The Flickering Myth team react…
With all the excitement of Avengers: Infinity War being in production in Scotland, there’s another Marvel team-up coming our way in the next few months: The Defenders [watch the trailer here]. It’s the culmination of the previous Netflix/Marvel series Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Anticipation has fallen a little flat following the mis-step of Iron Fist, but what did our writers think of the first trailer for The Defenders?
Matthew Spencer-Skeen: After Iron Fist being a bit disappointing (though not as bad as some critics made it out to be) I’m excited to see these all finally collide. I think Marvel and Netflix have done a good job with all these characters on the whole and made it so that they’re unique and different to The Avengers, with some real issues which I’m sure they’ll disagree on before coming together. Hopefully the action sequences are close to Daredevil style as I think they were undoubtedly the best from any of the series.
Anghus Houvouras: Oh man! It’s everyone’s favorite Marvel Heroes teaming up. And Iron Fist is there too! This looks highly entertaining. I’m a huge fan of Daredevil on Netflix. Luke Cage and Jessica Jones were decent. Iron Fist was a cringe-worthy celebration of terrible choices. Still, with Matt Murdock anchoring this team, I’m all in. The biggest problem with Marvel Netflix is cramming too little story in too many episodes. I expect a show featuring all four of these heroes won’t suffer from the same problems. As for this particular trailer, it does a decent job; we get a little bit of each character’s personality and the typical Marvel ‘The heroes have to fight each other before realizing they’re on the same side’ trope.
Luke Owen: To be blunt, this trailer was FUCKING RAD. It’s everything I could ever have wanted from the show, and set to a pretty awesome soundtrack. Iron Fist was a low for the Netflix shows, but fingers crossed this series can repair and rebuild the character (just as The Avengers did for Black Widow after Iron Man 2). I can’t wait to binge watch this.
Tai Freligh: Okay, I’m totally fucking pumped for this. I watched and loved all the different shows and can’t wait to see how they all fit together in The Defenders. Sigourney Weaver looks intriguing as the villain and we know that Black Sky AKA Elektra is the weapon. With Claire as the only character tying all the shows together, I’m thinking she’ll be the one to bring them together. I just wonder what the timing is in all this in regards to the various show’s timelines – Luke Cage was heading to jail at the end, Iron Fist found Kun L’Un’s portal closed at the end, etc. And why didn’t Claire get Daredevil involved with Danny Rand when she found out he was fighting The Hand? Questions for the show to answer, but I’m willing to see how The Defenders answers all of them. I’m totally on board and can’t wait!!
Ben Robins: Huge Daredevil/Jessica Jones fan, so totally pumped to see them teaming up. Not overly bothered with the other pair, but I’m sure there’ll be plenty to prove me wrong. That hallway team-up fight looked ace so plenty to get excited about!
Villordsutch: Already wishing episode one was available now. I’ve missed Jessica Jones and just these minor glimpses of her amongst the Marvel TV roster has informed me that August is going to be a good month.
Scott Watson: Daredevil and Jessica Jones are still the benchmarks for Marvel’s Netflix adventures to me, but it’s very exciting to see all four Defenders finally come together. Netflix have been teasing out this trailer something ridiculous. Looks gritty, looks mean, looks to be full of dark humour. Poor Danny still looks to be in angry wee boy mode sadly. Signourney Weaver as the big bad will be brilliant. Stick will get all the best quips. Just put the series up already Netflix… please… can’t wait for this.
Eric Bay-Andersen: Looks awesome (it also looks like we’re getting another classic hallway fight!) I hope the whole Hand storyline from Daredevil and Iron Fist comes to a satisfying conclusion (or any kind of conclusion really). I’m excited for Sigourney Weaver’s villain and hoping the reduced number of episodes will break the trend of Marvel TV shows stretching out their plots.
Anghus Houvouras: It’s kind of funny how many fights these guys have in hallways, staircases, and office buildings. I can almost hear the voice over guy say “If you’re committing crimes in an industrial space WE WILL FIND YOU… COMING THIS FALL: THE DEFENDERS”
Mike McClelland: I was happy to see how prominent the ladies, particularly Jessica Jones, seem to be. So often in these ensemble things there’s only one woman and she’s just saddled with a silly side plot involving some kicking and a tight jumpsuit, so it’s great to see Krysten Ritter, Rosario Dawson, Sigourney Weaver, and and Elodie Yung all involved in the main action here.
Helen Murdoch: Really looking forward to this. Wasn’t a huge fan of Iron Fist but hoping the chemistry with all the others helps it through. Signourey Weaver in it as well… I’m sold!
Ricky Church: Looks good. I’m excited at the prospect of seeing Daredevil and Jessica Jones in a room together and Iron First is already more interesting now that he’s with the others. I think Netflix has stumbled a bit in the past with these shows, I wasn’t a huge fan of the final few Daredevil season 2 episodes or Iron Fist, but hopefully The Defenders will bring it back around. The series has a lot of potential and since it’s eight episodes rather than the standard thirteen, I’m hoping the story will come across clearer than in the regular shows. Definitely interested in what Signourney Weaver is bringing to the show, though I think she’ll be great regardless!
AJ Black: Yep. Sold. Looks buckets of fun. The trailer promises a good mix of proper action, self-effacing comedy and a mix of tones. Just hoping Sigourney is a worthy villain and Elektra only has an extended cameo – she can get out of town.
Tai Freligh: I’m sensing a back story here? I think she’ll have a pretty significant role given that the first fifteen second teaser for the show was nothing but a shot of the box she was put in to become Black Sky and the lid moving at the end. Black Sky really seemed like a BFD to the Hand in Daredevil season 2, so we’ll see how it plays out.
AJ Black: I just think she sank Daredevil season 2 the moment she arrived. Awful portrayal of the character, badly written. Have no interest in seeing her again, so it’s the only sour point of the trailer for me.
Luke Owen: While I hate to disappoint, I’m pretty sure she’s going to be the full villain of the series. A weapon for Weaver to use.
A very positive reaction from the team! There are those who have reservations due to Iron Fist, but they’re willing to overlook that. It would also seem that inclusion of Sigourney Weaver is a big driver of interest!
“Marvel’s The Defenders” follows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. A quartet of singular heroes with one common goal – to save New York City. This is the story of four solitary figures, burdened with their own personal challenges, who realize they just might be stronger when teamed together.
The Defenders will hit Netflix on August 18th 2017, with Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Finn Jones (Iron Fist), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), Simone Missick (Misty Knight), Scott Glenn (Stick), Rosario Dawson (Claire Temple), Rachael Taylor (Trish Walker), Jessica Henwick (Colleen Wing) and Elodie Yung (Elektra) appearing alongside Sigourney Weaver as the villain, Alexandra.
(This post originally appeared on Flickering Myth)