DEFENDERS: 10 Ways Marvel Studios Can Use The Netflix Heroes In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Yesterday, the rights to Daredevil reverted to Marvel Studios from Netflix, and in the midst of the #SaveDaredevil campaign, we're exploring some possibilities for The Defenders characters in the MCU...

By JoshWilding - Nov 30, 2020 08:11 AM EST

Filed Under: Defenders

When Netflix decided to cull each of its Marvel TV shows, we learned that it would be at least two years until Marvel Studios would be free to use the characters who make up The Defenders. However, if you saw "#SaveDaredevil" trending on social media yesterday, it's because November 29th marked the day that the rights to the Man Without Fear return to where they should be.

The likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher surely won't be left on the shelf for long, and regardless of whether they're "saved" or rebooted, we have some ideas for how and where these characters could be used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.

Looking ahead to Phase 4 and beyond, there are definitely a lot of very exciting possibilities.

Marvel Studios now has its own TV division (hence why all those shows are coming to Disney+), so there's a lot Kevin Feige and company could do with them. To take a look at what could be to come for them on the big or small screen, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below.

10. Eternals Reintroduces The Concept Of The Iron Fist

In recent Marvel Comics, it's been revealed that a woman name Fan Fei held the mantle of the Iron Fist thousands of years before Danny Rand came on to the scene.

She later banded together with Agamotto, Lady Phoenix, Odin, and Stone Age versions of Black Panther, Ghost Rider, and Star Brand to form an early version of The Avengers, and together, they managed to repel an attack from an ancient Celestial. Needless to say, you can probably see how that would tie into the events of the history-spanning Eternals movie.

This could be a really cool tease for what's to come with Iron Fist in the not too distant future...

9. The MCU's Heroes For Hire

It's crazy that with two seasons of Luke Cage, two seasons or Iron Fist, and a season of The Defenders, all we got was a couple of teases that Luke and Danny Rand might one day form "Heroes for Hire."

This would be an incredible way to reintroduce both characters, and a great fit for Disney+. It could make for an entertaining movie too, of course, but exploring their friendship in depth and having them tackles cases on a weekly basis would do the comic books justice in a big way.

The "Heroes for Hire" concept is one that is completely different to anything else in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and could give Marvel Studios the chance to address some relevant, timely topics.

8. Jessica Jones Goes To High School/College With Peter Parker

Jessica Jones is a character who was retconned into the Marvel Universe by writer Brian Michael Bendis. It turns out that years before becoming a Private Eye, Jessica went to the same school as Peter Parker and even had a crush on the nerdy superhero (he never really noticed her, though).

While this would serve as something of a slow burn approach to Jessica's reintroduction, having her go to school (or college) with Peter could be a really cool way of hitting the rest button on the P.I.

As a new ally to the web-slinger, Jess could help him out when it comes to his web-slinging activities, all while dealing with her newfound abilities as she becomes the superhero known to fans as Jewel.

7. Daredevil Represents Spider-Man In Court

While the signs are all pointing to Spider-Man 3 possibly being some sort of "Spider-Verse" adventure, we're still hoping that Peter Parker will be forced to answer for supposedly killing Mysterio.

The web-slinger clearing his name is a must (even if people still view him as a "menace" thanks to J. Jonah Jameson), and who better to represent him in court than a returning Matt Murdock? This would be a great way to reintroduce the character to moviegoers, and if it leads to a team-up between Spider-Man and Daredevil...well, it goes without saying that would be amazing.

If this doesn't happen in Spider-Man 3, then we're keeping everything crossed for Spider-Man 4.

6. Moon Knight Battles The Punisher

As incredible as Jon Bernthal was as Frank Caste, both seasons of The Punisher were a tad underwhelming. They became too bogged down in conspiracies to really explore what makes this violent vigilante tick, but it would be a great shame to see Marvel Studios now cast a different actor in the role.

Looking ahead at what's to come in Phase 4, the Moon Knight TV series coming to Disney+ is undoubtedly the best possible place to bring Frank back to small screen (even if he is toned down).

As the panel above proves, there's a really unique and fun dynamic between The Punisher and Marc Spector, and they could very easily team-up for a one-off adventure. With that, the Marvel Cinematic Universe would have a Punisher again, a character who could make recurring appearances all over.

5. Luke Cage, Mentor To Miles Morales

The comic books have never really explored a relationship between Miles Morales and Luke Cage, but having Power Man serve as a mentor to the young web-slinger in the MCU would be a blast.

In the Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game, the hero moves to Harlem, and that just so happens to also be Cage's home. These two striking up a friendship could have all the makings of something special, particularly if Miles serves as the new Spider-Man after Peter Parker's death.

This would be a fresh direction for both characters, and a new way to make use of Luke Cage on screen.

4. Jessica Jones Returns In She-Hulk

Jennifer Walters is coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe via the She-Hulk TV series coming to Disney+. Rumour has it that she's going to be a lawyer who specialises in superhuman law, so we wouldn't be remotely surprised if it's actually her representing Peter Parker in court at some point!

In that show, Jennifer might need some help from a local private eye, and that's where Jessica Jones would come in. These two are firm friends in the comics too, so this makes a lot of sense.

Krysten Ritter could reprise the role, but it might not be a bad idea to reinvent Jessica here, possibly ditching her alcoholism and ties to the Purple Man. Yes, that's a huge part of who she is in the source material, but it will boil down to how much Marvel Studios wants to distant this new version from what fans saw on Netflix (which definitely took her to a lot of very dark places).

3. Iron Fist vs. Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings reportedly includes an underground fight tournament which the titular hero will need to win in order to get his hands on the Ten Rings for The Mandarin.

What if, during that contest, the Master of Martial Arts crosses paths with Danny Rand? These two are firm friends and allies in the comic books, and while having Shang-Chi defeat Iron Fist in his first big screen appearance might not be the best way to have some moviegoers meet him for the first time.

The movie could still tease his existence, though (perhaps he was the last victor of a tournament like this), and it would be no bad thing to see them team-up in a sequel to this first Shang-Chi movie.

2. Spider-Man Battles The Kingpin Of Crime

Long before he was a Daredevil villain, Wilson Fisk battled Spider-Man. As much as we love the Man Without Fear, it wouldn't be the end of the world to leave him on the shelf a little longer and make use of The Kingpin in the meantime (it makes him a more established baddie too).

As great as it's been to see Peter Parker take on colourful villains like The Vulture and Mysterio, watching the web-slinger tackle crime in the Big Apple has just as much potential to be a compelling story.

Someone like the Hobgoblin or Black Cat could be working for Fisk in this movie - we're guessing it would be Spider-Man 4 - and that would set the stage nicely for the Kingpin of Crime to one day hire the likes of Bullseye and Elektra to do his bidding. Should Vincent D'Onofrio return? Absolutely.

1. Don't Save Daredevil, Reboot Him (With Charlie Cox)

Daredevil was a good series, but it wasn't a great one. Season one didn't put the Man Without Fear into his costume until the finale, season two was hit-and-miss, and while the third was an improvement, it was far from perfect (did we really need to spend so much time with Karen Page?).

So, no, we don't want Marvel Studios to "save" Daredevil. The character needs to be rebooted, though we would be very happy seeing Charlie Cox given the chance to reprise the role of Matt Murdock.

The actor was terrific in the role, and could do wonders with the right creative input. For starters, we'd love to see him get a proper costume as that was always missing in the Netflix series. If Jamie Foxx can get another shot of Electro, then so too should Cox as Daredevil.

Netflix's Marvel Shows Have Been Officially Added To The MCU Timeline On Disney+

Recommended For You:

DEFENDERS: 6 Characters From The Netflix TV Shows That Need To Be Recast For The MCU

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

93 Comments

1 2 3

MrDandy - 11/30/2020, 8:06 AM

Either bring them into the series or soft reboot them with the actors. Daredevil, Punisher, and Jessica Jones have been extremely well cast with great development put into their characters. Daredevil in particular is some of the best stuff Marvel has ever done with Cox and Bernthal giving some of the best performances we have seen from leads.

lawndart - 11/30/2020, 6:00 PM

@MrDandy - DD was well done. Especially Fisk.

Franshu - 11/30/2020, 8:08 AM

I'm OK with Luke, Jessica and Danny being totally rebooted, but.... bring Daredevil and Punisher back as they are. I don't think Punisher deserves a solo series, though; he's hard AF to write and to keep a series entertaining, but as a background player, he works. Daredevil, on the other hand, is some of the best stuff Marvel has done, period. And that includes the movies.

UXASIS - 11/30/2020, 8:15 AM

Introducing Punisher to battle Moon Knight is not a bad idea.

Also I'm a major Defenders casting fan, they are all great (Defenders, Daughters of Dragon and Punisher).

The villains are also great, I only disliked Harold Meachum.

tmp3 - 11/30/2020, 8:35 AM

@DARKSIDEIS - Midnight Sons, lets [frick]ing gooooooooo

1 2 3

Related Headlines

Defenders

Netflix's Marvel Shows Have Been Officially Added To The MCU Timeline On Disney+

MarkCassidy

Jan 10, 2024 11:01 AM

Power Rangers

JESSICA JONES & POWER RANGERS Star Eka Darville Reveals 9-y/o Son's Brain Cancer Diagnosis; Starts GoFundMe

RohanPatel

Mar 13, 2023 09:03 AM

The Punisher

DAREVEVIL Actress Rosario Dawson May Have Confirmed That Jon Bernthal's PUNISHER Is Set To Return

MarkCassidy

Aug 07, 2022 08:08 PM

Related Headlines

Defenders

Netflix's Marvel Shows Have Been Officially Added To The MCU Timeline On Disney+

MarkCassidy

Jan 10, 2024 11:01 AM

Power Rangers

JESSICA JONES & POWER RANGERS Star Eka Darville Reveals 9-y/o Son's Brain Cancer Diagnosis; Starts GoFundMe

RohanPatel

Mar 13, 2023 09:03 AM

The Punisher

DAREVEVIL Actress Rosario Dawson May Have Confirmed That Jon Bernthal's PUNISHER Is Set To Return

MarkCassidy

Aug 07, 2022 08:08 PM

Defenders

DEFENDERS: 6 Characters From The Netflix TV Shows That Need To Be Recast For The MCU

JoshWilding

Mar 28, 2022 12:03 PM

Defenders

Disney+ Gives Netflix's Marvel Shows An Official Title: THE DEFENDERS SAGA

MarkCassidy

Mar 16, 2022 09:03 AM

Disney+ Under Fire From Parents Group For Addition Of TV-MA Marvel Netflix Shows

Defenders

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Mad Max

Anya Taylor-Joy's FURIOSA Is Ready For War On New Total Film Covers

MarkCassidy

2 hours ago

Latest Headlines

No Way Home

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

JoshWilding

1 hour ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

JoshWilding

2 hours ago

Mad Max

Anya Taylor-Joy's FURIOSA Is Ready For War On New Total Film Covers

MarkCassidy

2 hours ago

Sci-Fi

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score (And It's Zack Snyder's Worst-Reviewed Movie Yet)

JoshWilding

3 hours ago

The Witcher

THE WITCHER Season 5 Will Be The Show's Last As Netflix Rushes To Adapt Andrzej Sapkowski's Final Three Books

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Theatre Standee Gives Us A New Live-Action Look At Logan And Wade Wilson

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Hot Headlines

186 comments

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MarkCassidy

2 days ago EST

110 comments

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

107 comments

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

105 comments

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

92 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

TRANSFORMERS ONE Character Posters Highlight The Movie's Divisive Animation Style

More Cartoons & Animated ►

Bethesda's Todd Howard On What's Next: ELDER SCROLLS VI, FALLOUT 5, And STARFIELD

More Anime & Manga ►

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

More Horror ►

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not...

More Action Movies & TV ►

The Undertaker Talks Relationship With The Rock Following WRESTLEMANIA Clash As Final Boss Vows Revenge

More Pro Wrestling ►

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Stills Showcase Anya Taylor-Joy's Road Warrior And Chris Hemsworth's Dementus

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

DEFENDERS: 10 Ways Marvel Studios Can Use The Netflix Heroes In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Yesterday, the rights to Daredevil reverted to Marvel Studios from Netflix, and in the midst of the #SaveDaredevil campaign, we're exploring some possibilities for The Defenders characters in the MCU...

10. Eternals Reintroduces The Concept Of The Iron Fist

9. The MCU's Heroes For Hire

8. Jessica Jones Goes To High School/College With Peter Parker

7. Daredevil Represents Spider-Man In Court

6. Moon Knight Battles The Punisher

5. Luke Cage, Mentor To Miles Morales

4. Jessica Jones Returns In She-Hulk

3. Iron Fist vs. Shang-Chi

2. Spider-Man Battles The Kingpin Of Crime

1. Don't Save Daredevil, Reboot Him (With Charlie Cox)

Netflix's Marvel Shows Have Been Officially Added To The MCU Timeline On Disney+

DEFENDERS: 6 Characters From The Netflix TV Shows That Need To Be Recast For The MCU

Netflix's Marvel Shows Have Been Officially Added To The MCU Timeline On Disney+

JESSICA JONES & POWER RANGERS Star Eka Darville Reveals 9-y/o Son's Brain Cancer Diagnosis; Starts GoFundMe

DAREVEVIL Actress Rosario Dawson May Have Confirmed That Jon Bernthal's PUNISHER Is Set To Return

Netflix's Marvel Shows Have Been Officially Added To The MCU Timeline On Disney+

JESSICA JONES & POWER RANGERS Star Eka Darville Reveals 9-y/o Son's Brain Cancer Diagnosis; Starts GoFundMe

DAREVEVIL Actress Rosario Dawson May Have Confirmed That Jon Bernthal's PUNISHER Is Set To Return

DEFENDERS: 6 Characters From The Netflix TV Shows That Need To Be Recast For The MCU

Disney+ Gives Netflix's Marvel Shows An Official Title: THE DEFENDERS SAGA

Disney+ Under Fire From Parents Group For Addition Of TV-MA Marvel Netflix Shows

Popular Headlines

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Happy Meal Toys Reveal A First Look At MCU’s Take On Red Hulk

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Theatre Standee Gives Us A New Live-Action Look At Logan And Wade Wilson

BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE Director Zack Snyder FINALLY Explains The Infamous "Martha!" Scene

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

Anya Taylor-Joy's FURIOSA Is Ready For War On New Total Film Covers

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Concept Art Reveals A Surprising New Design For A "Junkyard" Vulture

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Fans Believe Taylor Swift Has Confirmed MCU Role On THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT Album

Anya Taylor-Joy's FURIOSA Is Ready For War On New Total Film Covers

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score (And It's Zack Snyder's Worst-Reviewed Movie Yet)

THE WITCHER Season 5 Will Be The Show's Last As Netflix Rushes To Adapt Andrzej Sapkowski's Final Three Books

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Theatre Standee Gives Us A New Live-Action Look At Logan And Wade Wilson

Hot Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Stills Showcase Anya Taylor-Joy's Road Warrior And Chris Hemsworth's Dementus

THE ACOLYTE Has Reportedly Added SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood In A Mystery Role

SNOW WHITE Rumors May Clear Up "Seven Dwarfs" Confusion; Rachel Zegler's Princess Will Be "More Independent"

Cartoons & Animated Features

TRANSFORMERS ONE Character Posters Highlight The Movie's Divisive Animation Style

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

TRANSFORMERS ONE Trailer Reveals The Origins Of Optimus Prime And Megatron

Gaming

Bethesda's Todd Howard On What's Next: ELDER SCROLLS VI, FALLOUT 5, And STARFIELD

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed AND Canceled As Season 5 Is Confirmed To Be The Show's Last

FALLOUT TV Series Renewed For Second Season After Impressive Debut On Prime Video

Anime & Manga

Studio Ghibli's SPIRITED AWAY Is Returning To U.S. Theaters This Month

New AVATAR Movie, AANG: THE LAST AIRBENDER, Delayed To 2026

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Countdown Kicks Off With Class 1-A Character Visuals

Horror

ABIGAIL Spoilers: Find Out What Happens - And Who Shows Up - In New Horror Comedy

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Action Movies & TV

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

The Undertaker Talks Relationship With The Rock Following WRESTLEMANIA Clash As Final Boss Vows Revenge

Damian Priest Reflects On How It Felt To Cash In His Money In The Bank Briefcase At WRESTLEMANIA

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have "No Regrets" After Airing ALL IN Footage

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Stills Showcase Anya Taylor-Joy's Road Warrior And Chris Hemsworth's Dementus

THE ACOLYTE Has Reportedly Added SUPERGIRL Star David Harewood In A Mystery Role

SNOW WHITE Rumors May Clear Up "Seven Dwarfs" Confusion; Rachel Zegler's Princess Will Be "More Independent"

REBEL MOON - PART TWO: THE SCARGIVER's Rotten Tomatoes Score Has Been Revealed (And It's Not Good)

THE WITCHER Has Been Renewed For A Fifth And FINAL Season; Will Adapt Final THREE Books

REBEL MOON: PART TWO - THE SCARGIVER First Reactions Land Ahead Of Netflix Premiere

Cartoons & Animated Features