Luke Cage, like his Defenders colleague Iron Fist, won't be getting a third season for his standalone series. Netflix has cancelled the show after airing two seasons.
Last week, we came across the announcement that Iron Fist won't be getting a third season. But even at that time, we were hearing that Luke Cage Season 3 was close to getting the formal go-ahead from Netflix. However, it has now been revealed that the online streaming service has actually pulled the plug on the Marvel Television venture. In a joint statement, here's what Marvel and Netflix say:
Unfortunately, Marvel's Luke Cage will not return for a third season. Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is grateful to the dedicated showrunner, writers, cast and crew who brought Harlem's Hero to life for the past two seasons, and to all the fans who have supported the series.
According to Deadline, showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker and his writing team had been busy for around six months working on scripts for Season 3 episodes. They had been taking notes from Marvel and Netflix during the process, and had managed to craft detailed drafts for the first-half of the 10-episode-long season incorporating those suggestions.
The drafts were delivered to the studio and the streamer this week, but they failed to impress some executives. Apparently, there were demands for changes in creative reign, and then, there were disputes that put Marvel and Netflix against each other, all leading to the only viable exit strategy - the harsh cancellation.
When Iron Fist was cancelled, it was suggested that Finn Jones' character would continue to appear on other Marvel shows. But at the moment, we don't know whether we will ever see Mike Colter's version of Luke Cage on screen again. We, the fans, would definitely love to hear about potential spinoff shows like Heroes for Hire and Daughters of the Dragon being in the works - but maybe, it's just wishful thinking.