Daredevil: Born Again is now airing its second season to high praise from fans, and as season 3 is currently underway, new images have surfaced confirming that The Defenders are back. Krysten Ritter will already make an appearance in season 2 as Jessica Jones, however, in the new images that have populated online, Ritter is photographed alongside Finn Jones, who plays Danny Rand aka Iron Fist, and Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage. This will be the first reunion since the Netflix series The Defenders aired in 2017. And while that series came with some mixed reviews, hopefully this reunion will not disappoint.
While I personally have not been a fan of Finn Jones’ interpretation of Iron Fist and thought the choreography needed quite a bit of work, my hope is that this go-round there has been some significant improvement to Jones’ training. The character of Danny Rand has always had enormous potential, a billionaire martial artist wielding a mystical iron fist should, by all accounts, be one of the most visually exciting heroes in the Marvel universe. If the creative team behind Born Again can tap into that potential and give Jones the tools to deliver a more compelling and physically convincing performance, Iron Fist could finally have his redemption arc not just narratively, but in the eyes of fans who were left wanting more from the original solo series.
I’m also curious to see where Luke Cage’s relationship with Jessica Jones will go within this world of Daredevil. In a recent statement during Megacon in Orlando, Colter expressed his desire for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones to start a family in the MCU, saying, “It’s been written and it makes sense.” Seeing that relationship evolve within the grounded, street-level tone of Born Again could be one of the most emotionally resonant storylines the MCU’s Disney+ era has produced.
While these photos confirm the return of The Defenders, fans are also buzzing about other notable heroes from the Netflix-verse of Marvel — particularly Misty Knight and Colleen Wing. We met Misty Knight, played by Simone Missick, in season 1 of Luke Cage in 2016, and she went on to become one of the most beloved supporting characters in the entire Netflix Marvel universe, eventually losing her arm and receiving a bionic replacement in a nod to her iconic comic book look. Colleen Wing, played by Jessica Henwick, was introduced in Marvel’s Iron Fist in 2017 and arguably outshone the show’s lead in terms of fan reception. Together, the two formed the fan-favorite duo known as the Daughters of the Dragon — a pairing that many have long hoped would receive its own dedicated project. Whether either of them reprises their roles in Daredevil: Born Again remains to be seen, but their inclusion would go a long way toward making this reunion feel truly complete.
Five episodes remain of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which will be followed by the streaming special event The Punisher: One Last Kill, starring Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle. A Season 3 premiere date has not yet been disclosed.
What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that Marvel Studios is listening to its fans. The street-level corner of the MCU once thought to be abandoned when Netflix pulled the plug on its Marvel slate is alive and thriving. Whether this leads to a full Defenders revival, solo spin-offs, or appearances in major MCU films, one thing is certain — Hell’s Kitchen is open for business again, and Marvel’s street-level heroes are back where they belong.
