Show creator Cheo Hodari Coker (L), US actress Simone Missick (2nd from L), US actor Mike Colter (C), US actress Rosario Dawson and US actor Mustafa Shakir (R) attend the Netflix Original Series Marvel's Luke Cage Season 2 New York City Premiere on June 21, 2018 in New York City.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images
Netflix has cancelled Luke Cage ahead of its third season.
Deadline reports the cancellation came as a surprise to the show's writers and actors, including star Mike Colter.
The publication cites "creative differences" for the reason the show was ultimately scrapped. "The Marvel shows on Netflix are costly to make, even with New York’s generous tax credits," Deadline adds. "Back in 2013, the streamer paid top dollar for the series that it doesn’t even own, so cutting Luke Cage loose was a shifting bottom line call. With the high cost, there has been pressure on the Marvel series to overperform in viewership. That was easier early on when they were among a handful of Netflix originals but is getting harder today as they compete with dozens of other buzzy shows on the Internet network."
Marvel and Netflix released the following statement to Deadline about the cancellation: “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.”