Ever since Marvel and Netflix announced their ambitious plans to produce four separate TV series devoted to the studio’s street-level heroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, anticipation has built up for the team-up series in which all four of those characters would join forces.
Once Netflix got Iron Fist out of the way (and the sooner that can be forgotten, the better), all systems were go for The Defenders, which we knew would premiere on the streaming network late this summer. Each of the four Marvel series has dangling threads that will likely be picked up in this new show, but Daredevil (notably season two) and Iron Fist seemed especially crucial toward setting up what’s to come.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), so her appearance may have been the most welcome in this trailer. (Kind of a shame not to see her in season one of Luke Cage, given their history together, but Power Man had plenty of women populating his story.) Judging from the beginning of the preview, she may be the catalyst for the four heroes getting together. Why has she been arrested by Det. Misty Knight (Simone Messick)? And how does Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) find out about her case and drop in as her lawyer? (That’s a cameo that would’ve been fun in season one of Jessica Jones. Alas…)
OK, see that and more for yourselves here:
https://youtu.be/4h3m7B4v6Zc
This first trailer for The Defenders felt a bit familiar besides the novelty of seeing the four heroes share the screen. The scrap between Cage and Iron Fist provided some spectacle, and it’s always fun when characters make fun of Danny Rand (Finn Jones) for how earnest he is about proclaiming himself as “The Immortal Iron Fist.” (Hopefully, we eventually see Cage and Rand partner up, like they did in the comic books.) Also, Marvel and Netflix certainly love their hallway fights. Has every one of their shows included some choreographed set piece in such a setting. Not to say that this one doesn’t look pretty cool with all of the heroes cleaning up bad guys.
Perhaps the biggest reveal of the trailer is the return of Elektra (Elodie Yung), though the end of Daredevil‘s season two certainly hinted that she would be back soon. The question is who controls her? The Hand? Or is it Sigourney Weaver’s Alexandra, who’s presumably the main villain of this series? Does she wield the power that sent all of those heroes reeling back? It’s too bad we didn’t see Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) at all, but maybe that will happen in a subsequent trailer.
Also, Daredevil looks pretty cool with Jessica Jones’ scarf pulled over his face. At the very least, that’s an easy Halloween costume to scrap together this October. Why Murdock needs to conceal his identity in that setting is just one of many questions to ask while we wait for this series.
The Defenders premieres on Netflix Aug. 18.
