Marvel TV didn’t tease Daredevil season 3 during their Netflix panel at Comic-Con 2018, which may mean the show won’t return until after Avengers 4. This year, Marvel Studios celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by releasing Avengers: Infinity War. However, the third Avengers film is the first part of a two-part story that will conclude in 2019 with Avengers 4; the ending of Infinity War saw Thanos complete his Infinity Gauntlet and use it to wipe out half the universe.

But until that story arc is concluded in Avengers 4, the MCU is left in a strange state of pause. The only movies to release between Infinity War and Avengers 4 are Ant-Man and the Wasp, which takes place just prior to Thanos’ arrival on Earth, and the ’90s-set Captain Marvel. Where things get complicated is on the TV side of the MCU. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. referenced the events of Infinity War (on multiple occasions) but didn’t deal with Thanos’ universe-altering snap. Further, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb said all currently in production shows are set before Infinity War, meaning they won’t have to deal with Thanos’ snap. But is Marvel taking it a step farther and holding back a number of TV shows until after Avengers 4 releases?

Marvel TV held a panel for Iron Fist season 2 at Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend, and while the studio typically teases multiple shows at a big convention, they stuck strictly to Danny Rand’s solo series. Although Daredevil season 3 was originally expected to premiere this year following the release of Luke Cage, Iron Fist will release in September instead. Since Iron Fist and Daredevil filmed their seasons around the same time, it’s odd that Marvel TV didn’t at least mention Daredevil, especially on a stage as big as SDCC.

It’s possible the reason for this is Marvel TV wants to hold Daredevil season 3 back until Avengers 4 releases, and Netflix will continue its output of MCU shows after the movie’s May release date. After all, that’s what Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6 is doing; it won’t premiere until summer 2019 despite filming starting already, so it doesn’t need to deal with the Thanos arc until it’s completed in Avengers 4. Of course, it makes much more sense for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to be delayed for this reason because that show is far more connected to the film side of the MCU than Marvel’s Netflix shows. Those typically only acknowledge the movies in vague terms, like referring to the events of The Avengers simply as “the incident.” 

Further, it may be that Marvel TV is delaying the promotion of Daredevil season 3 until New York Comic Con, which will be Oct 4-7 this year in New York City. Typically, Netflix only focuses on promoting one Marvel show at a time, even since they upped the number of series they release a year from two to three. And with NYCC being held after the premiere of Iron Fist season 2, it gives Marvel TV a chance to focus solely on Iron Fist at SDCC and Daredevil at NYCC. That may account for why Daredevil wasn’t teased at all during the Marvel’s Iron Fist panel at SDCC this year.

Still, it’s strange that Marvel wouldn’t use a big event like Comic-Con to promote any of its upcoming Netflix shows beyond Iron Fist, especially since Daredevil season 3 and The Punisher season 2 have either wrapped or are close to wrapping. Unfortunately, since both Marvel and Netflix keep their plans close to the vest, it’s difficult to say what to expect. Daredevil season 3 may premiere later this year or early in 2019, or it may be held until after Avengers 4. Hopefully we’ll learn more once Iron Fist returns and the NYCC schedule is revealed.

Next: San Diego Comic-Con 2018: Every Movie & TV Trailer

Iron Fist season 2 premieres September 7 on Netflix.

This #SDCC post is brought to you in partnership with Regal Cinemas.

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