The Netflix era of Marvel is officially over. With all six of their series moving onto Disney+, a lot of fans are discovering them for the first time. Netflix was praised for tackling Marvel characters with their own mature and frequently violent style. Even though they were mostly successful, it's clear that Marvel wasn't sure what exactly they wanted to do with these stories and if they are indeed connected to their massive cinematic universe.
Now with the release of Disney+ exclusive MCU series like Loki and Wandavision, the Netflix shows are most likely not going to be connected and will remain their own little experiment. With that being said, all the shows are still available to watch and offer a look into some of the darker stories in Marvel.
13 Iron Fist Season 1
The launch of their fourth Netflix series Iron Fist may be one of the first major flops Marvel had ever experienced. From the initial casting of Finn Jones as the titular hero, many fans were not thrilled about Iron Fist. Their concerns were proved right when the show was released and revealed to be by far the least interesting Marvel show yet.
Jones chose not to bulk up to portray the immortal Iron Fist and the action scenes were infamously lackluster. Also, perhaps chalking it up to a daunting 13 episode season where almost nothing happens, this marks the low point of Marvel's Netflix era.
12 Iron Fist Season 2
It's not surprising that the second season of Iron Fist wasn't exactly a masterpiece either. While they did manage to fix a lot of the mistakes from the first season like improving fight choreography and reducing the season to 10 episodes, the show remained a bore for most fans.
Jones' performance still left a lot to be desired, and his American accent is only a little better. Adding a few new characters helped but proved to not be enough to redeem Iron Fist's reception.
11 The Defenders Season 1
The Defenders proved that Marvel and Netflix didn't have much of a plan for their series other than making all the characters team up. Seeing Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist all together was neat but not enough to justify a whole new series being made.
With only eight episodes, you'd think a show about four superheroes couldn't possibly be boring, but unfortunately, it's exhausting to get through. With a lazy plot involving the Hand (secret group of ninjas) and a massive misuse of Sigourney Weaver, The Defenders didn't even come close to the feats of Marvel's other team-ups.
10 Jessica Jones Season 2
Jessica Jones season 2 turned out to be a bummer for most viewers. The first season was a surprisingly great story about relationship abuse and trauma, but the follow-up season felt much less cohesive. Netflix's trademark 13 episode season feels even extra long this time when there's no clear antagonist and constant repetition.
This season also included some scenes so goofy fans weren't sure if it was satire or not (just look up the infamous Whizzer scene).
9 Luke Cage Season 2
Just like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage's second season falls victim mostly to its unnecessary length. Season 2 is a quiet story focusing on the development of Luke's character along with side protagonist Misty Knight recovering from the loss of an arm.
There's nothing wrong with trying to tell a more character-oriented story, but when it's 13 hours long and about an indestructible superhero, you'd expect a little more excitement.
8 The Punisher Season 2
The Punisher's second season took a much safer approach to its storytelling. Rather than focusing on Frank Castle's trauma and internal struggle, the season upped the ante on its action and gun fights.
While fans were pleased to see Jon Bernthal finally get to really let loose that killer rage, the season's story wasn't up to par. A forgettable portrayal of Jigsaw (Punisher's arch enemy) and the addition of even more boring side characters make this season mostly lackluster.
7 Jessica Jones Season 3
Season 3 of Jessica Jones was the final season of Marvel's Netflix productions. Unfortunately, the creators weren't aware it would be the final chapter until they were already halfway through production.
This led to an unsatisfying conclusion to one of their most interesting heroines. The season does manage to tell an interesting serial killer story but unfortunately doesn't live up to the hype of its first season.
6 The Punisher Season 1
After being introduced in Daredevil's second season, The Punisher series was quickly announced to capitalize on Bernthal's intense performance. Releasing only a year later made the season feel a little rushed. The plot can be convoluted at times and suffers from filler episodes (like almost every other season on this list). However, the showrunners did tackle some interesting themes related to PTSD and gun violence.
5 Luke Cage Season 1
The first half of Luke Cage's season 1 is fantastic. The show is filled with style and grace and Mike Colter gives a good performance as Cage. However, Mahershala Ali really knocks it out of the park with his portrayal of the antagonist Cottonmouth.
Luke Cage's dynamic with Cottonmouth could've easily made one of the best seasons of Marvel television if Ali's character wasn't unfortunately killed off a little over halfway into it. He is quickly replaced with a much less interesting villain called Diamondback and the season ends with a whimper.
4 Daredevil Season 2
After the success of the first season, Marvel's Daredevil tried to up the stakes and excitement with its second season. Introducing two iconic characters like Punisher and Elektra were good choices, but the season's plot gets a little muddy halfway through.
Daredevil has to balance the Punisher, Elektra, the Hand, Kingpin, and his relationships with his friends all at once. This makes for an overall messy plot with some great scenes thrown in here and there.
3 Daredevil Season 3
Season 3 marked the finale of Netflix's most famous hero. Marvel chose to go out with a bang by making one of its most intense seasons yet. Off-the-wall action and the brutally intense final episodes make Daredevil's return a worthy one. Vincent D'Onofrio is once again great as Kingpin and Wilson Bethel nails the role of the much anticipated Bullseye.
With Charlie Cox recently reprising the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home and D'Onofrio making a surprise appearance in Hawkeye, we hope this isn't the last we've seen of these great performances.
2 Jessica Jones Season 1
Krysten Ritter is probably the best-cast hero out of all the Defenders. Her performance as Jessica is filled with realism, humanity, and intensity. Ritter isn't the only one who shines in this season though. David Tennet makes for one of Marvel's most terrifying villains with his portrayal of Kilgrave (Jones' ex-lover with an ability to make anyone do whatever he says).
With some of the best pacing and possibly the best finale, Jessica Jones' first season was handled expertly by Marvel and Netflix.
1 Daredevil Season 1
Daredevil is what started this whole new Marvel universe on Netflix. Charlie Cox surprised fans with a comic-accurate and brutal performance as Matt Murdock. Vincent D'Onofrio somehow managed to be even more unforgettable as the infamous Kingpin. Daredevil and Kingpin's rivalry is one of the most interesting we've ever seen in a Marvel property. It just all works.
The season is also complete with an engaging story and incredible action sequences, Marvel really hit it off with Daredevil and unfortunately were never quite able to top it with their other series that came after.
Daredevil and all the other Marvel Netflix shows are now available to watch on Disney Plus.