There has long been a debate about the MCU canon status of the Netflix Marvel shows, and that has now finally been resolved with a definitive answer.

Marvel’s Netflix shows, also known as The Defenders Saga, have received a major canon status update from a high-ranking Marvel Studios executive. While Echo and Daredevil: Born Again both pull from the Netflix era of Marvel series, the debate around shows like Jessica Jones being canon remained to this day. However, after the Disney+ MCU timeline included The Defenders Saga shows, a new reveal cements their MCU canon status.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum confirmed that the Netflix Marvel shows are MCU canon. Winderbaum explained why the Netflix characters like Daredevil and the Punisher were absent from Avengers crossover movies Infinity War and Endgame, saying, “It was just too much for us to wrap our minds around at the time.” Winderbaum then cemented The Defenders Saga as MCU canon, revealing it was “spurred by the redevelopment of Daredevil: Born Again.” The move alters the ranking of the best MCU shows. Check out the full quote below:

We finally said it out loud. When the Netflix shows were coming out and being made, we were building towards Infinity War and Endgame . We were trying to balance all of these film franchises and get them to culminate onscreen in these two epic movies. To say it was a challenge is not even correct. It was one of the most challenging creative endeavors the studio ever undertook. I’m not sure there will ever be anything like it again in cinema. It took so much to get all that stuff to galvanize in that one place and in that one time so that people could have that experience in the movie theater.

So, at the time, to say, “Alright, we’re also going to take this television show and wrap our heads around that,” it would’ve been too much, even though we were communicating back and forth. Everyone on the television side and the film side knew what each other was doing, and you can see that there’s a continuity there. The references do line up, but it was just too much for us to wrap our minds around at the time.

Flash forward now to Disney+, where we are actually laying out the timeline with tiles on a screen, all of a sudden we’re like, “We should just do it. Let’s do it.” It was also spurred by the redevelopment of Daredevil: Born Again , once we started to really lean into some of the mythology and backstory that was established in those Netflix shows. I was asked about this during the press for Echo , and I realized, “Oh, it’s not just assumed. People have an active interest and they want confirmation.” So we were able to do it fairly quickly, and it’s interesting that the service of Disney+ actually became the statement just by rearranging those tiles. That’s our medium to define the canon now, which is wild to think about.

11 Seasons Of Marvel TV Added To MCU Canon

Daredevil: Born Again Will Use That To Its Advantage

Winderbaum’s confirmation that The Defenders Saga shows are now MCU canon means the franchise’s TV side just received a major boost. There are now 11 seasons of Marvel television firmly added to the MCU. The seasons are spread out across six different shows. The Defenders Saga solo series include Daredevil‘s three seasons, Jessica Jones‘ three seasons, Luke Cage‘s two seasons, Iron Fist‘s two seasons, The Punisher‘s two seasons, and the crossover limited series The Defenders.

More than just quantity, the reveal adds a great deal of quality to the MCU. The Defenders Saga shows are known for presenting more mature storytelling than most MCU offerings. Netflix’s Daredevil is highly regarded as the best live-action Marvel series ever, and its inclusion as MCU canon is a major win for the MCU. Daredevil: Born Again will bring back characters and plot points from Matt Murdock’s Netflix show, with Winderbaum confirming the show’s decision to pull from the original Netflix series impacted the announcement of The Defenders Saga as MCU canon.

With Charlie Cox back as Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio back as Kingpin, and more actors from Netflix’s Daredevil returning for Daredevil: Born Again, the series will be firmly planted in The Defenders Saga canon. With the MCU cementing the Netflix Marvel shows as canon, more beloved characters from the franchise could soon return. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones teaming up with Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk, Finn Jones’ Iron Fist appearing in Shang-Chi 2, and more exciting crossovers are now possible thanks to The Defenders Saga MCU status.