Stars of Netflix’s new Marvel superhero spin-off The Defenders say it’s more frenetic, less deep than individual characters’ shows
Actors Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones and Mike Colter talk about the differences between the new ‘outsiders’ series and their individual shows and why they love playing Marvel heroes
Four become one in The Defenders, the Netflix show that brings three Marvel heroes and a heroine – Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist – together for a new ensemble series.
The Defenders is based on the comic book series of the same name featuring superhero “outsiders”, which debuted in the early 1970s. The new show sees the quartet come together to battle the crime syndicate known as The Hand, and features an additional villain in the form of Sigourney Weaver, who brings a brittle air of authority to the series.
The Defenders: everything you need to know about Marvel’s latest superhero crew
Joining forces for The Defenders, which debuts on Netflix on August 18, has always been on the cards for the four heroes. Each one already has their own individual character TV series running on Netflix, seemingly just to build up to their inclusion in The Defenders. But although fans always knew the big team-up was in the offing, how it would be achieved was a mystery.
The four shows are all part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – the fictional world that allows the studio’s stories to overlap with continuity and logic – and major and minor characters are glimpsed in each one (or in the case of lovers Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, act together). But the storylines are very distinct, and the film styles are different for each.
What attracts me to the Marvel characters is that you are dealt a certain amount of capabilities, but you still have problems – and some of them come from the fact that you have these capabilities
For instance, Luke Cage is set in Harlem, and draws inspiration from the Blaxploitation genre of films from the 1970s. Iron Fist, meanwhile, is influenced by kung fu movies. To make the stories mesh, Marvel has taken a middle course for The Defenders, and created an alternate scenario which allows everyone to freely exist side-by-side. The characters, who are now well established in the minds of the viewers, make the transition to this slightly different reality pretty much intact.