Marvel Studios may retcon certain aspects of Netflix’s Defenders characters in the MCU, but there some details are better left unchanged.
The MCU’s integration of Netflix’s The Defenders characters could require some degree of soft-rebooting, but there are some aspects that need to be left unchanged for their return to work. The cancelation of Marvel’s Netflix shows seemed like bad news for fans of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the Punisher. However, Marvel Studios has proved that it was all for a good cause, as these characters can now join the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe during the Multiverse Saga.
Daredevil’s role in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Kingpin’s return in Hawkeye signaled the reintroduction of Netflix’s Defenders characters in the MCU. Soon after, Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock had a bigger role in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, which served as a prelude to the hero’s starring role in the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again. Now, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is confirmed to return in the same series, and expectations are high on Jessica Jones’ possible MCU appearances. While Marvel Studios could make some changes to Netflix’s Marvel characters in order to help them fit the MCU, there are some elements the franchise needs to preserve.
Abandoning Luke Cage Would Hurt Jessica Jones’ Backstory
Netflix’s Luke Cage didn’t gain as much popularity as Daredevil or Jessica Jones, which could prompt Marvel Studios to leave Mike Colter’s bulletproof hero behind. However, if Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones joins the MCU, Luke Cage’s absence would take an important part of Jones’ story with it. Before getting his own Netflix show, Luke Cage helped Jessica Jones defeat Kilgrave and supported her emotionally throughout the process. Although their romantic relationship goes through some rough patches, Luke Cage helps Jessica deal with her trauma while she helps him overcome the loss of his wife — a tragedy she had a hand in.
A Defenders Retcon Would Affect Every Netflix Character
Marvel’s Defenders ensemble show tried to replicate the magic of the MCU’s Avengers movies, but it failed to capture their scope. The Defenders deviated from the previous shows’ small-scope premises to tackle a city-wide conspiracy involving eternal life, an underground dragon skeleton that threatens with destroying New York City, and the shady ninja organization The Hand. After Netflix’s crossover series was met with a lukewarm reception, Marvel Studios may want to make some changes to its role in MCU continuity.
However, Netflix and Marvel’s The Defenders featured various key moments that heavily influenced every Marvel Netflix character’s journey. For instance, Sigourney Weaver’s Alexandra Reid resurrects Elektra Natchios, whose fate becomes uncertain after Daredevil’s near-death experience in the Defenders finale. Likewise, Daredevil’s mentor and the Defenders’ Nick Fury equivalent Stick dies, Misty Knight loses her arm, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage amend their relationship, and Matt Murdock has a crisis of faith that ultimately helps him defeat Kingpin in Daredevil season 3.
Karen Page And Foggie Nelson Are Better Left Unchanged
Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page and Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson are notably missing from Daredevil: Born Again‘s list of confirmed characters. Their absence is alarming, as Matt Murdock’s best friends are as important to Daredevil’s story as Matt himself. Karen and Foggy were the masterminds in Kingpin’s defeat, and Jon Bernthal’s returning Punisher considers Karen Page the only person he can call a friend.
To Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson and Karen Page are both allies, colleagues, friends, and family, and he couldn’t achieve half of his crime-fighting feats without their support. Ignoring Daredevil’s friends would take away a crucial part of his story, and recasting the roles would distance the MCU too much from the emotional foundations established by Marvel’s Netflix shows. If Daredevil: Born Again can’t include these two characters, postponing their reintroduction for a future Daredevil appearance would be wise.
Punisher And Kingpin’s Violent Acts Are Difficult To Ignore
The incorporation of Marvel’s Netflix characters into the MCU comes with some side effects, including the recasting of characters like Ayeley Zurer’s Vanessa and the lower amount of gore and violence in the MCU’s Daredevil-adjacent shows. Hawkeye already gave Vincent D’Onofrio’s MCU Kingpin some tweaks by toning down his R-rated violent tendencies, but there is only so much Marvel Studios can do to overlook Kingpin and the Punisher’s bloodlust. Instead of ignoring the skeletons in their closet, the MCU could address their past offenses without going too deep into the details. As for their MCU future, Marvel Studios could subtly imply new violent acts to keep their appearances from gaining an R rating.
Leaving Out Colleen Wing And Misty Knight Would Be A Mistake
The MCU could easily limit its returning characters to Daredevil, Kingpin, Jessica Jones, and the Punisher and leave the rest of Marvel’s Netflix lore behind. However, supporting characters like Colleen Wing and Misty Knight have a huge untapped potential the MCU could use to develop its street-level stories. Iron Fist season 2 ended with Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing accepting the Iron Fist’s power and Misty Knight embracing her prosthetic arm. Considering their comic book history as the crime-fighting duo “Daughters of the Dragon”, Colleen Wing and Misty Knight have a promising future as an MCU team.
Iron Fist And Trish Walker Are Fair Play
Some of the most controversial parts of Marvel’s Netflix shows are Finn Jones’ Iron Fist and Rachael Taylor’s Trish Walker. Netflix’s Iron Fist failed to captivate audiences due to its lack of action, sluggish pacing, and its refusal to develop Danny Rand’s superhero persona. Similarly, Trish Walker dragged down Jessica Jones season 2 and became an irredeemable and borderline insufferable character in Jessica Jones season 3. But besides the negative impact Iron Fist and Trish Walker had on their respective Marvel’s Netflix shows, their muted influence on their corner of the live-action Marvel Universe makes it easier for Marvel Studios to retcon their stories or ignore them altogether.
Netflix’s hated Trish Walker and Danny Rand’s lack of superhero personas can also be an advantage for their MCU counterparts. If they ever join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, future shows could focus on their arcs as the masked superheroes Iron Fist and Hellcat, which were massively underdeveloped in Marvel’s The Defenders franchise. In Iron Fist’s case, the MCU could even replace Danny Rand with Lin Lie, the new protector of K’un-Lun who has been rising in popularity in Marvel Comics.
