Are the Marvel Netflix Shows Canon to the MCU? Plus: Where to Watch After They Leave Netflix

Calling shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones the "Marvel Netflix shows" is no longer accurate. In February 2022, Netflix announced that all of its original Marvel series would be leaving the streaming service. Will they be moved to any other service?

Though the shows were canceled throughout 2019, this marks the true end of the era for the shows on Netflix. But is there a chance that they could appear somewhere else? That depends on how canon they are to the MCU.

Before we get to the answer, let's break it down first...

The Marvel Netflix shows adapted many of Marvel's darker hero storylines into gritty and violent shows that dealt with much heavier themes than traditional Marvel fare. Daredevil (Charlie Cox) goes on a bloody warpath to rid the streets of organized crime while Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) grapples with lingering trauma from her abusive relationship while trying to solve mysteries. With these and more shows losing their home, could their canon status to the MCU save them?

The Marvel Netflix shows first began with Daredevil in 2015. The series follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a lawyer who was blinded as a young boy after an accident dumped radioactive waste on his eyes. He secretly moonlights as a vigilante, using his other four superhuman senses to clean up the crime that he can't get to as a lawyer. Shows like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher followed.

The very first episode of Daredevil features some nods to the MCU. As Matt and his business partner Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) search for an office to start up their fledgling law firm, their real estate agent mentions how the destruction caused by the Chitauri invasion of Manhattan impacted her business.

Other shows also feature references, such as Jessica Jones asking not to be compared to the likes of Captain America and Luke Cage being mistaken for the Hulk.

Aside from shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Marvel Netflix shows were a major attempt to expand the MCU beyond the realm of the big screen. Each of them takes place within the canon of the MCU but is separate enough that many of the major disasters that occur within the films don't necessarily affect the smaller shows.

For all intents and purposes, these shows are canon to the MCU, and recent developments have placed them closer to the larger canon than ever before.

Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home presented Marvel fans with back-to-back revelations when they bridged the gap between the MCU and the Netflix shows. Hawkeye features fan-favorite Daredevil antagonist Kingpin, with Vincent D'Onofrio reprising his role from the Netflix series.

No Way Home features a cameo from Matt Murdock, played once again by Charlie Cox. Both instances mark the first times that the larger MCU has interacted with the Netflix shows on-screen.

With recent news on the shows' new home, it's clear that the MCU isn't finished with these shows just yet. In the beginning of March 2022, Disney Plus announced that every Marvel show that originated on Netflix would begin streaming on the Disney-centric streaming service on March 16. Disney Plus will also reportedly update its parental control options, which is likely a response to the violent content in each show.

Between the cameos in larger Marvel productions and shows like Jessica Jones now streaming alongside WandaVision and Hawkeye, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to grow even bigger than it's ever been. Not only will the critically acclaimed shows live on, but we could finally witness Daredevil fighting alongside the Avengers.

Check out the Marvel Netflix shows when they're added to Disney Plus on March 16.