TV Series Feature: A Relatively Far Forecast of The Defenders

Published March 24, 2016

The success of Daredevil and Jessica Jones has set a precedent for what we can expect for the upcoming Luke Cage (September 30 th ) and The Defenders series. Fans are still relishing in the recent release of Daredevil season two , binge fans are probably in the process of re-watching while the more slow paced viewers (such as myself) are taking their time in enjoying what the ever evolving television universe has to offer. While my watching habits do denote a week to week type of schedule (remember those days?). I’m a sucker for superhero team -ups, and a Defenders release would have me high on caffeine and sleep deprived in an attempt to finish it as quickly as possible. My heart races every-time the lighting bolt on The Flash is interspersed with a green arrow or vice versa.

In my ideal world, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, would be released earlier so that the Netflix team can start working The Defenders as soon as possible. However, Iron Fist hasn’t even had a release date announcement so I don’t foresee the show becoming a solid product until early 2018. Fortunately, nutcases like myself are happy to speculate on what to expect when the show hits the silver screen. Below, are some interesting facts for the curious fan who don’t want to spend coin in reading a couple of their comics.

The Defenders is a team for non-team players

The initial line up consists of Dr. Strange, The Hulk, Namor the Sub-mariner and eventually the Silver Surfer (Marvel Feature #1, 1971). Dr. Strange created the “team”, to stop an invasion from an alien race known as the Undying Ones. Prior to the team-up, each superhero was notorious in carrying out their own adventures and defying the “squeaky clean”superhero norm. This convention also goes beyond the show to the streaming provider itself. I could watch The Avengers with my 10 year-old nephew but I could never switch on Jessica Jones and expect an action packed, wholesome, family friendly episode. With a darker tone, realistic character development and freakier villains, Netflix has set a more practical version of how superheroes would operate on a grassroots level.

They Often Deal with Supernatural Villians

As mentioned above, the first supervillain the Defenders encounctered was The Nameless One, a two-headed demon that can give any villain a run for their money, in terms of scare factor. Other notable villains include Dormammu, a demon-tyrant of an alternate dimension, Enchantress, an Asgardian in constant odds with Thor, and Mephisto, the comic book version of Satan. Granted, this supernatural element probably regularly present with Dr. Strange in the mix, however we would still love to see how the show would tackle such a fanciful element in an almost real universe.

Coincides with the end of Marvels Phase Three

One thing that separates Marvel visual media from its’ DC counterpart is their strict insistence in everything being connected. Joss Whedon, the modern father of superhero blockbusters, claims that with each Avengers movie that needs to be created it has been, “an ensemble piece of increasingly enormous proportions. That many balls in the air, it’s only going to get bigger with ‘Infinity War’”. With Marvels carefully planned “phases” schedule, it has been reported that Defenders will coincide with the end of phase three. Captain America, scheduled for release on May 6, kicks off phase three and ends with Inhumans in 2019. Looking forward to a show that could arrive in three years may seem ridiculous but we could see it being released earlier. All this means is that it could have slight ties to Thanos and his plot to acquiring all the Infinity Stones. Following this thread it could mean that a couple of Inhuman guest stars is a possibility too.

There you have it. Three fascinating tidbits about the Defenders series, no matter which direction the show heads one fact to look forward to is that Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist are sure to kick some gritty derriere.

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