When it was announced in October 2013 that Marvel Television and Netflix had struck a deal to bring four drama series and a miniseries to the streaming service, fans were pumped. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was then in its infancy and audiences were scrambling to get their hands on as much Marvel content they could – the fact it was reported that these new series would be R-rated only sweetened the deal.
Evoking the structure of the MCU’s ‘Phase 1’, the four series (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist) premiered individually between 2015-2017, culminating in a team-up mini-series in 2017 (The Defenders). Unfortunately, unlike ‘Phase 1’, the response was mixed. While audiences loved some of the series and characters (such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher), other aspects left a lot to be desired (namely, Iron Fist mustering a pitiful 20% on Rotten Tomatoes and the Defenders team-up being underwhelming). With Disney seeking to salvage the situation, the series were one-by-one canceled by Netflix, crushing all the hope of the remaining fans.
Although the series were initially positioned to be part of the MCU, recently Marvel Studios has been increasingly reticent to confirm or deny this detail – it would seem Feige and co. are eager for audiences to distance the Netflix run with the MCU at-large, much to the chagrin of the many fans. Indeed, over the last few years, some zealous enthusiasts have launched campaigns to ‘force’ Marvel Studios to include and/or revive the title characters in the MCU properly (please note: the majority of this campaigning has centered around Daredevil and the Punisher; seemingly no one is advocating for Iron Fist’s inclusion) – thus far, their efforts have been unsuccessful.
However, this may not remain that way for long. Between Kevin Feige once again refusing to rule out the return of the small-screen heroes, and a few upcoming MCU entries dealing with ‘multiverse’ elements (namely Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wandavision, Loki, and the currently unnamed Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel), some fans are starting to believe The Defenders will finally make a meaningful entry into the MCU. Although the characters will definitely not return exactly as audiences know them (they’ll likely come with new actors and no major existing backstory), the hype is beginning to pick up. Is it finally time to see Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and the Immortal Iron Fist fight alongside Marvel long-stays like Thor and Spider-Man?
To be perfectly honest, no one knows – as ever, Marvel is playing the details close to their chest. Nevertheless, through looking back at the source material (the comics), it is possible to estimate how Netflix’s Marvel shows could be ‘soft-rebooted’ and entered into the MCU.
Out of all the Netflix shows, Daredevil is definitely the biggest name: not only was it the first of the Netflix series to premiere, but it was also the only one to have previously been made into a film (2003’s Daredevil starring Ben Affleck). Fans are most excited for this character to return, and many have already formed an idea of how: his day job.
Indeed, when Daredevil isn’t fighting crime in Hell’s Kitchen, he’s Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom. With this intersection of law and New York, many are hoping Murdock will appear as Spider-Man’s lawyer in the upcoming sequel to 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. Last time audiences saw the web-slinger, his identity was revealed to the world and the threat of prosecution was hanging over his head – what better way to introduce Daredevil than as Peter Parker’s lawyer, a role he’s filled multiple times in the comics? Not only would this fit perfectly, but it would follow how the MCU love to introduce heroes (introduce their civilian persona before their hero one), as seen with Black Widow and Black Panther.
Much like Daredevil, fans hope Jessica Jones will make her way into the MCU through her day-job – being a private investigator. Moreover, they see this probably happening through a connection to She-Hulk/Jennifer Susan Walters, a character Jones shares many pivotal storylines with in the original comics. As a lawyer by day, Walters often relies on the help of P.I.s; people who can obtain evidence to help her with her cases.
Moreover, She-Hulk has previously been a member of both The Defenders and Heroes for Hire (a sort-of P.I. agency that has heavily featured Jones), illustrating a deep and important connection to Jessica Jones. With a She-Hulk series set to premiere in 2022 on Disney Plus (starring Tatiana Maslany as the title character), it could possibly mean Jessica Jones will appear very soon.
This is possibly the easiest Netflix hero to imagine entering the MCU, and it’s through a very specific scenario: the upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021). While the majority of the film’s plot has been kept under wraps, some rumors have suggested that the movie will be centered around a martial arts tournament, in which fighters from all around the world travel to compete. With Iron Fist’s entire existence being based around his mastery of martial arts, it would be a pitch-perfect opportunity to introduce him, perhaps as an opponent to Shang Chi.
In fact, multiple times in the comics, Shang Chi and Iron Fist have faced off, usually resulting in a draw: although Shang Chi is agreed to be “the undisputed master of Kung Fu,” Iron Fist possesses his name-sake iron fist, evening the odds. If the character were to appear in this film, it would be a nice nod to this existing relationship.
It is difficult to imagine just how Luke Cage would enter the MCU. The character is most widely associated with Jessica Jones and Iron First, so there’s a non-zero chance he’ll first appear in conjunction with them, with the outlined possible appearances above. This would make sense for the character and allow Marvel to hit two birds with one stone, as it were.
But, a nice easter-egg first appearance may be in the upcoming Blade film, starring Mahershala Ali. Ali previously starred in Netflix’s Luke Cage series as antagonist Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes. Therefore, if Cage were to appear in Blade (which is reportedly being produced just off Ali’s interest in the character alone), it would be a knowing nod to the actor’s previous involvement in a marvel property.
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