially expired March 1st - and the content removed - that Disney+ could reveal that this lineup of programming alongside Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be joining Disney+ in the U.S. alongside new parental control options to service the more adult-themed programming. It had been announced earlier already that in Canada and other regions which have Star that these shows would join D+ on March 16th but in the U.S. there was the question of whether the Netflix shows could move to Hulu instead.
In a statement to Screen Rant's Rob Keyes, Netflix explained the conditions of these icons being removed from the service and new substitutes that have been added to the lineup in their place. Specifically, they stated that if a subscriber were to still have an icon on their account that it would be removed and replaced with their new default Chillez icons. Furthermore, some of the service's other shows that have been given new icons include the likes of Cobra Kai, Squid Game, Maya and the Three, and Minnal Murali.
After the official cancelation that each show faced, many fans of the small shared universe were extremely disappointed, particularly with many of the characters not receiving real endings to their stories. Daredevil in particular featured a with news that cliffhanger ending wherein they introduced the iconic villain, Bullseye, but not being able to fully bring him to the small screen in a fourth season despite the brilliance of actor Charlie Cox who plays Matt Murdock in the series. However, with Charlie Cox returning as Murdock for a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and The Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) returning in Hawkeye on Disney+ at the same time, it's clear the Marvel Cinematic Universe has longer-term plans for these fan favorites and we should expect them to return for more.
With the final trace of any Marvel original property now wiped from Netflix, the streaming service's ties with the property are officially cut. Furthermore, with Disney+ becoming more popular by the day, it can be said with confidence that, despite the shows being a Netflix original, they will not be returning to their original spots any time soon. Despite this, the success of Marvel's television history is long from over, with these series' officially being available to stream on Disney+ starting March 16.
Source: Netflix