Agents Of SHIELD Is Leaving Netflix Too — What This Could Mean For Marvel TV On Streaming
In August 2020, Agent Phil Coulson and his team completed their last mission together when "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." wrapped up their seven-season run on ABC. Since then, True Believers have been able to relive the mission logs of Agents Daisy Johnson, Melinda May, Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons, Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, and Elena "Yo-Yo" Rodriguez (or discover them for the first time) on Netflix. However, it looks like your clearance will soon be revoked as the flagship live-action series of the now defunct Marvel Television will be leaving the streamer very soon. With The Defenders packing up and leaving soon as well, it looks like traces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the chill streaming service will be dusted away in a snap.
It's A Magical Place
When you navigate your way to the "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." page on Netflix, you'll notice that it reads "Last day to watch on Netflix: February 28" above the series synopsis. This news comes hot on the heels of the announcement last week that the shows featuring Marvel's Defenders, which were co-produced by Netflix, will be leaving the service as well. That means that "Daredevil" starring Charlie Cox, "Jessica Jones" starring Krysten Ritter, "Luke Cage" starring Mike Colter, "Iron Fist" starring Finn Jones, "The Punisher" starring Jon Bernthal, and the crossover event "The Defenders" will no longer be available to stream after March 1, 2022. This mass Marvel exodus is due to the expiration of the licensing deals that allow Netflix to host these shows. /Film can confirm that the rights to the Marvel-Netflix coproductions are reverting to Disney. Currently, there has been no official word on where they will end up next, but there's a good chance that it'll either be Disney+ or Hulu since they are also owned by Marvel Studios' parent company, Walt Disney Pictures.
This educated guess is further supported by the fact that "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." is already available on Disney+ for international customers in many countries. It's essentially a no-brainer that the first television series to spin out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would end up with the rest of the MCU on the House of Mouse's streamer in the U.S. as well. However, instead of being grouped with the latest Marvel shows like "Hawkeye" or the upcoming "Moon Knight," Coulson and company are listed among the "Marvel Legacy" productions like the X-Men movies, the Fantastic Four movies, and the various animated shows from over the years.
Despite characters and mystical objects from these shows popping up in various places, there's been an ongoing conversation about whether or not "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "Agent Carter," and "Inhumans" are actually still considered canon anymore. But after "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and the upcoming "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," it's all relative since it's a vast multiverse out there and there's actually room for everybody. But for actual concrete answers, we'll just have to wait patiently for Kevin Feige or Disney+ to set everything straight.
If you're currently in the middle of an "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." binge or if you're looking to squeeze one in before the show leaves Netflix, you have until February 28, 2022 to finish up. Otherwise, it's wheels up on The Bus very soon and not even The Calvary can save you now.