From the moment Disney announced they were bringing back Daredevil for a soft-reboot series on Disney+, fans wanted to know if that meant the other Netflix Marvel heroes were about to get their chance to shine again, within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Though Daredevil was the first Marvel show on Netflix, its success led to 2 more seasons and 5 additional New York ground-level vigilante superhero series: Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders. The Defenders was the small-screen answer to a street-level Avengers-type team, with Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand (Iron Fist) joining forces to take down a common enemy. After watching the solo seasons, seeing the four heroes come together as a group was as fun as it was to see the Avengers assemble after multiple movies. However, Marvel and Disney have been adamant: the other Defenders would not be coming to Disney+ or making any cameos in Daredevil: Born Again.
Now that the first season of Born Again is over, it’s time for the Defenders to unite again for season 2.
Warning! This article contains spoilers for the season finale of Daredevil: Born Again.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Has Set A Perfect Stage for The Defenders
It make sense as to why Disney did not want to include any of the other Netflix-era heroes in Born Again Season 1, as the story was about Matt Murdock and establishing him in the MCU. Cameos or appearances by the Defenders would have felt out of place, given the tone and plot of the series, and would most likely be seen as fan service. Now that the whole first season of Born Again is out, it’s easy to look back and see how out of place inserting one of those characters would have been; moreover, a cameo would have taken away the significance of the show being about Matt Murdock’s inner journey. However, the Season 1 finale not only opens the door but swings it completely open for Jessica, Luke, and Danny to make their debut in the MCU.
When Matt finally, after 9 episodes, becomes Daredevil again, he is thrown in the middle of a life-or-death battle on the blacked-out streets of New York, hunted by Fisk’s corrupt cops known as the Anti-Vigilante Task Force. In the end, he realizes that this is a battle he cannot win as a solitary vigilante, especially in Fisk’s police state. In full Daredevil outfit, Matt steps into Josie’s, where a few cops/detectives are drinking their sorrows from the destructive night away, and addresses them directly. As the former Police Commissioner and Matt’s friend, Cherry, sits among the group, it is implied that he gathered the good cops – the ones he knew could be trusted and wanted to fight back against Fisk – to the bar that he knew Matt would show up at.
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The officers appear shocked at Daredevil’s sudden appearance, but Matt gives a speech, telling them that they have to continue to fight back and rebel. Most significantly, he says that they need to form a team, a sentence that piqued my ears. When Matt Murdock talks about a team, there is only one he was ever a part of and only one he knows he can trust when it comes to vigilantes: the Defenders.
The Defenders Can Now Be More Than A Cameo
As Luke, Jessica, and Danny are all residents of Manhattan and all happen to be vigilantes as well, Fisk’s bold moves in implementing martial law, a police state, and giving greater unchecked power to the trigger-happy Anti-Vigilante Task Force pose a great threat to them. Joining forces with Matt and his crew of loyal police officers would give them a way to fight back against Fisk for not only targeting vigilantes, but also oppressed New Yorkers. Luke Cage, in particular, would be a perfect match for the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, as he is bulletproof; Luke Cage Season 2 also left him in a seat of power as Harlem’s new crime boss, which will be a very interesting thread to pick up in this new “Mayor Fisk” era.
Bringing the Defenders in for Born Again Season 2 would be the perfect way to introduce fans of the MCU who did not watch the Netflix shows to the characters by seamlessly integrating them into Matt’s fight against injustice. Having Luke, Jessica, and Danny play a part in the next season also could act as springboard for their own rebooted series, like Daredevil: Born Again.
Bringing back the Defenders would be more than cheap fan-service; it would play into a larger plot that would logically require as much help – particularly superpowered – as possible. Given Matt’s history with the other three, the established relationship will integrate seamlessly into the storyline, just like Frank’s did. There cannot be a battle for the soul of New York without all of the New York vigilantes coming together to make a difference.
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