It also stars Eka Darville, Elden Henson, Jessica Henwick, Simone Missick, Ramón Rodríguez, Rachael Taylor, Deborah Ann Woll, Élodie Yung, Rosario Dawson, and Scott Glenn, all also returning from previous series, as well as Sigourney Weaver. Development began in late 2013, with Cox the first actor cast in May 2014. Petrie and Ramirez joined as showrunners in April, after doing so for the second season of "Daredevil". Petrie left with the start of filming, which took place in New York City from October 2016 to March 2017. Cinematography and design work established the different color palettes from the characters' individual series, and combined them as the team is formed.
Introduction
The Defenders (miniseries)
The Defenders (miniseries) | Introduction
Development began in late 2013, with Cox the first actor cast in May 2014 "Deadline Hollywood" reported that Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. In October 2013, "Deadline Hollywood" reported that Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. As a four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes.
when does marvel's the defenders take place
user
August 18, 2017
assistant
what is the defenders?
user
American streaming television miniseries
assistant
who wrote this?
user
Petrie and Ramirez
assistant
who are the characters in this series?
user
Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist
assistant
how did its development take place?
user
Set a few months after the second season of "Daredevil", and a month after the first season of "Iron Fist", the vigilantes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up in New York City to fight a common enemy, the Hand.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Premise
Marvel's The Defenders is an American streaming television miniseries created by Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez for Netflix. It is based on the Marvel Comics characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, who form the eponymous superhero team. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the continuity of the franchise's films. The miniseries is a crossover event for several interconnected series from Marvel and Netflix. It was produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios, Nine and a Half Fingers, Inc., and Goddard Textiles, with Ramirez serving as showrunner. The series stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and Finn Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist, all reprising their roles from their individual series.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Introduction
The superheroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team-up in New York City. "The Defenders" sees Cox, Ritter, Colter, and Jones reprise their roles as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand / Iron Fist, respectively, from the previous television series. In March 2014, Loeb stated that the miniseries would begin filming after "Iron Fist". In April 2016, Marvel announced that Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez would act as showrunners for "The Defenders". However, by the start of filming in New York City in October 2016, Petrie had left the series as co-showrunner. Filming concluded in March 2017.
Marvel's Netflix television series | "The Defenders" (2017)
By late May 2016, Petrie and Ramirez had turned in a completed story for the miniseries, based on a "very bare-bones structure" from Loeb. Petrie and Ramirez went through a "trapeze act" to have the story work for viewers who had not seen the previous series, while also not have redundant moments of exposition for those who had. Petrie said the miniseries would be a "detour" for the characters, allowing them to return to the worlds of their own series at the end, making it equivalent to "Daredevil" season 2.5, "Luke Cage" season 1.5, "Jessica Jones" season 1.5, and "Iron Fist" season 1.5.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Writing
In August 2017, Marvel launched a new Defenders comic book series starring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, based on the Netflix incarnation of the team. During the "Secret Empire" storyline, the Defenders were seen fighting the villains that were on a rampage for what happened in Pleasant Hill. They were defeated when Nitro exploded.
Defenders (comics) | 2017 series
S. J. Clarkson, director of the miniseries' first two episodes, also serves as an executive producer on the first episode. In July 2016, Loeb confirmed that the miniseries would consist of eight episodes, and stated that Petrie and Ramirez would consult with Melissa Rosenberg, Cheo Hodari Coker, and Scott Buck—the showrunners of "Jessica Jones", "Luke Cage", and "Iron Fist", respectively—on how their characters would act; the other showrunners read each of the scripts for "The Defenders" and provided insight into each individual character's world. On this collaboration, Petrie said of Rosenberg specifically that she was "wonderful because she's in this position of being a fellow artist and letting us do what we do, but at the same time loving her character and being protective of her character and wanting us to get it right".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Development
It also stars Eka Darville, Elden Henson, Jessica Henwick, Simone Missick, Ramón Rodríguez, Rachael Taylor, Deborah Ann Woll, Élodie Yung, Rosario Dawson, and Scott Glenn, all also returning from previous series, as well as Sigourney Weaver. Development began in late 2013, with Cox the first actor cast in May 2014. Petrie and Ramirez joined as showrunners in April, after doing so for the second season of "Daredevil". Petrie left with the start of filming, which took place in New York City from October 2016 to March 2017. Cinematography and design work established the different color palettes from the characters' individual series, and combined them as the team is formed.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Introduction
In September, Simone Missick said she would be reprising the role of Misty Knight from "Luke Cage" in the miniseries. After production began in October, it was confirmed that Darville, Missick, and Yung would appear, alongside "Daredevil" actors Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Scott Glenn as Stick; "Jessica Jones"s Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker; and "Iron Fist"s Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing. Ramón Rodríguez also reprises his "Iron Fist" role as Bakuto, while Rosario Dawson returns as Claire Temple from all of the previous Marvel Netflix series. At New York Comic Con in October, Sigourney Weaver was announced to be playing the main antagonist of the miniseries, later revealed to be Alexandra.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Casting
Clarkson and Lloyd also learned the technical requirements for depicting the character's Iron Fist based on the process used by that series' crew, along with how the effect of Cage's abilities were created.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Cinematography
"The Defenders" is the final series of the initially ordered Netflix series, after "Daredevil", "Jessica Jones", "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist". In August 2014, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Fisk in "Daredevil", stated Marvel Television planned to "branch out" after the Netflix series. In March 2015, Loeb confirmed that there was potential for the series to crossover with the MCU films and the ABC television series since they are all set in the same universe, but said they would each remain self-contained at first because "the audience needs to understand who all of these characters are and what the world is before you then start co-mingling".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
In April 2016 Petrie and Ramirez were announced as showrunners of "The Defenders", a miniseries that crosses over "Daredevil", "Jessica Jones", "Luke Cage", and "Iron Fist".
Doug Petrie | Introduction
In October 2013, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. In December 2014, Mike Colter was cast as Cage, which was envisioned as a recurring role on "Jessica Jones" before headlining his own series. Netflix and Marvel announced that Cheo Hodari Coker would be the showrunner for "Marvel's Luke Cage" in late March 2015, after he pitched the series to Netflix as an examination of Harlem, "like what "The Wire" did for Baltimore." The season consists of 13 hour-long episodes.
Luke Cage (season 1) | Development
Development for the series began in late 2013, with Buck hired as the series' showrunner in December 2015 and Jones cast as Rand in February 2016. Filming took place in New York City from April to October 2016, with a focus placed on exploring the "One Percent of the One Percent" through story, location, and costume design. The character's martial arts background is also explored, and each episode is named after Shaolin Kung Fu sequences. As the last of several Marvel Netflix seasons to release before the crossover miniseries "The Defenders", it features set-up for that event and references to those prior seasons.
Iron Fist (season 1) | Introduction
Maslansky, who designed the costumes for the previous Marvel Netflix series, had the choice between designing for "The Defenders" or the first season of "The Punisher" due to a scheduling conflict between the two productions, and chose to work on "The Defenders" so she could create the culmination of all her work on the previous series. She described the process of highlighting the individual character's color palettes as a celebration, looking to infuse the costumes with red for Daredevil, navies and lavender for Jessica Jones, olive green for Iron Fist, and gold "Harlem colors" for Luke Cage. The characters' costumes were kept consistent with their individual series, though for Daredevil's superhero costume, which is created by Hargate Costumes in Los Angeles, the helmet was changed for "The Defenders" to having a matte surface that was less shiny than in "Daredevil".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Costumes
At the end of May 2014, Charlie Cox was cast as Daredevil for "Daredevil". In December 2014, Krysten Ritter was cast as Jessica Jones and Mike Colter was cast as Luke Cage for "Jessica Jones", with Colter also headlining "Luke Cage". In February 2016, Finn Jones was reported to be cast as Danny Rand for "Iron Fist", being confirmed the following month. They also confirmed that Cox, Ritter, Colter, and Jones would all reprise their roles to star in "The Defenders". In March 2016, Élodie Yung, who portrays Elektra Natchios in "Daredevil", expressed interest in appearing in "The Defenders" as an antagonist, and Eka Darville said a month later that he would reprise his "Jessica Jones" role of Malcolm Ducasse in "The Defenders".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Casting
Due to the events of the "" storyline, and later the "Purple" story arc, neither of them knows the other's secret identity any longer. Iron Fist would later become one of his greatest friends, and at one point took on the role of Daredevil himself. Jessica Jones, a former superhero turned private investigator acts as a bodyguard for Matt Murdock in his civilian life. Her husband, Luke Cage, is a friend of Daredevil as well. Maya Lopez, a deaf woman and skilled martial artist, is a friend of Daredevil after he fought her and convinced her that he did not murder her father because she was being manipulated by the Kingpin, who was responsible.
Daredevil (Marvel Comics character) | Supporting characters
Marvel announced in February 2014 that the miniseries would be filmed in New York City, with Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief Joe Quesada stating in April that the show would be filming in areas of Brooklyn and Long Island City that still look like the old Hell's Kitchen, in addition to sound stage work. In April 2016, Cox confirmed a late 2016 start for filming, following the conclusion of production on "Iron Fist" in October 2016. Filming for "The Defenders" began on October 31, under the working title "Group Therapy". Lloyd previously served as cinematographer for the first season of "Daredevil" and the first episode of "Jessica Jones".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Filming
In October 2013, "Deadline Hollywood" reported that Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. A few weeks later, it was announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. In November 2015, Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief Joe Quesada stated there was no apprehension from Marvel in changing the line up of the Defenders from the "classic" original line-up (Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor and Silver Surfer) because "to the world at large, no one knows who the Defenders are.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Development
In May 2013, Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to Luke Cage from Sony Pictures Entertainment / Columbia Pictures, after a feature film had been in development at Columbia since 2003, to no avail. By October 2013, Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. A few weeks later, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders.
Luke Cage (TV series) | Development
A few weeks later, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. This format was chosen due to the success of "The Avengers", for which the characters of Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, and Thor were all introduced separately before being teamed up in that film. In December, Goddard was officially hired as executive producer and showrunner for "Daredevil", and was happy with the change to television from his film idea "because you can take time and deal with these smaller things, which to me are much more interesting on a character level".
Daredevil (TV series) | Development
So the idea of taking the concept and name and applying it to [the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)] feels wholly natural" adding there was "a wonderful concept" behind why the group would form in the MCU and why they would be called the Defenders. In April 2016, it was announced that Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez, the showrunners for the second season of "Daredevil", would serve as showrunners and executive producers on "Marvel's The Defenders". "Daredevil" creator Drew Goddard also serves as an executive producer on the miniseries, along with Karim Zreik, Cindy Holland, Allie Goss, Alison Engel, Kris Henigman, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Jim Chory, and Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Development
Clarkson, who also directed for "Jessica Jones", said that series is "very dark and very steely and very blue" while "Daredevil" focused more on red, and so these were emphasized early on. When Murdock and Jones meet, they are in a "steely gray-blue" room to indicate that it is Jones's world, with Knight there wearing a "Luke Cage"-appropriate tan color, and Murdock entering and letting red into the room to show the connecting of the two characters. Clarkson was inspired by New York-set films such as "The French Connection" (1971), "Shaft" (1971), and "Serpico" (1973) when establishing the look of the miniseries.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Cinematography
there is forward progress in the narratives for each" of the Defenders, despite them not interacting in the episode. She added that the episode included elements expected for a Marvel Netflix series, and concluded with a binge-watching-appropriate cliffhanger. "Polygon"s Julia Alexander was "stupidly excited to binge the rest of the season" after seeing the first episode, praising the "intriguing" Alexandra and her relationship with Elektra, as well as the miniseries' efforts to focus on the individual identities of the Defenders. Peter Sciretta for "/Film" called the episode "a fine start" to "The Defenders", but felt it did not succeed in introducing the characters to viewers who had not seen the individual series.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Critical response
He highlighted the use of color throughout the episode to differentiate the characters. Reviewing the first four episodes of the series, Katharine Trendacosta for "io9" appreciated the writers for addressing the questions viewers wanted answered and depicting moments that fans wanted to see without "sacrificing the characters or the story". She did criticize the amount of exposition, the unoriginal story, and the "over-the-top" villains, but felt that "the good of "The Defenders" far outweighs the bad ... it's all a canvas to showcase Matt, Jessica, Luke, and Danny coming together [to be] more entertaining". "The Washington Post"s David Betancourt also gave a positive review, calling the event "well worth the wait", enjoying the pairing of Cage and Rand and calling Weaver's "compelling" Alexandra the "biggest surprise" of the series.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Critical response
The eight-episode event premiered on August 18, 2017. The miniseries also sees many supporting characters from the individual series reprise their roles, including, Deborah Ann Woll, Henson, Scott Glenn, Élodie Yung, Eka Darville, Moss, Taylor, Simone Missick, Jessica Henwick, Dawson, Ho, Ramón Rodríguez, Peter McRobbie, Morgan, Amy Rutberg, Susan Varon, and Nichole Yannetty as Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, Stick, Elektra Natchios, Malcolm Ducasse, Jeri Hogarth, Trish Walker, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, Claire Temple, Gao, Bakuto, Lantom, Turk Barrett, Marci Stahl, Josie and Nicole, respectively. Midland Circle, which was referenced in previous Netflix series, is revealed to be an operation of the Hand, who bought the building to search for the life substance hidden beneath the property.
Marvel's Netflix television series | "The Defenders" (2017)
The pair appear in several of the Marvel Netflix television series set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Luke Cage and Danny Rand debut in their self-titled television series' "Luke Cage" and "Iron Fist". The two then meet in the miniseries "The Defenders" while Cage investigates a series of deaths leading him to a workshop where Rand and his girlfriend Colleen Wing happen to be at as well. Cage and Rand briefly fight until police arrive, separating the two. Cage informs his fight with Rand to his girlfriend Claire Temple, who has met Rand before in his series. Temple arranges a meeting between the two who slowly progress a bond between each other.
Heroes for Hire | Live-action
A spin-off from "Daredevil", "The Punisher" (2017–2019), was ordered in April 2016. The series were all filmed in New York State, forming the state's largest television production commitment with 161 episodes between them. Starring in the series are Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and Finn Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist, who all star together in "The Defenders", as well as Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher. Many actors have roles across the different series, including Rosario Dawson who signed a special deal with Marvel to do so.
Marvel's Netflix television series | Introduction
Midland Circle, where the four Defenders all initially meet, was previously mentioned in the first and second seasons of "Daredevil" and the first season of "Iron Fist." It is revealed to be an operation of the Hand, who bought the building to search for the life substance hidden beneath it. Ramirez said that after showing the Hand purchasing the building in the first season of "Daredevil", and introducing the hole they were digging in "Daredevil"s second season, it was up to the writers on "The Defenders" to decide what would be in the whole. Ramirez felt that having the skeleton of a dead dragon be the source of the substance the Hand sought was the best way to tie the different series together, including because it references the first season of "Daredevil" where Gao sells a drug made from crushed dragon's bone.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
"Collider"s Allison Keene also gave the miniseries 3 stars out of 5. She felt some of the solo series issues such as pacing and narrative choices were still present, but there were still elements to enjoy including Jessica Jones and the banter among the heroes. Keene felt that the pacing issues improve once the Defenders finally unite. She criticized the focus on Rand's company, and also said that the miniseries felt less like a culmination or ending than she would have liked. Reviewing the series for "Uproxx", Alan Sepinwall felt "The Defenders" borrowed the best elements of the previous series, such as the fights scenes of "Daredevil", Jessica Jones's "snappy dialogue, the music (particularly in Luke Cage's scenes), and Rosario Dawson.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Critical response
"Luke Cage" is the third of the ordered Netflix series after "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones", and was followed by "Iron Fist", which lead to the miniseries, "The Defenders". In November 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that if the characters prove popular on Netflix, "It's quite possible that they could become feature films," which was echoed by Sarandos in July 2015. In August 2014, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Fisk in "Daredevil", stated that after the "series stuff with Netflix", Marvel has "a bigger plan to branch out". In March 2015, Loeb spoke on the ability for the series to crossover with the MCU films and the ABC television series, saying, "It all exists in the same universe.
Luke Cage (TV series) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
Ramirez explained that the scene was included because a third season of "Daredevil" had already been announced, and they did not want to make the audience think they "were trying to cheat them or convince them of something that's not happening".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Writing
The season begins after the events of "The Defenders", and sees Rand fulfill his promise to protect New York following the supposed death of Matt Murdock at the end of that miniseries. For the season, Metzner also wanted to explore more of the mythology of K'un-Lun than was shown in the first season by spending more time there. Each episode is named after the issue title of various comics Danny Rand has appeared in, after the first season named each episode after Shaolin Kung Fu sequences. When asked how the season would be influenced by the criticisms of the first, Metzner said that Marvel had allowed him to tell his own story rather than follow on from the first season and so he just approached the project as a fan of the comics and characters.
Iron Fist (season 2) | Writing
After defeating Diamondback, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones reformed the Heroes for Hire.
Heroes for Hire | The Defenders (2018)
I toned it down a little bit for network, but it's very, very easy to translate that into cable. Very easy." In October 2013, "Deadline" reported that Marvel was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. A few weeks later, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. Rosenberg was brought on to write and produce the new incarnation of the series, to be reconfigured from her original project, which she called a "page one do-over" from her original vision.
Jessica Jones (TV series) | Development
In October 2013, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. Drew Goddard was hired to serve as executive producer and showrunner for "Daredevil", however, in May 2014 it was announced that Goddard had stepped down as showrunner in order to focus on directing a feature film based on Marvel's Sinister Six for Sony Pictures Entertainment. He was succeeded by Steven S. DeKnight. Goddard, who wrote the first two episodes, remained with the show as a consultant and executive producer.
Daredevil (season 1) | Development
Cox, Ritter, Colter, Jones, and additional stars of the miniseries appeared at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con to promote the series, where the first episode was also screened. A red carpet premiere for the series was held at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center on July 31, 2017, where the first two episodes were screened.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Marketing
In 2008 Joe Casey wrote a new miniseries with a new line-up of Defenders as a result of the Super-Human Registration Act and the events of the Civil War. Nighthawk wanted a team made up of previous Defenders such as Hellcat and Devil Slayer but Tony Stark (Iron Man) makes the decision to select other heroes for the team. The line-up is led by Nighthawk, with Blazing Skull, Colossus, and She-Hulk as members. The Defenders are assigned to New Jersey under the Fifty State Initiative, because the proximity to New York City demands more experienced heroes than can just be recruited from the ranks of Camp Hammond.
Defenders (comics) | The Last Defenders
In working around the other Marvel Netflix series, Buck described "a fair amount of freedom", but "because we are leading into "The Defenders", we have to leave our show in a very specific place with our character, because we do sort of plant seeds and stories that will then come to fruition in "The Defenders". There does have to be a lot of cooperation between all the different [series' showrunners]. But other than that, we work distinctly by ourselves." The season makes references to the events of "The Avengers", the Hulk, Stark Industries, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Seagate Prison, and mentions the Dogs of Hell biker gang, "New York Bulletin" editor-in-chief Mitchell Ellison and reporter Karen Page, Roxxon Oil and Midland Circle.
Iron Fist (season 1) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
Jessica Henwick portrayed the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the character in the television series "Iron Fist", "The Defenders", and the second season of "Luke Cage".
Colleen Wing | Introduction
In October 2013, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. Melissa Rosenberg was brought on to showrun the Jessica Jones series, to be reconfigured as a "page one do-over" from an original project she had developed in December 2010 for ABC. In December 2014, the official title was revealed to be "Marvel's A.K.A. Jessica Jones", but that was shortened to "Marvel's Jessica Jones" in June 2015. The season consists of 13 hour-long episodes.
Jessica Jones (season 1) | Development
"Jessica Jones" is the second of the ordered Netflix series, after "Daredevil", and was followed by "Luke Cage" and "Marvel's Iron Fist", which led to the miniseries, "The Defenders". In November 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that, if the characters prove popular on Netflix, "It's quite possible that they could become feature films," which Sarandos echoed in July 2015. In August 2014, Vincent D'Onofrio, who played Wilson Fisk in "Daredevil", stated that after the "series stuff with Netflix", Marvel has "a bigger plan to branch out". In March 2015, Loeb spoke on the ability for the series to crossover with the MCU films and the ABC television series, saying, "It all exists in the same universe.
Jessica Jones (TV series) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
Ramirez also felt that the antagonist should be a common denominator rather than having individual villains combining from each series. They settled on the overarching organization of the Hand, and have the characters following individual investigations that lead them to converge on the same location. It was subsequently important to Ramirez that the Hand be destroyed by the end of the miniseries, to give it a definitive ending and to allow the individual characters, especially Iron Fist, to move on to new stories and adversaries. To give something unexpected to the audience, the focus of the story is ultimately revealed to be Elektra Natchios, and her journey of rejecting the people in her life who have told her what to do.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Writing
The end of the season introduces a new costume for Iron Fist, an homage to the tracksuit that the character wears in the comics. Maslansky felt that the full tracksuit was "very '70s, a little too wise-guy, Italian mafia", and so designed a track jacket that used the classic design and colors of green with gold stripes, and paired it with cargo pants. For Alexandra and the Hand, the executive producers suggested the color white as a repurposing of the phrase "the light at the end of the tunnel" given the group are immortal supervillains. Alexandra's costumes also feature metallic elements to suggest that she was more of a warrior in a past life and has that "fierceness or a power within her".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Costumes
The pair appear in several of the Netflix exclusive television series set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Misty Knight is introduced in the first season of "Luke Cage", while Colleen Wing debuts in the first season of "Iron Fist" as street-fighter under the name Daughter of the Dragon. Misty and Colleen are portrayed by Simone Missick and Jessica Henwick, respectively. Both actresses reprise their roles in "The Defenders", and the second season of "Iron Fist", where their friendship and teamwork are developed. The pair team up during the second season of "Luke Cage" to take on Mortimer Norris and his men.
Daughters of the Dragon | Television
In October 2013, "Deadline" reported that Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. A few weeks later, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Iron Fist, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. In April 2015, the official title was revealed to be "Marvel's Iron Fist", and that December, Marvel announced that Scott Buck would serve as showrunner.
Iron Fist (season 1) | Development
The ending of the miniseries "The Defenders", which sees Matt Murdock waking up in a convent surrounded by nuns after being presumed dead, implied elements of the season would be inspired by the "Born Again" story arc. Charlie Cox was excited to adapt "Born Again", calling it "an amazing story" and that the implications of the story on the season "would be exciting". He cautioned, however, that it would not be a "page-for-page" adaptation, "because if you do [that], then you become a foregone conclusion. There may be elements from "Born Again", but I'm sure there will be elements that are unfamiliar and surprising and different in order for the show to be compelling to fans who know the comics very well." Oleson crafted an original story for the season, taking "pieces of some of my favorite comic book runs, that told a larger story".
Daredevil (season 3) | Writing
The series was switched with "Iron Fist" after the positive reception Luke Cage received on "Jessica Jones", becoming that series' breakout star and Marvel wanting to "follow the momentum". Also in March, Cheo Hodari Coker was announced as showrunner and executive producer of the series. A second season was ordered on December 3, 2016. The first season, which premiered on September 30, 2016, features references to "The Avengers", the second season of "Daredevil", the first season of "Jessica Jones", and a flier for Colleen Wing's martial arts class, and mentions Justin Hammer, Wilson Fisk, and Frank Castle. Reprising their roles in the season are Dawson as Temple, Morgan as Barrett, Rachel Taylor as Trish Walker, Stephen Rider as Blake Tower, Parisa Fitz-Henley as Reva Connors, and Danny Johnson as Ben Donovan.
Marvel's Netflix television series | "Luke Cage" (2016–2018)
Danielle Cage is a fictional character in Marvel Comics, the young daughter of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. The character, created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, first appeared in "The Pulse" #13 (March 2006). Danielle is named after Luke's teammate and best friend Iron Fist (Danny Rand). When Jessica goes into labor, the hospital refuses to deliver the baby, forcing Luke to take them to Doctor Strange. During the Secret Invasion, Danielle is kidnapped by a Skrull posing as Edwin Jarvis. Luke is forced to team up with Norman Osborn and Bullseye to rescue her; Luke retrieves Danielle while Bullseye kills the Skrull.
List of Marvel Comics characters: C | Danielle Cage
Director S. J. Clarkson, cinematographer Matthew J. Lloyd, production designer Loren Weeks, and costume designer Stephanie Maslansky worked together to create distinct color palettes for each of the characters, maintaining the looks from their individual series, rather than attempting to blend the looks of all the different series for the miniseries. Maslansky explained that the palettes were used for the lighting, sets and locations, and costumes for the lead characters as well as extras. When the characters begin to crossover, so do the colors, and decisions were made regarding which colors come to the foreground and which are seen less on a scene-by-scene basis.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Design
The publication was retitled near the end of the run as "The New Defenders" but featured none of the original members and only Valkyrie, Beast and the Gargoyle of the former long-term members. The concept was modified in the 1993–95 series "Secret Defenders," in which Dr. Strange assembled different teams for each individual mission. The original team was reunited in a short-lived 2001 series by Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen. In 2005 Marvel published a five-issue miniseries featuring the classic line-up by J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen and Kevin Maguire. In December 2011 writer Matt Fraction and artist Terry Dodson launched a "Defenders" series with a mixture of classic and new members, which lasted for 12 issues.
Defenders (comics) | Introduction
Lloyd began work on the miniseries several weeks before the start of filming, taking the development work that Clarkson had already done for the project and refining it; he avoided pushing the different colors so far that they made the scenes look unrealistic, and noted that red can be an overwhelming hue on camera so limited this for the Daredevil scenes by just using it as an accent. Lloyd did not want to recreate the techniques used on the individual series that he did not work on, and instead focused on the specific looks that Clarkson desired. For Cage's scenes, Lloyd was inspired by Harris Savides work on "American Gangster" (2007), and for Iron Fist he looked to Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmaster" (2013).
The Defenders (miniseries) | Cinematography
He explained that Marvel and Netflix deliberately held off on "Iron Fist" news until "Marvel's Jessica Jones" premiered so that series, revolving around a character largely unknown to the general audience, got the spotlight. Loeb promised that news on a showrunner would be coming, and Marvel announced that Scott Buck would serve in the role a month later. The series was originally intended to be the third of the announced series from Netflix, debuting after "Jessica Jones", but was switched with "Marvel's Luke Cage" after Luke Cage became a breakout star of "Jessica Jones" and Marvel wanted to "follow the momentum".
Iron Fist (TV series) | Development
In 2001–2002, the Defenders reunited in "Defenders" (vol. 2) #1–12 created by Kurt Busiek and Erik Larsen, immediately followed by "The Order" #1–6, in which Yandroth manipulated Gaea into "cursing" the primary four Defenders (Doctor Strange, the Sub-Mariner, the Hulk, and the Silver Surfer) so that they would be summoned to major crisis situations. These members were then mind controlled by Yandroth into forming the world-dominating "Order"; once the Order were freed from this control by their fellow heroes (including their teammates Hellcat, Nighthawk, and Valkyrie), the Defenders apparently disbanded. A fill-in issue set between these two series was published in 2011.
Defenders (comics) | Reunion and The Order
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 78% approval rating with an average rating of 6.59/10 based on 100 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Marvel's The Defenders" further develops well-known characters in an action-packed arc whose payoff packs more than enough of a punch to offset its flaws." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The early screening of the first episode at San Diego Comic-Con was met by "applause throughout" from the crowd. Tracy Brown of the "Los Angeles Times" noted after "a quick refresher on where each hero's solo story left off ...
The Defenders (miniseries) | Critical response
The main cast for the season includes Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist, Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing, Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum, Jessica Stroup as Joy Meachum, Ramón Rodríguez as Bakuto, Sacha Dhawan as Davos, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, and David Wenham as Harold Meachum. Dawson reprises her role from previous Marvel Netflix series. Recurring throughout the season are David Furr as Wendell Rand, Danny's father; Barrett Doss as Megan, a Rand Enterprises secretary; Alex Wyse as Kyle, Harold Meachum's personal assistant; and Ramon Fernandez as Kevin Singleton, Harold Meachum's bodyguard. Wai Ching Ho recurs as Gao, reprising her role from "Daredevil", and Marquis Rodriguez recurs as Darryl, reprising his role from "Luke Cage".
Iron Fist (season 1) | Casting
Following Wolverine's murder of Hank Pym during the "Age of Ultron" to keep Ultron from being created, a splinter timeline called Earth-26111 is created. In the new timeline, the Defenders became the world's premier superhero team after the disbanding of the Avengers. The new Defenders line-up consisted of Doctor Strange, Captain America, Wolverine, Janet Van Dyne as Captain Marvel, Thing, Scott Summers as Cable, Hulk, and Star-Lord. The group is a resistance against Morgan le Fay who has conquered half of Earth.
Defenders (comics) | "Age of Ultron"
In the "Marvel NOW!" era, Iron Fist joins Luke Cage as the Heroes For Hire, having been employed by Boomerang to arrest his former colleagues in the Sinister Six. During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Iron Fist became a member of the Defenders alongside Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. They, alongside Cloak and Dagger, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Woman, fought the Army of Evil during Hydra's takeover of the United States where they were defeated by Nitro. Iron Fist and those with him were trapped in the Darkforce dome by Blackout when his powers were enhanced by Baron Helmut Zemo using the Darkhold.
Iron Fist (comics) | "Marvel NOW!"
it's kind of like, 'This was a great adventure to have with you, I'd be okay with seeing you again, I'd also be okay with never seeing you again. The final image of "The Defenders", in which Murdock wakes up with a nun by his side, is an homage to a panel from the "Daredevil" story arc "Born Again" (1986). The nun calling for "Maggie" is an implied reference to Murdock's mother, which Ramirez would not confirm at the time of miniseries' release. He did note that this scene along with several others from Daredevil's story in the miniseries was a direct homage to the comics, and that this panel from "Born Again" was one of his favorite Daredevil panels.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Writing
Danny Rand returns to New York City, after being missing for fifteen years, to reclaim his family company. However, when a threat emerges, Rand must choose between his family's legacy and his duties as the Iron Fist. In March 2014, Loeb stated that the series would begin filming after "Jessica Jones" as the third of the individual series. By March 2015, it was expected to be the fourth of the individual series, entering production following "Luke Cage". The series was switched with "Luke Cage" after the positive reception Luke Cage received on "Jessica Jones", becoming that series' breakout star and Marvel wanting to "follow the momentum".
Marvel's Netflix television series | "Iron Fist" (2017–2018)
Marvel launched a new "Defenders" series in December 2011, written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Terry Dodson. The new book features Doctor Strange, Red She-Hulk, Namor, the Silver Surfer and Iron Fist. The new series follows the reunion of the Defenders in "Fear Itself: The Deep". During the battle against the Death Celestials the characters Black Cat, Nick Fury, and Ant-Man join the team. The series was cancelled at issue #12. Despite the prophecy supposedly being a hoax, the central storyline of the series involves a reunion of the original four Defenders setting off a chain of events leading to the destruction of the universe.
Defenders (comics) | 2011 series
Rosenberg said that she and the other showrunners "felt really included in the process". Loeb compared this relationship to Joss Whedon consulting with the filmmakers of the MCU's before directing the crossover film "The Avengers" (2012). At the start of filming in October 2016, Petrie left the series as co-showrunner. Loeb explained, "We got to a point where the scripts were done, and we wanted Marco to continue, and Doug pursued other avenues."
The Defenders (miniseries) | Development
"Daredevil" is an American web television series created for Netflix by Drew Goddard, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the first in a series of shows that lead up to a Defenders crossover miniseries. The series stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, as well as Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Rosario Dawson, and Vincent D'Onofrio. Toby Leonard Moore, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Bob Gunton, and Ayelet Zurer join them in the first season, while Jon Bernthal, Élodie Yung, and Stephen Rider join them for the second; Joanne Whalley, Jay Ali and Wilson Bethel join for season three.
List of Daredevil characters | Introduction
The Defenders are a set of fictional superhero groups with rotating membership appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are usually presented as a "non-team" of individualistic "outsiders" who, in their prior adventures, are known for following their own agendas. The team often battle mystic and supernatural threats. Its original incarnation was led by Doctor Strange and included Hulk, Namor, and—eventually—Silver Surfer. They first appeared as the Defenders in "Marvel Feature" #1 (Dec. 1971). The group had a rotating line-up from 1972 until 1986, with Dr. Strange and the Hulk being usually constant members along with a number of other mainstays such as Valkyrie, Nighthawk, Hellcat, Gargoyle, Beast, the Son of Satan and Luke Cage, and many temporary members.
Defenders (comics) | Introduction
"Daredevil" is the first of the ordered Netflix series, and is followed by "Jessica Jones", "Luke Cage", and "Iron Fist", which lead to the miniseries "The Defenders". In November 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that, if the characters prove popular on Netflix, "It's quite possible that they could become feature films," which Sarandos echoed in July 2015. In August 2014, D'Onofrio stated that after the "series stuff with Netflix", Marvel has "a bigger plan to branch out". In December 2014, Loeb explained that "Within the Marvel universe there are thousands of heroes of all shapes and sizes, but the Avengers are here to save the universe and Daredevil is here to save the neighborhood ...
Daredevil (TV series) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
The main cast for the season includes Colter as Cage; Mahershala Ali as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes; Simone Missick as Misty Knight; Theo Rossi as Hernan "Shades" Alvarez; Erik LaRay Harvey as Willis Stryker / Diamondback, whose involvement was not officially announced by Marvel prior to the season's release, as he agreed not to do any publicity for the show to not "ruin the twist" of Stryker being the season's main villain; Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, reprising her role from "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones"; and Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard. In September 2015, Frank Whaley was cast as Rafael Scarfe.
Luke Cage (season 1) | Casting
"Iron Fist" is the fourth of the ordered Netflix series, after "Marvel's Daredevil", "Jessica Jones" and "Luke Cage", which lead to the miniseries "The Defenders". In November 2013, Disney CEO Bob Iger stated that if the characters prove popular on Netflix, "It’s quite possible that they could become feature films," which Sarandos echoed in July 2015. In August 2014, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Fisk in "Daredevil", stated that after the "series stuff with Netflix", Marvel has "a bigger plan to branch out". In March 2015, Loeb spoke on the ability for the series to crossover with the MCU films and the ABC television series, saying, "It all exists in the same universe.
Iron Fist (TV series) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
Co-star Tommy Walker said that "Daredevil" and "Defenders" showrunner Doug Petrie had pitched a multiracial Asian American version of "Iron Fist" to Marvel Television which was rejected by Loeb.
Jeph Loeb | Racial controversy
Jessica and Luke would later switch apartments with an old friend of Luke's named David Griffiths. While moving in, Jessica spoke to the Blue Marvel about what it's like to raise a child of superheroes and expressed both her support and annoyance at her husband's choice to start another team of Avengers. During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Jessica Jones became a member of the Defenders alongside Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. They alongside Cloak and Dagger, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Woman fought the Army of Evil during Hydra's rise to power where they were defeated by Nitro. Jessica Jones and those with him were trapped in the Darkforce dome by Blackout when his powers were enhanced by Baron Helmut Zemo using the Darkhold.
Jessica Jones | 2010–present
The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media. Actor Mike Colter played the character in the first season of "Jessica Jones", a live-action television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and headlined his own series, which premiered in September 2016, along with a second season, which released in June 2018. Colter also reprised his role in the miniseries "The Defenders", which premiered in August 2017. Colter returned as Cage in the third and final season of "Jessica Jones".
Luke Cage | Introduction
Marvel's Netflix television series are a set of interconnected American streaming television series created for the streaming service Netflix, based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios, they are set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledge the continuity of the franchise's films and other television series. Marvel collectively refers to the group of shows as the "Marvel Street-Level Heroes" or "Marvel Knights" series. A deal between Marvel and Netflix to produce several interconnected series was announced in November 2013, with the individual series "Daredevil" (2015–2018), "Jessica Jones" (2015–2019), "Luke Cage" (2016–2018), and "Iron Fist" (2017–2018) culminating in the crossover miniseries "The Defenders" (2017).
Marvel's Netflix television series | Introduction
During Loeb's tenure as the head of Marvel Television, the Netflix shows "Daredevil", "Iron Fist" and "The Defenders" were criticized for promoting negative stereotypes of East Asians and Asian culture. Following the controversy surrounding "Iron Fist"s casting, Loeb defended the casting of white actor Finn Jones, emphasizing that Danny Rand was an "outsider", which was a vital theme of the show. While promoting the second season of "Iron Fist" at San Diego Comic-Con 2018, Loeb appeared on stage wearing a karate gi and headband as part of a comic bit with "Iron Fist" actress Jessica Henwick, who forced him to remove the costume.
Jeph Loeb | Racial controversy
The producers had referred to the character as "a Sigourney Weaver type" for four months before Loeb contacted her about the project. Additionally, J. Mallory McCree recurs as Cole; Michelle Federer and Chloe Levine portray Michelle and Lexi Raymond; and Ron Simons appears as police captain Strieber. Babs Olusanmokun and Yutaka Takeuchi portray Sowande and Murakami, respectively, both being leaders of the Hand.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Casting
When pitching his ideas to Marvel, Oleson expected "more pushback" from them, but said "Marvel was incredibly excited about the storyline" and gave him "complete freedom". Executive producer Jeph Loeb did note that despite this apparent freedom, Oleson was still required to deal with Murdock's death in "The Defenders" which was part of "a fairly good idea as to what [Marvel] wanted to tackle in terms of story" before Oleson presented his ideas. Oleson drew inspiration from "Born Again" and "Guardian Devil" for the tone of the season. Building the season structurally, Oleson felt if any viewer was "a devout Catholic...
Daredevil (season 3) | Writing
This group's composition was even more fluid than that of the original Defenders, but typically included either Doctor Strange or Doctor Druid as leader, joined by a custom selection of heroes chosen for the mission at hand. At various times, War Machine, Darkhawk, Thunderstrike, Wolverine, the second Spider-Woman, Ant-Man, Iceman, Nomad, and many others were members. At the end of its existence, the group had a somewhat regular composition including Cadaver, Sepulchre, Joshua Pryce, and Doctor Druid.
Defenders (comics) | Secret Defenders
Anson Mount headlines "Inhumans" as Black Bolt. Charlie Cox is featured as Matt Murdock / Daredevil in "Daredevil", while Krysten Ritter leads as Jessica Jones in "Jessica Jones", which also introduces Mike Colter as Luke Cage, who later headlined "Luke Cage". Finn Jones stars as Danny Rand / Iron Fist in "Iron Fist" and joins Cox, Ritter, and Colter in reprising their roles for "The Defenders". Jon Bernthal stars as Frank Castle / Punisher in "The Punisher", after being introduced in the second season of "Daredevil". "Runaways" co-stars Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder. "Cloak & Dagger" sees Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph as Tandy Bowen / Dagger and Tyrone Johnson / Cloak, respectively.
List of Marvel Cinematic Universe television series actors | Introduction
As part of the "All-New, All-Different Marvel", Luke Cage and Iron Fist come into conflict with Jennifer Royce when she has been corrupted by an ancient African artifact. During the "Civil War II" storyline, Luke Cage hears about the talents of Ulysses Cain and the fight over him. After thinking this through, Luke tells Iron Fist that he is sitting this fight out. During the "Secret Empire" storyline, Luke Cage became a member of the Defenders alongside Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones. They alongside Cloak and Dagger, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Woman fought the Army of Evil during Hydra's rise to power where they were defeated by Nitro.
Luke Cage | All-New, All-Different Marvel
A "Defenders" five-issue miniseries debuted in July 2005, by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire (as a team, best known for their work on DC's Justice League franchise), featuring Doctor Strange attempting to reunite the original four Defenders to battle Dormammu and Umar. This series focuses mostly on humor as the characters spend most of their time arguing with and criticizing one another. The series was later collected into both hardcover and trade paperback collections, entitled "Defenders: Indefensible".
Defenders (comics) | 2005 miniseries
Goddard also executive produced and co-wrote an episode of the miniseries "The Defenders". The series featured a team-up of the Marvel Television superheroes, including Daredevil. It was released on Netflix in August 2017.
Drew Goddard | "Daredevil" and "The Defenders"
"Iron Fist" is an American web television series created for Netflix by Scott Buck, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the fourth in a series of shows that will lead up to a Defenders crossover miniseries. The series stars Finn Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist, with Jessica Henwick, Tom Pelphrey, Jessica Stroup, and Sacha Dhawan also starring. They are joined by Ramón Rodríguez, Rosario Dawson and David Wenham in the first season, with Simone Missick and Alice Eve starring in the second.
List of Iron Fist characters | Introduction
"Luke Cage" is an American web television series created for Netflix by Cheo Hodari Coker, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the third in a series of shows that connect with the crossover miniseries "The Defenders". Mike Colter stars as Luke Cage, a former convict with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who now fights crime. Simone Missick, Theo Rossi, Rosario Dawson, and Alfre Woodard also star. Colter reprises his role from the series "Jessica Jones", while Dawson returns after portraying the character Claire Temple in the other Marvel Netflix series.
List of Luke Cage characters | Introduction
The series was the first of several live action series provided to Netflix by Marvel Television and ABC Studios, with subsequent series featuring Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist all leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. By January 2016, ahead of the "Daredevil" season two release, Netflix was in "very early development" on a spin-off series titled "The Punisher", and was looking for a showrunner. The series would be centered on Bernthal as Castle, and was described as a stand-alone series, outside of the series leading up to "Marvel's The Defenders". Head of Marvel Television and executive producer Jeph Loeb implied that Marvel Television had not instigated the development of the spin-off and were focusing on making "the best 13 episodes of "Daredevil" season two" at the time, but did say, "I'm never going to discourage a network from looking at one of our characters and encouraging us to do more ...
The Punisher (TV series) | Development
Loeb cautioned against the "easy comparison" to "The Avengers", noting that lessons would be taken from that crossover such as how that team did not come together right away, but unlike the Avengers in the film, the Defenders do not operate out of one location such as Avengers Tower or have matching costumes. "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), "Seven Samurai" (1954), and other films "where characters came together who did not want to come together" were bigger influences on the project than "The Avengers". Choosing an antagonist for the miniseries was another challenge, according to Ramirez. Loeb did not want a villain like the aliens from "The Avengers" because these are "street level heroes [who] come from a very real place", but each of the Defenders has been shown to be "really powerful" in their individual series and the antagonist would have to prove a challenge for the four of them together.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Writing
Luke goes to Avengers Tower to confront Jessica about her decision to comply with the Superhuman Registration Act; she tries to convince Luke to comply as well. When the Mighty Avengers arrive, Ms. Marvel lets Luke go, claiming that he is thinking about registering. During this conversation, Cage refers to Stark as a Skrull, causing Black Widow to question. Spider-Woman merely states that it is classified S.H.I.E.L.D. business. Iron Fist sets the New Avengers up in a large apartment. Echo is confronted by what appears to be Daredevil, who is quickly revealed to be a Skrull seeking to replace her.
List of New Avengers story arcs | Secret Invasion (Issues #38-47)
The origin of the Defenders lies in two crossover story arcs by Roy Thomas prior to the official founding of the team. The first, in "Doctor Strange" #183 (November 1969), "Sub-Mariner" #22 (February 1970), and "The Incredible Hulk" #126 (April 1970) occurred due to the "Dr. Strange" series being canceled in the middle of a story arc, leaving Thomas no choice but to resolve the storyline in other series that he wrote. In the story, Dr. Strange teams with Sub-Mariner and the Hulk to protect the Earth from invasion by Lovecraftian interplanar beings known as the Undying Ones and their leader, the Nameless One.
Defenders (comics) | Publication history
In July 2017, Colter said the writing for the season was different from the first, because "we know the show now. We know the world that we’re in and we know sort of what works and what doesn’t work and we’re just gonna double down on that stuff, so look forward to a very exciting and very relevant and pop culture-heavy show." He added that after the first season and the crossover miniseries "The Defenders", Cage would have "a whole new outlook on life" and would not be dealing with the judicial system anymore. Coker explained that the storyline for the season did not come from any particular iteration of the comics, and instead was based on the characters that appear: "who is Luke Cage and getting much deeper into that, but also finding out different things about Mariah Dillard, also finding out things about Misty Knight," including getting her mechanical arm "and what that entails from an emotional standpoint." In particular, the new villains introduced for the season and their abilities impacted the story in terms of "what that represents against Luke".
Luke Cage (season 2) | Writing
The teaser also featured a hidden URL which led to a faux website for the "New York Bulletin" featuring "plenty of easter eggs and little details". Dave Lewis of the "Los Angeles Times" felt having the security footage teaser end on the timecode 08:18:20:17, was "a fun way to indicate the show's release date". A month later, Netflix and Marvel released a trailer for the miniseries. They also released multiple motion graphics showcasing various character crossovers through the social media accounts for "The Defenders" as well as each of the individual series. Nicole Sobon of "Comic Book Resources" felt releasing these this way was "a smart marketing move by both Marvel and Netflix, as over the course of the years, the Twitter accounts [for each series] have managed to drive in plenty of fan interaction by their 'conversations' between the characters".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Marketing
This includes her mentor Stick and the miniseries' apparent central antagonist Alexandra, whom she both murders, as well as Daredevil. Ramirez said that the theme of "having to embrace the identity you want" also applies to the four Defenders. He added that Elektra murdering Alexandra made more sense than one of the Defenders doing it, as the writers felt that none of the Defenders were murderous and would have to be pushed into doing it. Regarding where the miniseries leaves the Defenders, Ramirez compared their relationship to "people who were on the same bus when it got in an accident ...
The Defenders (miniseries) | Writing
At the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, a teaser trailer was shown featuring the word "Defend" forming from pieces of the logos from the four previous series over "the ominous shape of a giant hand", along with Glenn providing a voice over as Stick, asking how the four heroes plan to save New York when they cannot save themselves. For New York Comic Con later that year, the four Defenders' actors appeared together on stage, along with Weaver, to promote the miniseries. In April 2017, series' release date was revealed via a teaser trailer designed to look like security footage showing the four Defenders inside a Midland Circle elevator.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Marketing
In January 2015, Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos stated the series was "eligible to go into multiple seasons for sure" and Netflix would look at "how well [they] are addressing both the Marvel fanbase but also the broader fanbase" in terms of determining whether additional seasons would be appropriate. In July 2015, Sarandos said some of the Defenders series would "selectively have multiple seasons as they come out of the gate." At San Diego Comic-Con International 2017, the second season of "Iron Fist" was announced, with Raven Metzner taking over as showrunner from Scott Buck, who served that role for the first season.
Iron Fist (season 2) | Development
By October 2013, Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. In November 2013, Marvel's parent company Disney was set to provide Netflix with live-action series based on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, leading up to a crossover miniseries based on the Defenders. Disney CEO Bob Iger explained that Disney had chosen Netflix to air the shows when they realized that the audience of the streaming service would provide a way to "grow the popularity of the characters".
Marvel's Netflix television series | Development
Part of the series takes place simultaneously with the events of the second season of "Daredevil". Throughout the season, the villains use Hammer Industries weapons to counter Cage's abilities. Justin Hammer and his company were introduced in "Iron Man 2", and Hammer was last seen incarcerated in Seagate Prison in the Marvel One-Shot "All Hail the King"; Seagate is depicted in "Luke Cage", as the prison where Carl Lucas was sent and where there are rumored "millionaires hidden in the basement". The series references the events of "The Avengers" and members of that team, as well as the future Defenders and their own series.
Luke Cage (season 1) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
as Iron Man prepare an attempt to establish an indestructible forcefield around the planet. At the same time, the Defenders (Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage), Doctor Strange, Spider-Woman, and Cloak and Dagger oppose an assault by various members of Baron Zemo's Army of Evil. While Hyperion and Quasar are taken out of the battle by the Chitauri, Nitro explodes defeating the Defenders. The villains disappear upon the Avenger Unity Division's arrival. Just as the Planetary Defense Shield around the Earth is brought online, Rogers reveals his allegiance to Hydra as the Hydra Supreme by trapping Captain Marvel's forces outside of Earth's atmosphere.
Secret Empire (comics) | Issue 0
After her work on "Jessica Jones", Clarkson was most comfortable working in that more grounded world and instinctively knew what lighting and camera angles to use. She was less comfortable with the world of "Iron Fist" and portraying the more mythological elements of that series. During pre-production on "The Defenders", filming on "Iron Fist" was taking place. When a director from that series was not available to return to the production to reshoot a scene, Clarkson was asked to direct the new take. Clarkson found this experience "incredibly valuable", giving her a chance to work with Jones and experience the tone of his series ahead of the beginning of filming for "The Defenders".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Cinematography
The series was originally intended to be the fourth of the announced series from Netflix, debuting after "Marvel's Iron Fist", but it was fast-tracked to be the third series, after Cage was introduced in "Marvel's Jessica Jones" and became a breakout star, with Marvel wanting to "follow the momentum". In December 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.
Luke Cage (TV series) | Development
Specific mentions of the latter include Madame Gao's operations in "Daredevil", the widely known villains Wilson Fisk and Frank Castle, and a flier for Colleen Wing's martial arts class, to then be introduced in "Iron Fist".
Luke Cage (season 1) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
In response to this, Loeb reiterated that there were still no plans for the series to continue at that time, but this did not mean that it would never be continued in the future, especially since a "Defenders" team was not actually formed in this miniseries and future "Defenders" stories could then focus on different characters.
The Defenders (miniseries) | Future
The miniseries also references the events of "The Avengers".
The Defenders (miniseries) | Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-ins
In addition to original characters, several other characters based on various Marvel properties also appear throughout the series.
List of Daredevil characters | Introduction
In October 2013, "Deadline Hollywood" reported that Marvel Television was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. A few weeks later, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Iron Fist, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. In April 2015, the official title was revealed to be "Marvel's Iron Fist". That November, Marvel Television head and executive producer Jeph Loeb addressed unconfirmed rumors that Marvel was having a difficult time balancing Iron Fist's mystical elements in its grounded world, and that the series could be replaced with a film or a Punisher series.
Iron Fist (TV series) | Development
Stephanie Maslansky is the costume designer for "Iron Fist", after serving the same role for the previous Marvel Netflix series. Maslansky noted one of the differences in the series compared to the other Marvel Netflix series was the neighborhoods it spent time in ("the wealthier neighborhoods; Midtown, Upper East Side, that sort of thing") compared to Hell's Kitchen for "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" and Harlem for "Luke Cage". As such, Rand wears more suits than the other heroes, and given the amount of fighting he does in the series, a lot of spandex was added to increase the suits' flexibility.
Iron Fist (TV series) | Design