Netflix’s Daredevil Not Considered MCU Canon

It’s been a little less than one month after it was announced Netflix’s Marvel shows would be leaving the streaming giant. The six Marvel shows have now made their way onto the streaming platform of Marvel’s parent company, Disney+, and with them the questions of “canon” have been explained away.

The Netflix Original shows focused on The Defenders, which was made up by the series Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and finally The Punisher. With the exception of The Punisher, the shows culminated in an event series aptly titled The Defenders. The first of these starred Charlie Cox as Daredevil, and from there the sprawling, mini-universe was spawned, set in the backdrop of New York City under the shadow of Avengers Tower.

The shows were produced and distributed on Netflix under the banner of Marvel Television, a division of Marvel separate from Marvel Studios. The division attempted to keep all their shows, from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Cloak and Dagger, somewhat connected to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe by playing “catch-up” to the events unfolding in film. In their earlier years, it was quite the success as Ike Perlmutter, Jeph Loeb, & Co. rode the coattails of Kevin Fiege and the Marvel Studios success. But Perlmutter ultimately retired, and control of Marvel Television reverted to Fiege. The history behind the two Marvel producers is troubled, but to sum it up, Perlmutter stood in the way of the progress Fiege desperately wanted. With Fiege now in full control, the world began to wonder if the Netflix shows would remain canon to the MCU.

Despite Cox’s appearance as the lawyer Matt Murdock, the alter ego of Daredevil, in Spider-Man: No Way Home, there was no guarantee that this incarnation of the character was the precise one plucked from the Netflix series. Reports and rumors swirled through the internet, clashing and contrasting with one another, claiming they were or weren’t the same character. Even Vincent D’Onofrio, who reprised his Daredevil role as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk in Hawkeye, claimed to have played his character directly coming out of the Netflix iteration. Now that the shows have hit Disney+ in the United States, we have our answer.

The Netflix shows are officially not considered direct canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Instead, they are excluded from all Marvel Cinematic Universe lineups, and are listed under a section titled, “The Defenders Saga”. The section includes all six Netflix Original shows, including Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher. With the exception of the “Featured” section of the Marvel corner of Disney+, this is the only section to display these shows as options to view.

Obviously, with the multiverse hard at work, there does exist a reality where these shows existed and took place. However, it’s safe to assume that the stories told in the Netflix/Marvel realm will not directly impact any stories told from Marvel Studios moving forward. Characters and actors introduced in those films will likely be “soft reboots” of the characters they once played for Netflix, and not those precise characters. This allows for similar storylines to have been told with similar backgrounds and histories experienced, while writing Perlmutter, Loeb, & Co. out of the history of the MCU.

What do you think of The Defenders Saga? Would you like to see all the characters return one day in the MCU? Let us know your thoughts below! And follow us on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot), Instagram (@thecinemaspot_), and Facebook (@TheCinemaSpotFB) to stay up to date on the latest Marvel and Disney+ news!