Marvel Studios has reached unprecedented heights with the cinematic universe that they have meticulously pieced together over the past nine years. In 2015, their new partnership with Netflix resulted in some of the best superhero television ever created, with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. In just two months, the fourth series and final member of the superhero quartet will make his debut with Iron Fist. Then, they will all join forces and form a new mini-series, The Defenders.
Today, EW released the first official stills from the upcoming mega-event and while the series is still many months away, it’s time to get excited.
The Defenders stars returning series leads Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, while the show’s villain, Alexandra, will be played legendary actress Sigourney Weaver.
Alexandra isn’t a character from Marvel Comics and is being presented as an original role. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that her true identity isn’t being kept for a mid-series reveal. Series’ showrunner Marco Ramirez explains why Weaver was cast in the role.
“Sigourney is the kind of person you can buy as the smartest person in the room, who you can also buy as a person holding a flamethrower. Her character is a very powerful force in New York City. She’s everything Sigourney is: sophisticated, intellectual, dangerous.”
Up until this point, all of the Netflix/Marvel shows have featured each hero’s signature villains – Kingpin, Cottonmouth, & Kilgrave the Purple Man – so it would be odd to have an original creation. Of course the TV lineup of The Defenders varies greatly from original comic book lineup, which featured characters like the Hulk and Doctor Strange, so there isn’t necessarily a signature Defenders’ adversary.
A large part of the fun will be in seeing various members of each show’s supporting casts interact with each other. We get a good idea of the potential drama awaiting with Misty Knight seemingly arresting Jessica Jones and Luke Cage still imprisoned after the events of his own series.
The series is expected to debut this summer on Netflix, however the Iron Fist series is coming in March to hold you over. Meanwhile, there is also The Punisher series that has been quietly in production which will presumably drop in the fall or winter, so you will be getting more Marvel action on Netflix than ever before this year. There is a lot more to come on The Defenders and Marvel TV in the near future.
Iron Fist debuts on Netflix on March 17th, 2017. The Defenders will premiere on Netflix in summer 2017.
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Source: EW