It looks like Daredevil might (emphasis on might) not be the only Defender making a comeback in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Seeing as Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock is firmly back in action, with Daredevil: Born Again nearing its Disney+ premiere, Marvel Studios is eyeing the other Marvel characters that were once at Netflix.
Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, has confirmed that the studio is “very much exploring” the return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, and Finn Jones’ Iron Fist.
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“I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you that it’s so exciting to be able to play in that sandbox,” Winderbaum has said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “Obviously we don’t have the unlimited storytelling resources like a comic book. If you can draw it, you can do it. 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.”
The Netflix-Marvel Era
Before Marvel Studios consolidated its television projects under Disney+, the Netflix-Marvel partnership produced a slate of interconnected shows. It kicked off with Daredevil (2015-2018), which introduced Cox’s blind lawyer-by-day, vigilante-by-night. Jessica Jones (2015-2019), Luke Cage (2016-2018), Iron Fist (2017-2018) followed, culminating in the crossover miniseries The Defenders (2017), which brought all four street-level heroes together. Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher (2017-2019) was also part of the lineup.
Despite building a dedicated fan base, the Netflix-Marvel shows were systematically cancelled between 2018 and 2019, just ahead of Disney+ launching as Marvel’s new streaming home. Licensing agreements prevented Marvel from using the Netflix characters elsewhere for a set period, leading to a long gap before Cox’s return in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Krysten Ritter Wants In
While Marvel has yet to confirm any official plans, at least one former Defender is more than ready to return. Winderbaum was asked in November 2024 about which character from The Defenders he’d like to see in the MCU. His response: “Oh, wow. I mean, Jessica Jones.”
Ritter reacted in December 2024: “Brad Winderbaum said that? That’s really exciting to hear. Isn’t that the guy who makes the call? Come on, Brad! Let’s get it going. Let’s do it. I’ll be ready.”
The Waiting Game
With Matt Murdock back in Daredevil: Born Again, a series that also has Bernthal reprising his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher, we do have at least a few of the MCU’s street-level heroes slowly reassembling. Whether Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist will follow remains to be seen, but Winderbaum’s comments provide hope for fans: Marvel is, at least, looking at how to bring them back into the fold. We’ll see.
