Summary

The Netflix-Marvel TV shows provided a dark, gritty take on classic Marvel characters in contrast to the big-budget MCU blockbusters.
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, revealed there were consistent managerial conflicts with Marvel Television during the 2010s.
Netflix prioritized quality storytelling over monetary incentives, leading to tensions with Marvel's team, who were tight-fisted about budgets.

The smaller universe of Netflix-Marvel TV shows offered a unique and distinct creative voice from the big-budget MCU blockbusters during the 2010s. Some of these series have become enduring classics, with Disney+ even helping The Devil of Hell's Kitchen find new life on their platform. However, the co-CEO of Netflix has revealed that it wasn't always smooth sailing.

The Defenders universe, which included Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher, was much more grounded than the cosmic, universal-ending titles that were being released in theaters during Phases 2-3. They offered a dark, gritty take on classic Marvel characters, centering the Netflix saga around New York City's street-level gangs and warfare. A while before Disney started breaking into the streaming market with their platform, the Netflix-Marvel partnership had already begun to fall apart. However, the overwhelming majority of those shows continued to see critical success until its end and fans were sad to see many of these programs quickly ended or canceled.

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By Sebastian Peris

Now, the 25-year-long reigning co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, has sat down with Variety to talk about a number of issues. One of those topics was the company's previous dealings with Marvel Television. Sarandos has admitted that there were consistent managerial conflicts between those at Marvel and Netflix. During the 2010s, Netflix was on a winning streak with critical darlings like BoJack Horseman, Stranger Things, and House of Cards. To make a name for themselves and expand their portfolio, most would agree that, at the time, the company's focus was on quality storytelling. In fact, back then, Netflix rarely ever released a flop.

Variety asked for Sarandos' take on The Defenders moving over to Disney+ and whether he believes they're making a success of continuations like Daredevil: Born Again. Sarandos spoke plainly about the House of Mouse:

"I think they are. I mean, I don’t know because they don’t release any numbers."

During the era of The Defenders, Netflix was dealing with a different beast. Sarandos had to contend with an older "Marvel television regime, which operated independently of Disney." So, when the co-CEO highlighted frictions between his company and Marvel, he was speaking of a separate team that stood apart from the top brass at Disney, which either feels like a clever way for Sarandos to avoid making this talking point personal, or is just an honest representation that things have changed a lot at Marvel over the years. But still, according to Sarandos, he viewed the Marvel team as difficult:

"Every time we wanted to make the shows bigger or better, we had to bang on them. Our incentives were not well aligned. We wanted to make great television; they wanted to make money."

It's interesting that as Daredevil: Born Again releases, Sarandos feels the need to distinguish Netflix's creative vision from Marvel's team. The co-CEO clearly believes that Netflix is still successful because it prioritizes innovative and well-written ideas, not monetary incentives: "I thought we could make money with great television."

Sarandos continues to dig into why he believes Marvel television was so tight-fisted about their budget at the time: "As producers, whatever [Marvel] didn’t spend, they kept. So every time we wanted to add something to the show to make it better, it was a fistfight." Sarandos paints a picture of a Netflix that is willing to take risks, and a team at Marvel that is reserved and cautious.

However, Netflix has also changed since the 2010s. The company is less concerned these days about creating flagship, original productions, and more about broadening their viewership figures. Mainly through acquiring the rights to sporting programs like WWE: Monday Night Raw, putting cable shows like Young Sheldon and Suits front and center, and remaking old IPs like Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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Release Date: March 4, 2025
Network: Disney+
Showrunner: Chris Ord
Directors: Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Writers: Jesse Wigutow, Jill Blankenship, Thomas Wong, David Feige, Grainne Godfree
Franchise(s): Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe