Netflix CEO Recalls ‘Fistfight’ with Marvel TV Over THE DEFENDERS Shows: "They Wanted to Make Money"

Back in 2013, Netflix and Marvel Television struck what was then the biggest deal in TV history, committing to five series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, all culminating in the crossover event The Defenders. While reactions to the team-up were mixed, the individual shows were well received, with Daredevil even spawning a great Punisher spin-off.But by 2018, it all came crashing down. With Disney prepping its own streaming service, Netflix pulled the plug on the Marvel shows, and Marvel Television was ultimately absorbed into Marvel Studios, giving Kevin Feige full creative control. The old Marvel TV regime, led by Jeph Loeb and overseen by former Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac Perlmutter, was gone.Reflecting on that era in a recent interview with Variety, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos didn’t hold back about his frustrations with Marvel Television at the time."By far, our Marvel deal [in 2013] was the biggest deal in the history of television. No one will ever touch it. We committed to five original seasons of TV with no pilots, 13 expensive episodes for each show centered around one character. And then a crossover season. Ultimately, we learned a lot about the entertainment business on that deal."Sarandos was asked if he believes the Disney+ Marvel series have been successful, to which he replied, "I think they are. I mean, I don’t know because they don’t release any numbers."But when it came to actually working with Marvel Television, it was clear their goals didn’t align."On our shows, we were dealing with the old Marvel television regime, which operated independently at Disney. And they were thrifty. And 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. I thought we could make money with great television."Sarandos stressed that clashes over budgets were constant: "You want to work with people whose incentives are aligned with yours. When people are producing for you, they’re trying to produce as cheaply as possible. My incentive is to make it as great as possible. That’s a lesson that I take forever."And then he laid it all out: "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."That’s not exactly shocking given Perlmutter’s well-known reputation for penny-pinching, which ultimately led to Kevin Feige asking Disney’s Bob Iger to separate Marvel Studios from Perlmutter’s influence entirely.Despite those struggles, Netflix’s Defenders slate ending up being a landmark in superhero TV. And while not every show hit the mark, Daredevil alone was worth the deal and it paved the way for Daredevil: Born Again.

Mar 19, 2025 - 20:29

Netflix CEO Recalls ‘Fistfight’ with Marvel TV Over THE DEFENDERS Shows: "They Wanted to Make Money"

Back in 2013, Netflix and Marvel Television struck what was then the biggest deal in TV history, committing to five series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, all culminating in the crossover event The Defenders.

While reactions to the team-up were mixed, the individual shows were well received, with Daredevil even spawning a great Punisher spin-off.

But by 2018, it all came crashing down. With Disney prepping its own streaming service, Netflix pulled the plug on the Marvel shows, and Marvel Television was ultimately absorbed into Marvel Studios, giving Kevin Feige full creative control.

The old Marvel TV regime, led by Jeph Loeb and overseen by former Marvel Entertainment Chairman Isaac Perlmutter, was gone.

Reflecting on that era in a recent interview with Variety, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos didn’t hold back about his frustrations with Marvel Television at the time.

"By far, our Marvel deal [in 2013] was the biggest deal in the history of television. No one will ever touch it. We committed to five original seasons of TV with no pilots, 13 expensive episodes for each show centered around one character. And then a crossover season. Ultimately, we learned a lot about the entertainment business on that deal."

Sarandos was asked if he believes the Disney+ Marvel series have been successful, to which he replied, "I think they are. I mean, I don’t know because they don’t release any numbers."

But when it came to actually working with Marvel Television, it was clear their goals didn’t align.

"On our shows, we were dealing with the old Marvel television regime, which operated independently at Disney. And they were thrifty. And 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. I thought we could make money with great television."

Sarandos stressed that clashes over budgets were constant: "You want to work with people whose incentives are aligned with yours. When people are producing for you, they’re trying to produce as cheaply as possible. My incentive is to make it as great as possible. That’s a lesson that I take forever."

And then he laid it all out: "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."

That’s not exactly shocking given Perlmutter’s well-known reputation for penny-pinching, which ultimately led to Kevin Feige asking Disney’s Bob Iger to separate Marvel Studios from Perlmutter’s influence entirely.

Despite those struggles, Netflix’s Defenders slate ending up being a landmark in superhero TV. And while not every show hit the mark, Daredevil alone was worth the deal and it paved the way for Daredevil: Born Again.