When Netflix was developing series based on Marvel characters such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and more, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just beginning to really hit its stride as it transitioned out of Phase Two and into Phase Three. The various characters that Netflix was working with were vaguely tied to the MCU, but in no meaningful or legitimate manner. The streamer was attempting to set up its own brand of Marvel characters, with each of them eventually crossing over in the Defenders series in 2017.
Now that the Marvel Netflix series have all been canceled and Disney is gradually bringing those characters into the MCU proper, the future of the Defenders is uncertain. While Matt Murdock/Daredevil has been showing up more frequently and will soon be getting another series with Daredevil: Born Again, the overall Defenders corner of Marvel that Netflix developed is nowhere to be seen. It’s unlikely that Disney will want to revisit The Defenders, since the one season of that series was not well received and ended up doing more harm to the brand than good. However, that doesn’t mean the MCU cannot have its own team similar to the Defenders. Here’s how it could work:
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Bringing Back Daredevil and Other Netflix Characters
Marvel Studios / Disney
The MCU has gradually begun the process of re-introducing the characters from the Netflix series into the primary MCU timeline. Daredevil has already shown up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and is set to appear both in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and Echo before his own 18-episode series premieres in 2024. The blind hero’s chief antagonist, Kingpin, is also already on the board. Vincent D’Onofrio appeared as the character in last year’s Hawkeye series and is also confirmed to appear in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again.
As for the rest of the Defenders characters, they will likely continue to be sprinkled throughout the MCU moving forward. There have already been rumors that Jessica Jones will also factor into Echo, and there is a consistent and loud desire from fans to bring Jon Bernthal’s Punisher into the fold as well. This process of character re-introduction can both build toward and be sped up by establishing another darker team-up series like The Defenders. Bringing that kind of series into the MCU proper would give a solid direction and justification for the new inclusions of the Netflix characters, and it could even serve as the entry point for those of them who haven’t appeared in the MCU already.
A New Darker Team Similar to the Defenders
Netflix Streaming Services
There are several ways that the MCU could effectively bring the Defenders back without actually using the same team name or branding of the series. The Marvel Comics are full of different superhero teams with ever-changing rosters that could be slotted in as a replacement for the Defenders. One specific title is that of the Marvel Knights. In the comics, there has been a slew of different heroes and anti-heroes that have found a home under the Marvel Knights banner, many of which have also spent time as members of the Defenders as well.
For all intents and purposes, if the MCU wants to bring The Defenders back, all they really need to do is have a more street-level superhero team with a bit more of an edge to them than the Avengers. The Marvel Knights certainly fit that bill, as do the Midnight Sons. Both of these teams have featured characters such as Daredevil, Punisher, Jessica Jones, Black Widow, Blade, Moon Knight, Shang-Chi, and more. Marvel has shown time and time again that they are keen to bring big names from the comics to the big screen, even if the screen adaptations aren’t exactly what was on the page. With that, the MCU could easily merge the Marvel Knights and Midnight Sons into one collective unit incorporating both Netflix characters and existing MCU characters, all while filling the Defenders-size hole that has existed for five years now.
A More Street-Level and Less-Organized Avengers
Marvel StudiosDisney
The creative team behind the MCU has already shown that they have a desire to move beyond just their one core superhero team, which is the Avengers. There have been two other teams introduced in the MCU so far, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Eternals, but the upcoming team with the biggest crossover potential so far is certainly the Thunderbolts, who will get their own film in 2024. While the Thunderbolts film may be a darker superhuman team for Marvel, that film is likely to be more akin to The Suicide Squad than The Defenders. A Defenders-like team works best when it is less formally structured and certainly not government sanctioned.
Whether it be the Midnight Sons, the Marvel Knights, or whatever team the MCU decides to fold their more mature characters like Daredevil, Moon Knight, and Blade into, it’s not likely to be one that is as thoroughly established as the Avengers. Although they all fall under the Marvel umbrella, these kinds of darker characters simply do not mesh well with the Avengers brand. As fun as it would be to see a character like The Punisher or Jessica Jones interact with the likes of The Hulk or Sam Wilson’s Captain America, that doesn’t mean that they should be on the same team roster.
Marvel’s darker characters typically prefer to work on their own, and they likely wouldn’t be too keen on joining a group of super friends, especially not one with as much international attention as the Avengers. If they were forced to work alongside each other, though, to stop whatever supernatural threat would bring them together, that could make for an interesting dynamic. They might not be happy about teaming up, but they would see the benefit of working toward the same goal. That kind of team mentality would differentiate the Marvel Knights from the Avengers and any other team the MCU wants to establish moving forward.
