If you’re still smarting from Netflix’s cancellation of ‘The Punisher’, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re in pretty impressive company. Rapper Eminem took to Twitter to slam the streaming service after it canned the last two original Marvel shows it offered, ‘The Punisher’ and ‘Jessica Jones’.
Marshall Mathers wrote:
DEAR @NETFLIX,
REGARDING YOUR CANCELLATION OF THE PUNISHER, YOU ARE BLOWING IT!!
SINCERELY,
MARSHALL— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) February 21, 2019
Incidentally, this beef may be personal for Mathers. Back in 2009, Marvel published ‘Eminem/Punisher’, a special one-shot comic in which Em first battled The Punisher, then later teams up with him against a one-off gangster villain named Baracuda. The issue was written by Fred Van Lente, with beautiful art by Salvador Larroca.
So it’s natural that Slim Shady might be miffed at his old partner’s show being axed. In another Marvel-related connection, Eminem recently contributed the theme song to Sony’s ‘Venom’, so it looks as though the rapper is an actual fan of Marvel Comics, and in particular the darker side. (No surprise there.)
Mathers also isn’t one to shy away from a beef, having publically feuded with other celebrities from Ja Rule to Christina Aguilera to Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.
Netflix announced the cancellations of ‘The Punisher’ and ‘Jessica Jones’ last week, effectively ending its partnership with Marvel and Disney. Disney has steadily withdrawn its projects from Netflix as it is poised to become the majority shareholder of Hulu this year, and will be launching its new family-friendly Disney+ streaming service.
Netflix had already canceled ‘Daredevil’, ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘Luke Cage’ last year. The crossover series ‘The Defenders’ was intended to be a one-off event from the start.
Despite axing these shows, Netflix still holds the rights to the characters for another two years, so they will not be migrating to Hulu or anywhere else anytime soon.
Let’s hope this rap battle gets squashed before it goes too far.
