9 Years Later, Marvel's Most Divisive Show Deserves a Weekend Binge Before 'Daredevil: Born Again' Returns

The partnership between Marvel Studios and Netflix is an interesting one because it established some important components of the Marvel universe, despite several shows underperforming. Daredevil and Jessica Jones were both hits that elevated their source material into mature, propulsive prestige shows; Luke Cage had a more mixed first season that showed some growing pains, and Iron Fist was a complete misfire that felt out of touch. It seemed like an odd move to so quickly find a way for Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Jessica (Krysten Ritter), Luke (Mike Colter), and Danny Rand (Finn Jones) to all team up, but The Defenders brought together all four main Netflix heroes for a crossover hit in which they fought for the soul of New York City. While not perfect, The Defenders set a precedent for the type of worldbuilding that Marvel’s television universe would become capable of in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again.

All of Marvel’s street-level shows were praised for their villains, and The Defenders developed a more substantial threat in the form of the sinister organization known as “the Hand,” which was introduced in the second season of Daredevil and fleshed out in more detail in Iron Fist. One of the five “fingers” of the Hand is the enigmatic woman Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), who believes that there is a secret passage that will give the group more power. It was a suitable reason to draw together four characters who previously were loners, and showed that there was a lot of potential in allowing them to work together.

‘The Defenders’ Brought Together All of Marvel’s Street-Level Heroes

Beyond the fact that the characters were highly individualistic, the four previous Marvel Netflix shows had operated in very different genres. Daredevil was a legal thriller with a heavy dose of martial arts action, Jessica Jones was a mystery series with very dark subtext, Luke Cage was a crime drama with allusions to Blacksploitation cinema, and Iron Fist was a more fantasy based hero’s journey. Merging the characters allowed for a fun mixing of these tones that took each of the characters out of their comfort zones; the willingness to give Cox more humorous banter unlocked a new side of the character, which only made his subsequent appearances in Daredevil even stronger. While Iron Fist had taken a lot of (well-deserved) flak, The Defenders seemed to respond to some of the backlash by including a scene in which Danny talks with Luke, and acknowledges that he comes from a privileged upbringing. These connections made it feel like the New York of the MCU had a history and depth to it, and that these stories were not completely isolated.

The biggest issue that The Defenders ran into is that the series was only eight episodes long, and the previous Marvel shows all had thirteen installments. Even if it makes little sense that a show with four times as many characters would be dwindled, Netflix had been sharply criticized for having too many episodes and unnecessarily extending the length of the other Marvel programs. That The Defenders is quick to assemble the characters, and actually leaves the audience wanting more, suggests that there was a real direction for the universe going forward. It only felt awkward because these crossover connections weren’t reflected in the next installments of each of the respective shows. However, the fact that these characters are reuniting for Daredevil: Born Again makes the series age much better in retrospect.

‘The Defenders’ Benefitted From a Great Ensemble

The Defenders effectively felt like a continuation because it addressed important issues that each of the characters had experienced. It’s no wonder that there was a tremendous amount of fan demand for Ritter to be involved in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, because the interactions between Matt and Jessica are a highlight of the series. Matt is forced to justify why he believes in the law, which Jessica takes issue with because of her own experience of being denied justice. The study of gentrification and violence in Black communities that was so strongly portrayed in Luke Cage is incorporated in some surprisingly dark moments, and the series even gave Danny more to do by having him reckon with his family’s legacy and involvement with the Hand. The balance of characters was extraordinary for a show that had so many expectations in front of it, and it helped that Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple had a personal connection with each of the heroes.

Marvel comic books are known for their dense mythologies and often confusing storylines, but it's the characters that have stood the test of time. The Defenders reflects these qualities of the source material because the show embraced the open-ended nature of Marvel comics by swinging for the fences and taking the time to curate meaningful character interactions. At times, it's easy to see why The Defenders was imagined to be the Netflix version of The Avengers, as the banter between Matt, Jessica, Luke, and Danny is just as strong as any of the one-liners traded by “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” While not all of the shows from Marvel’s Netflix era (which are now available on Disney+) are necessarily worth revisiting, The Defenders got a bad rap in its initial release window, but it has aged well as a proof-of-concept for what the MCU would be able to accomplish on the small screen.