After the end of the latest phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we Marvel fans want to know what’s next. Well, we know that we’re getting some fresh new faces, including The Eternals and Shang-Chi. Did you guys check out that new trailer, by the way? Now that was some cool stuff. I’m confident about the future of the MCU, even without the presence of the original Avengers. Times are changing and we need some new heroes. However, in the case of the Marvel Netflix shows, those heroes were a part of the MCU. Well, at least they technically were, but not officially. Those shows were considered to be connected to the MCU, but even Kevin Feige didn’t really acknowledge them.
It’s a weird situation, but we all know how it ended. No more Netflix shows and Marvel couldn’t use those characters for two years after the cancellation of each show. Well, the time for each character is up, so that means every character from those shows can be used by Marvel again. Good news for us, but what does that mean for the Netflix shows? Better question: what about the actors who played those characters? Yes, these are questions that we’ve been asking for a while now and recently, it looks like we’re getting some answers.
The most obvious one is the future of Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. A not-so tiny spoiler: everyone in the MCU now knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Peter probably wants to clear his name and he’s going to need a really good lawyer. The best lawyer in Marvel Comics is between Jennifer Walters and Matt Murdock. We know that She-Hulk won’t be appearing in Spider-Man 3, but rumor has it, Matt Murdock will be defending Peter Parker. Let’s face it, this rumor is probably true. Even when Kevin Feige was asked about it, he pretty much dodged the question. Call me overly optimistic, but that basically tells me we’ll be seeing Charlie Cox as Daredevil again.
That makes me excited, especially since I’m one of the many fans of Cox’s Daredevil. However, if he is indeed reprising his role, it makes me wonder if the other Netflix Marvel heroes will be joining him. And if they do, will Marvel keep their stories from the Netflix shows canon? Again, we’ve been wondering this for a while now. However, it looks like we have received some kind of confirmation regarding the return of at least some of the Marvel Netflix heroes. If this news is true, then it will certainly make many Marvel fans very happy.
According to some sites, including That Hashtag Show and MovieWeb, it looks like Marvel will be bringing back at least a handful of the Netflix Marvel cast. In fact, the rumors suggest that only the main Netflix cast members will be returning. In other words, the actors and characters that everyone liked the most. Last I checked, that would be Charlie Cox, Kristen Ritter, Jon Bernthal, and Vincent D’Onofrio. The reports have not mentioned Finn Jones, Mike Colter, or any of the other main cast members from the Netflix shows.
So let’s just say for a minute that these reports are true. On one hand, it would be cool seeing those particular actors return to those Marvel roles. Needless to say, the majority of fans adored Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. Likewise, Kristen Ritter as Jessica Jones was very well liked, and a good follow-up to Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. And of course, Jon Bernthal absolutely killed it (probably too much) as The Punisher. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, having these guys return to the MCU would be very rewarding for everyone.
On the other hand, it is sad news for Finn Jones and Mike Colter, only Finn Jones wasn’t exactly well-received as Iron Fist. He was starting to improve in the second season, but sadly, he’ll probably never get another chance to play Danny Rand again. Needless to say, however, he paled in comparison next to Cox, Ritter, and Colter, who I believe killed it as Luke Cage.
I think him not returning is particularly disappointing, especially after that fantastic second season. But again, fans clearly didn’t like him nearly as much as Charlie Cox or Jon Bernthal. The way I see it, we still need Luke Cage and Iron Fist, but they’ll probably be recast. While I’m sad about Mike Colter not returning, I’ll take another Luke Cage if it means he’ll be getting a Heroes for Hire show with a new Iron Fist. Seriously, that would totally work as a Disney+ show.
Now while these reports do suggest that these actors will return, they also mentioned that there will be a catch. That catch is this: those actors will return, but they won’t be playing the same versions of the characters they played in the Netflix shows. In other words, they will be getting the reboot treatment. If that’s the case, then it looks like we’ll be getting half our wish. So no continuation of the Punisher and Daredevil shows, but at least we’ll see them play the characters again. Will Kingpin really make an appearance in the Echo spinoff? Will Jessica Jones really work with Jennifer Walters in the She-Hulk show? Well, that remains to be seen, but it makes me wonder how Marvel will handle the Defenders going forward.
The Defenders was another team for the MCU and it’s what all the first Netflix shows led to. It was meant to be the Avengers-style television event, but sadly, The Defenders didn’t live up to the hype. It’s clear that Marvel won’t bring back that particular team, but it looks like they’ll still keep Daredevil and Jessica Jones. My guess is that Marvel will give us a totally different Defenders team. The big three members of the team are Doctor Strange, The Hulk, and Namor. There is a chance we’ll be getting this version of the team in the MCU, but if you’re a comic fan, you’ll know that those guys are serious levels above the Netflix Defenders. That’s okay, because I think most Marvel fans would rather forget that version of the team.
However, Marvel can give us a more faithful Defenders line-up and even set up the Avengers vs. the Defenders storyline. If they add Doctor Strange, Namor, and the real Hulk to the team, then that would really give the Avengers more than they can handle. I say why not? The MCU is all about going big and just when you thought they reached the mountain top, they respond by going to the stars.
What are your thoughts, Marvel fans?
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