jessica jones

Our first looks at The Defenders haven’t shown us much in the way of actual team-ups from the different series, especially as some are unlikely to play well together. That said, Jessica Jones and Daredevil seem to be getting along swimmingly in new photos from the New York set, at least in-between takes.

There’s a particular sequence in the latest issue of Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos and Matt Hollingsworth’s Jessica Jones that I want to focus on this week. About halfway through Jessica Jones #2, Jessica heads back to her office and, before she enters, she imagines what might be waiting for her behind the door. Soldiers, Avengers, or the street-level New York superheroes. Instead of going in, she decides to flee. The double page spread makes unusual use of white space, but what does that white space represent?

Only two or so of Marvel’s Netflix Defenders have costumes we expect to see during major events, to say nothing of some otherwise-memorable looks drafted during their individual series. Now, two Defenders and their closest allies have hit the street in new set photos, looking very much as we remember.

Mondo, following the success of its vinyl soundtrack for Netflix and Marvel's Luke Cage, is publishing similar vinyl releases for Daredevil and Jessica Jones. The Daredevil Season One record features music by John Paesano, while the soundtrack to Jessica Jones Season One, a double album, is by Sean Callery. Both feature really striking cover art by Matthew Woodson.

The very first teaser made clear that The Defenders would wield a Stick against Hell’s Kitchen’s Hand-iest problem, and a number of other Marvel Netflix stars have confirmed their return for the team-up series as well. Latest to join The Defenders officially are none other than some of Daredevil’s most conflicted allies, and Jessica Jones’ best friends.

It’s a Marvel-ous time to be in New York, as the combined casts of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist have hit the streets for The Defenders. Not only do our first set photos reveal a tense stand-off between Jessica Jones and Misty Knight, but so too have more super-friends signed on for the expansive cast!

Hard to believe we’ve already gotten to the point of Marvel’s Netflix heroes teaming up, with with Defenders production looming, our first director has hit the scene. Jessica Jones helmer S.J. Clarkson will pickup directorial duties on not one, but two of the eight-part Defenders series.

The first season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones absolutely demanded women’s perspective behind the camera, and Season 2 is very much upping the ante. Before production commences on a second run of Krysten Ritter’s breakout Defender, showrunner Melissa Rosenberg confirms all thirteen Jessica Jones Season 2 episodes will feature women directing.

The recent release of Luke Cage may have crystallized how out of touch Marvel’s Defenders series feel with the current MCU film slate, a problem not likely to get better with Doctor Strange splitting New York into multiple dimensions. Timing makes it difficult to write any of the four Netflix stars into the films, but with Infinity War on the horizon, new comments from Kevin Feige again dash our hopes.

We’ve barely recovered from Luke Cage and snippets of Iron Fist shown at New York Comic-Con, and already The Defenders have a big bad. Get your power-loaders ready, as Alien star Sigourney Weaver will menace the street-level foursome as The Defenders’ main villain!