Marvel fans rejoiced Friday as the long-awaited Netflix team-up series “The Defenders” hit their screens. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Lue Cage and Iron Fist finally joined forces to take on the evil organization of ancient ninjas known as The Hand.
Everything has been building to this series, ever since it all started with Daredevil back in 2015. In true Marvel Cinematic Universe-fashion, everything we’ve seen has all led to this team-up.
So naturally, now that it’s over (for those of us with no self-control that watched it all this weekend) it’s time for us to start speculating on what’s going to happen next.
“DEFENDERS” SPOILERS TO COME!
Obviously, the events of “The Defenders” changed a lot for the characters involved. It will be interesting to see the future development of these characters and what storylines might play out.
One of the most interesting developments, was the relationship between Colleen Wing and Misty Knight.
In the comics, these two become somewhat of a dynamic duo. “The Defenders” teases that this might be in their future as we see a blossoming relationship between them when Colleen visits Misty in the hospital.
And speaking of that hospital visit, Misty’s injury is teasing something from the comics as well.
That’s right! In the comics, Misty gets a bionic arm and she uses it to, well, smash things.
The tease comes from more than just the fact that she had her arm severed in the fight against The Hand though. Colleen mentions that Danny Rand AKA Iron Fist owns the hospital she’s in and that it’s a pretty “state-of-the-art” place. Looks like Danny is going to be paying for some enhancements for Misty.
As for Danny, aside from Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, he seems to take the (AGAIN, SPOILER ALERT) death of Daredevil the hardest.
Before sacrificing himself, Daredevil whispered something into Rand’s ear. He later reveals to the team that he asked him to protect his city.
In one of the last few scenes, the immortal Iron Fist is seen perched on a building, much like we once saw Daredevil, before his fist begins to glow. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen may be gone, but it seems the city will have a new protector.
As for the other two members of the team, we see Jones and Cage meet in a bar to talk about the events of the series.
The two reminisce a bit about old times (the events of “Jessica Jones”) and Cage assures Jones that if she ever needs anything he would be there. Before he leaves, Jones suggests that they grab “coffee” sometime, hinting at more of a relationship between the two.
In the comics, Jones and Cage eventually marry and have a child. The family plays a key role in several Marvel story arcs including “Secret Invasion.”
Until that happens though, we do get a tease that Jones will be reopening her Alias Investigations business, likely leading into the second season of her series.
Finally, in the last scene of the series, it is revealed that Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil is not actually dead.
He is seen in a bed, wrapped in bandages with a nun by his side and a cross over his head. We hear a nun instruct someone off screen to “get Maggie, tell her he’s awake.”
When it comes to Marvel, you’re probably aware that the names you hear mean something more often than not. In this case, Maggie is not likely just another nun. She’s Maggie Murdock, Matt’s mother.
In the comics, Matt is reunited with his mother in a story arc called “Born Again,” a fitting title to be used for the next season of “Daredevil” following his apparent death. In fact, this scene is taken almost directly from the “Born Again” story.
While we can’t be sure of exactly what is going to happen with the future of Marvel’s shows on Netflix, we do know that “The Defenders” certainly set up quite an impressive slate of possibilities. And I, for one, am very excited for what’s to come.
