Marvel Television issues an official response to the end of their partnership with Netflix, thanking fans for their loyalty and promising that the story of the Marvel Netflix heroes is far from over. Marvel and Netflix produced some of the most compelling superhero viewing over the last few years, with particular highlights being Daredevil and The Punisher. Unfortunately, over the last few months it's become clear that the partnership between Marvel and Netflix was coming to an end, as the streaming giant pulled the plug on the various shows.

There's a sense in which the cancellations are understandable. Although Netflix is notoriously unwilling to release viewing figures, third-party analytics had suggested viewership was declining steadily over time. Given that was the case, Netflix wanted to cut the shows down to a shorter length, which would reduce costs. Unfortunately that approach would also reduce profits for Marvel. Matters were further complicated by reports of a disagreement between the two partners over the future direction of Luke Cage. Ultimately, these hugely successful series came to a natural death, with Netflix cancelling them one after another. They've just announced the cancellation of The Punisher and Jessica Jones, bringing the Marvel Netflix partnership to a close.

Related: Why The Punisher Was Canceled By Netflix

In response to the latest announcements, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb has issued an official statement thanking fans for their devotion and insisting that the future is still bright for the Defenders and Jon Bernthal's Punisher.

"It had never been done before.

Four separate television series, each with different super-talented showrunners, writers, directors, cast and crew, coming out months apart and then...

...they would meet in a single event series all set in the heart of New York City.

We called them The Defenders.

And together we were thrilled by stories of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and even the Punisher joined in!

They said it couldn't be done.

But Marvel assembled amazing teams to write, produce, direct, edit, and score 13 seasons and 161 one-hour episodes.

Take a moment and go online and look at the dazzling list of actors, writers, directors, and musicians who graced us with the very best of their craft.

We loved each and every minute of it.

And we did it all for you -- the fans -- who cheered for us around the world and made all the hard work worth it.

So, Thank You!

On behalf of everyone at Marvel Television, we couldn't be more proud or more grateful to our audience.

Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters... but you know Marvel better than that.

As Matthew Murdock's Dad once said, "The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it's how he gets back up."

To be continued...!"

Marvel Netflix TV Shows Daredevil Jessica Jones Luke Cage Iron Fist Punisher

There's been intense speculation that the Marvel Netflix series could make the jump to another streaming service, possibly Hulu; that would be a natural fit for these darker, more violent superhero shows, and the relationship between Marvel and Hulu seems to be a strong one. At the same time, though, right now that doesn't seem particularly likely. There have been reports that a clause in the original Marvel/Netflix deal prohibits Marvel from including the characters in new TV series or films for two years after cancellation. According to industry experts, that's pretty much standard for these kinds of contracts. There's simply no way Marvel would be able to reunite all the cast in two years' time; besides which, viewing figures are already dropping, and interest will probably have fallen still further with no new shows for two years.

While this is sad news for the cast and crew, the reality is that Marvel Television seem to be moving on. At the TCA Winter Press Tour, eager Marvel fans learned that Marvel and Hulu are working together on a range of animated series that will go under the banner of The Offenders. Meanwhile, their young adult superhero TV series - Runaways and Cloak & Dagger - appear to be going from strength to strength.

More: Marvel TV Is More Successful Than You Think - And We Can Prove It

Source: Marvel Entertainment