The Marvel machine continues plugging away as casting and crew are coming together for the next Marvel/Netflix production following wrapping on Daredevil last month. A.K.A. Jessica Jones is gearing up and the former Doctor Who, David Tennant, has been cast as Kilgrave the Purple Man, the villain in the upcoming TV series. Kilgrave is familiar to readers as Jessica Jones’ longtime nemesis, who has the creepy ability to make others do his will. This leads to a long and disturbing history with Jessica Jones. It’s unknown if the whole story will be fully fleshed out on the upcoming TV show, since it is extremely mature material.
In the comics, Zebediah Kilgrave was a spy from Yugoslavia. He came into contact with a chemical that turned his skin purple and left him with a devious new skill-set. Kilgrave was now able to produce a pheromone that when inhaled, allows him to control people with his voice while he is in their presence. He is extremely intelligent, can heal rapidly, and has used his power in ways that are pretty frightening.
The casting of Tennant seems to be an ideal choice for a character whose speech is so crucial to the character. Purple Man made his first appearance in a Daredevil comic, so a future appearance in The Defenders series seems logical too. After the spot-on casting of Vincent D’onofrio as the Kingpin in Daredevil’s series, Marvel seems to be on a role casting villains for their upcoming TV projects.
Here is the official release from Marvel.
Marvel and Netflix are proud to announce that David Tennant will star as the villainous Kilgrave in “Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones,” an all-new 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015 following “Marvel’s Daredevil.”
An enigmatic figure from Jessica’s past, Kilgrave’s reappearance will send shockwaves through the former super hero’s world.
Tennant will star opposite Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter, who will play Jessica Jones and Luke Cage in “Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones.” The series was developed by Executive Producer/Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg.
“I’m so honored and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character,” said Rosenberg. “He can deliver the most heart-wrenching moment to the driest of lines, and all points in between. He’ll make Kilgrave a truly original villain.”
“Anyone familiar with David’s work knows he brings an incredible level of dedication to any role he inhabits, a level we knew we would need from the man playing Kilgrave,” said Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television. “While most know him for his roles as a hero, we can’t wait to unleash a whole new side of this talented actor.”
Tennant rose to international fame as the Tenth Doctor in the BBC hit series “Doctor Who,” and most recently starred in “Broadchurch” and its American adaptation, “Gracepoint.”
After a tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.
“Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.
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Source: Marvel Photo Credit: Getty Images