Remember how I said that superhero team ups were all the rage these days? Well . . . they are. A few years ago, Netflix and Marvel teamed up to co-produce 5 different Marvel superhero shows, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the eventual team up The Defenders. We've gotten two seasons of Daredevil, one season of Jessica Jones, and next month, at the time of this writing, we'll get to see Luke Cage. Probably early next year we'll see Iron Fist and then Fall 2017 we'll get The Defenders. That's the plan right now at least. As a comic book fan, there's not much more that I could ask for. Four great characters coming together to kick some major ass in the streets of New York City. I mean . . . that's the dream isn't it?
I love this city . . .
I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Cage and Iron Fist's shows as well as more solo Jones and Murdock adventures. It's hard not to wonder what will happen when they all team up though. As always, I have a few ideas of what I would like to see during the event.
WILSON FISK
When I was a kid I loved the Spider-Man animated series. The Kingpin was a major villain throughout almost the entire series. It seemed like every episode he was creating a new villain for Spider-Man to fight. This is pretty much what happened in a lot of the comic books too. Fisk would cause some super-villain distraction that the heroes would have to take care of while the real crime was taking place on another side of the city. I don't think it will be the case, but I really hope that Fisk is the main villain of the series. I'm sure he'll have some role to play, I mean who wouldn't love some more Fisk action? I'm pretty sure the Black Sky nonsense will end up being the main villain in the series but seriously, let's not leave Fisk hanging. True, it's probably better that his story is saved for Daredevil season 3, but I see no reason why he can't be pulling some strings from prison like he did during season 2. Either way, not using D'Onofrio during the Defenders show would be a mistake in my opinion. Even as just a cameo or something! Come on!
THE PUNISHER
Frank Castle was without a doubt the highlight of Daredevil's second season. Fueled by Jon Bernthal's mesmerizing performance, Punisher fans, like myself, were not disappointed. The only thing missing was the announcement that he would be getting his own series. Luckily, Marvel/Netflix decided to grant fans their wish. However, before we get that show, which is sure to be exciting, why not bring Bernthal in for a guest spot on an episode of The Defenders? We've seen him interact with Daredevil and they came to some sort of understanding by the end of the season, but what would the other heroes think of him? In the comics, the Punisher is a hot button topic among the superhero community. That's something that has never been explored in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because the Punisher has not existed till now. So why not use this opportunity to bring him in and let the debate begin! Or he could just show up and rescue the heroes during some sort of attack. Either way . . . I think the audience would love to see just a little more Frank Castle before his own series begins.
EMBRACE THE COMIC BOOKS
The Marvel/Netflix shows so far have been relatively grounded in reality. It worked for the Dark Knight films and the first two (ish) seasons of Arrow. There's nothing wrong with it, but let's face it - what really made The Avengers work? It was the fact that the film was willing to be a comic book during its action scenes. The story is still, somewhat, grounded in reality but the action scenes are big and bombastic. So far on Daredevil and Jessica Jones it's been pretty realistic. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of looking forward to all these characters interacting and how their powers will be shown together in a fight scene. Think of Legends of Tomorrow - that's a show that is totally wacky in terms of plots and the situations the characters are in, but the performances are all real. When Richard Donner was making Superman he wanted the film to have VERISIMILITUDE. That means that the situations might be crazy but if the film is grounded in enough reality, the audience will buy it. As much as I love the Netflix shows so far, they're just a wee bit too dark. Bringing the heroes together is a great way of making things a bit lighter and, dare I say it, more fun. After all, adults go see superhero movies too! It's nice to have more mature themed shows, but once in a while we like it when it's a bit more fun.
SPIDER-MAN
I will never stop banging this particular drum. I think not having Spider-Man show up during one of the Netflix series or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is utterly ridiculous. Now, you'll hear every excuse from actor's salary to scheduling to Movies vs TV to "reasons" and they all have one thing in common - they wreak of bull shit. I kinda get not getting Cap or Iron Man but Spider-Man now being a part of the MCU is pretty monumental. There's no question that Spider-Man is the mascot of Marvel Comics. Three out of four people will tell you that he's their favorite superhero, at least on the Marvel side. Every Spider-Man film, even the ones deemed "unsuccessful" have made over $700 million dollars apiece at the box office. I mean . . . Seriously. That says something about the impact Spider-Man has on our lives. Plus he's a character that lives and breathes New York City. To not include him in a series that exclusively takes place there would be silly. I know it's a long shot and I'll probably never get to see him there, but how great would it be if he got to interact with those characters!
And, as you can see, it's not like it's not in the comics! There's Spidey in his Future Foundation uniform with the Thing, Ms. Marvel, Cage, Daredevil, and Wolverine! I mean . . . seriously! By the way, that's from Brian Michael Bendis's run on New Avengers. One of my favorite comics. While we're at it I guess we should get Brie Larson and Hugh Jackman and . . . whoever they recast as the Thing when Marvel eventually reacquires the Fantastic Four rights . . . But Spidey first! Come on Netflix!
BRING ON BENDIS!
When I talk about DC Comics, I gush about Geoff Johns. Well, on the Marvel side of things, that's Brian Michael Bendis. Back when Secret Invasion was going on, which is my favorite Marvel event by the way, I fell in love with his work. Then the Dark Reign of Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers took over the comics. I started buying New Avengers and Dark Avengers because of him, and Ultimate Spider-Man but that's a story for another day. This was when I discovered characters like Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones. I fell madly in love with these characters. I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Bendis at New York Comic Con a few years ago. I told him, and I still think this is true, that for DC it's heroes trying to be people and at Marvel it's people trying to be heroes. I think Geoff Johns does that well over there and he does it well at Marvel. He agreed with me. It looks like the Netflix shows have definitely taken that to heart. These are real people trying to be heroes. At Marvel, in my opinion, nobody does it better than Bendis. Plus he has a ton of experience with each character. After all, he made Luke Cage into the "underdog" hero we all know and love today. Plus he co-created Jessica Jones! He's got a great grasp of each character and I would love to see him listed as more than just a "creative" consultant on the series. I'd love to see an episode or two penned by him. They would definitely be stand out episodes and would help with that "bring back the fun" thing I mentioned earlier. Man . . . I wanna reread New Avengers now . . .
Well these are just a few thoughts I have on The Defenders. I have no doubt that the show will not only be worth the wait but will be fun to watch and rewatch as often as possible. It's definitely going to be exciting to see! The suspense is killing me!!
Till Next Time!
JJ - the Comic Junkie
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