The first Marvel-Netflix team-up that was Daredevil was downright fantastic. If you’re like us, you’re counting the seconds until round 2. Here are 10 reasons to get excited for Jessica Jones!
1. Not your everyday superhero!
A major selling point of the series is that it doesn’t follow a run of the mill superhero. Jessica Jones gives up her superhero life and instead attempts to fight crime as a detective. With Marvel’s multiple superhero projects in film and TV ongoing, this should certainly blow some fresh air in to what might otherwise become superhero fatigue.
2. It’s being filmed/set in New York!
The dark and gloomy atmosphere will fit perfectly with Jones’ crime fighting detective work! New York is the perfect choice for a series like this and will tie in nicely with Daredevil, especially as the city still pulls itself together after the events of both Avengers films.
3. Kristen Ritter is a solid lead!
Ritter is a perfect choice for this type of hero. With runs in Breaking Bad and The Blacklist, she has shown she is more than capable of going to much darker places. She has also proven that she has the comedy chops (see Don’t Trust the B”””” in Apartment 23), so we know she’ll be able to bring a lighter side to the character as well. This should make for an interesting mix to the Jessica Jones character that should instantly set her apart from anyone else in the Marvel universe.
4. David Tennant as Killgrave, the Purple Man.
David Tennant (Doctor Who) as the lead villain that can’t seem to leave Jessica Jones alone is going to be awesome. Although, let’s be honest, his name was enough reason to be excited all by itself.
5. The rest of the cast!
Already confirmed for the series are Carrie-Ann Moss (The Matrix) as Harper, Rachel Taylor (Transformers) as Hellcat, and Mike Colter (The Following) as Luke Cage. With such a strong supporting cast, it’s just the kind of ensemble that will make Ritter shine.
6. It’s time for more shows about female superheroes!
Even though she may not exactly be a “traditional” superhero like other caped crusaders in The Avengers, this will still be Marvel’s first endeavour with a female superhero lead (Agent Carter being the first female led series), which is something that has been widely criticised and long thought overdue. Joss Whedon only recently spoke out on this issue saying, “You hear ‘Oh, [female superheroes] don’t work because of these two bad ones that were made eight years ago’– there’s always an excuse”. We’ll still be waiting on that Black Widow solo film, though.
7. Showing the human side of superheroes.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Jessica Jones character is the reason she stops being a superhero in the first place: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. While many superhero films and TV shows have attempted to explore the struggle of maintaining a normal life while fighting super villains, none have ever really explored something so human. And to be honest, it really makes sense that a lot of these superheroes would be suffering from it. (The Avengers: Age of Ultron recently hinted that Tony Stark was suffering from it also). It will be extremely interesting to see just how this is handled and whether it is a key part of the show.
8. The show seems to be a major player in Marvel’s Phase 3.
Along with Marvel’s Daredevil, Luke Cage (2016) and Iron Fist series, we should be looking at The Defenders mini-series in the not too distant future. This would most likely have some part to play in The Avengers: Infinity Wars cinematic saga that will be taking place. Disney CEO Bob Iger has also said that, if proven popular enough, these characters may even warrant their own films.
9. Melissa Rosenberg is at the helm.
Rosenberg seems more than capable of guiding Jessica Jones into creation since she was the head writer for Dexter (2006) during some of the greatest episodes of the show’s run. She also seems really passionate about this project, which is even better. (We can forget about all that Twilight business though!)
10. Lastly, the endless possible cameos!
The story of Jessica Jones is linked to so many characters like Spider-man, the Fantastic Four, The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Ant-Man, just to name a few. Though a lot of these are owned by Fox, and production/distribution deals can get a little confusing, it does leave the potential for a countless number of cameos (or Easter Eggs) to happen if the powers that be so wished.
– C.D.
