Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist could return to screens as part of the MCU on Disney+ as the studio “explores” possibilities.
As Marvel Studios expands its cinematic universe, characters remanded to the shadows continue to emerge for new adventures. March 4th marks the return of Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock for the mature-rated Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, bringing blood and violence to the MCU. While Daredevil is primed and ready for a comeback, other members of The Defenders – Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) – could return for more superhero drama.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, said Marvel is “exploring” options to bring the trio mentioned above back for more hard-hitting action. “I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you that it’s so exciting to be able to play in that sandbox,” Winderbaum told Entertainment Weekly. “Obviously we don’t have the unlimited storytelling resources like a comic book. If you can draw it, you can do it.”
Winderbaum continued, “It’s dealing with actors and time and the massive scale of production in order to build a cinematic universe, especially on television. But I can just say that all those variables taken into account, it is certainly something that is creatively extremely exciting and that we are very much exploring.”
Jessica Jones lasted for three seasons on Netflix. The series revolves around Jessica Jones, a tough-as-nails private detective investigating cases involving people with extraordinary abilities. The first season of Jessica Jones gave Marvel one of its best villains, thanks to David Tennant’s unnerving portrayal of Kilgrave, the Purple Man, a villain capable of controlling his victims’ minds and actions. Luke Cage ran for two seasons, with Mike Colter starring as the man with unbreakable skin defending Harlem against those trying to tear it down. Lastly, there’s Iron Fist, a series that lasted for two seasons, with Finn Jones playing the hero Danny Rand. Iron Fist remains one of Marvel’s most maligned series, with fans reacting poorly to Jones’s performance and the show’s unfaithful and dull approach to the character. All these heroes, including Daredevil, unite for The Defenders, another mediocre entry in Marvel history that finds the characters teaming up to fight a common enemy: The Hand.
Last year at Brazil’s D23 Expo, Ritter said she’d return as Jessica Jones after Winderbaum floated the idea of bringing her back.
“Brad Winderbaum said that? That’s really exciting to hear. Isn’t that the guy who makes the call?” she told ComicBook during an interview for Sonic the Hedgehog 3. “Come on, Brad! Let’s get it going. Let’s do it. I’ll be ready.”
If Marvel plays its cards right, they could resurrect Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist for the MCU. The effort would take careful calculations and a new approach to Iron Fist, but I could see it happening. However, they’d need to explain how Danny gets his powers back after passing the power of the Iron Fist onto Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing at the end of Iron Fist Season 2. Personally, I’d rather see Henwick back as the Iron Fist, though I understand if Marvel chooses an alternate path.
Would you like to see Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist return to the MCU? Let us know in the comments section below.
