By Erin Parisien
Hello Schmoeville!
So, Marvel, not content with ruling the world on the big screen, has set its sights on the small screen as well. While Agents Of SHIELD wasn’t quite as well received critically as the studio had hoped (and let’s face it, it had some serious issues in its inaugural season!), they are moving full steam ahead with their television plans, first by bringing Agent Peggy Carter to life over at ABC, and creating another shared universe, of sorts, on Netflix. The Defenders project has been pretty much shrouded in mystery, with only the bare minimum of details having been released in regards to it. (Not that that’s all that surprising… I mean, this is Marvel after all!)
Recently, the CCO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos spoke with Empire Magazine (via CBM) about the upcoming series and its origins within the context of today’s Marvel universe. Here’s what he had to say:
It was really based on the theatrical model of The Avengers. Could you take another group of characters, The Defenders, and go about it the same way? Normally they do the big movie and then eventually they get to the group origin story. Having 13 hours to tell each of these stories, you can go right to the origin story and the action at the same time.
Which is something I’m completely intrigued by, I must admit. While in the confines of a two hour movie you have to get to the point rather quickly and sometimes, I think some of the character intricacies get lost in the rush to make sure that everything fits in the allotted amount of time. When dealing with thirteen hours to tell your story, everything changes. You’re able to delve deeper into a character and truly understand the thoughts and motivations behind their actions. Makes me excited to see what exactly they have in store for us.
He was then asked about the other series, and inadvertently let it slip what character we would be seeing next and that casting has already been talked about for the second installment:
Right now, the writers’ rooms are open and they’re looking at casting Jessica. If you sense some hesitation in my voice, that’s classic Marvel fashion. They like to keep that veil of secrecy. But Daredevil is already shooting, since that’s out first. Eventually the series will run very close together. You can then have a separate season where the characters will cross over.
This is very cool, Schmoeville! It will be nice to see a female led superhero series in the Marvel universe. I will admit to not knowing anything about any of the Defenders, aside from Matt Murdock, so I am looking forward to finding out all about them in this series. Of course, I could always do some internet research or pick up a comic book and check it out, but where’s the fun in that? Sometimes it’s nice to go in totally blind and be shocked and awed by the end result.
When asked about the tone of the Daredevil series and it’s comparisons to the 2003 film, here’s what Sarandos had to say:
The series will not be afraid to go darker than the film did. What we love about this particular set of heroes is that they’re a little more down to Earth. Costume wise and also in that these are gritty crime stories, more in the streets than in the clouds.
Okay, so I am not one of those people that hated the Ben Affleck Daredevil movie. While I wouldn’t consider it great cinema by any means, I thought that overall it was entertaining. It’s actually a better, more cohesive story if you watch the director’s cut of the film. That being said, I am very glad that they have decided to go with a darker, grittier tone to the series. The character is one that would benefit from a more realistic, grounded feel.
And finally, when asked point blank whether the Defenders would be part of the bigger MCU picture and cross over into the films, Sarandos teased:
It has definitely been talked about.
Okay, so anyone who has read any of my previous stuff, knows that I am not a fan of Marvel’s decision to force everything into the MCU. To me, it’s an awful lot of canon to carry around and I personally think it muddles things a little. The idea behind it is a grand one, and on paper, it looks fantastic! It’s just that, in real life, as is often the case, I think that something gets a little lost in the translation. For instance, the gritty, real tone of the Defenders doesn’t really have the same feeling as the rest of the MCU, and in the ‘more down to Earth’ world where Daredevil exists, so do Thor and the Scarlet Witch. And don’t get me started on the implications of the Battle Of New York and the fact that the new series is New York City based… I know that there are many people who disagree with me, including the Marvel execs, and that’s okay, because while I know that this will be considered MCU canon and, I will be there to watch it on the day it’s released, regardless of my apprehensions.
There wasn’t a whole lot of info here about the series as a whole, but it’s nice to see that it’s moving along behind the scenes. So, here’s what we do know; the project will consist of four, 13-episode series, each highlighting the four main characters in the Defenders; Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. It will them culminate in a 13-episode Defenders miniseries. How much time there will be in between the release of each of the series is unknown at this time, and there has been no word from the studio whether this will be a one-off project or whether or not there will be additional seasons, if the venture proves successful. Hopefully the studio will be a little more forthcoming with some details soon.
So, Schmoeville, what do you think? Are you excited for the series? What do you know about the different characters? Do you want it to be part of the MCU or not? Comment below and let’s talk about The Defenders!
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