The Defenders

Whether or not Marvel’s Iron Fist succeeded in bringing the character to life, few would argue the oddity of Season 1 never attempting any outfit to evoke the classic costume. It would be odder still if The Defenders never gave all four heroes a chance to fight side-by-side in their comic looks, but according to Charlie Cox, Iron Fist might not suit up in The Defenders either.

Marvel’s Netflix Defenders debuted its official August premiere with curiously little fanfare, but as with the team-up miniseries itself, the real story lies beneath the surface. A new viral tie-in website touches on several ongoing Daredevil mysteries, also updating us on Luke Cage and more.

Even after the entirety of Marvel’s Iron Fist, we still didn’t know when The Defenders would assemble. Thankfully, a new official Defenders teaser has arrived, hinting at an August premiere for Marvel’s street-level heroes!

Whenever The Defenders premieres, almost two years will have passed since Marvel and Netflix first introduced us to Jessica Jones. We’ve known for some time that Krysten Ritter’s hard-edged P.I. won’t formally return in her own series until 2018, but reports suggest Season 2 production is finally gearing up in New York.

Marvel’s Netflix Iron Fist has only been available to stream for two weeks. Two weeks! That’s a steep dropoff in conversation, and certainly not what you want from the final lead-in to The Defenders. Nevertheless, whether you loved Iron Fist or hated it, data shows that Danny Rand gave Marvel one of Netflix’s most-watched premieres this year.

Even as Marvel’s Iron Fist finally completed the sequence of Netflix heroes that will bring us The Defenders team-up, certain fans will never give up hope that the four could join the larger collective of cinematic Avengers. Sadly, The Falcon is none-too-keen on such a crossover, as Anthony Mackie dismisses Marvel’s TV heroes as “different universes, different worlds.”

Plenty of familiar Iron Fist names were floated throughout the casting process, though several seemed to fall by the wayside as production got underway. Now, not only has a major Iron Fist character been confirmed for a stealthy Season 1 appearance, but said star is already eying a Season 2 return.

Marvel’s ‘Iron Fist’ brings his glowing justice to New York as early as this Friday, introducing MCU takes on Colleen Wing, the Meachums and more along the way. We’ve already reviewed Marvel’s biggest misfire yet, but before your own binge, get answers to some of ‘Iron Fist’s most burning questions with our spoilery FAQ review of the first six episodes!

Superhero movie audiences have lived through enough high-profile bombs to recognize a common refrain, likening any bad reviews to critics misaligned with fan interests. We saw it with Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad, and now Iron Fist star Finn Jones is giving “we made it for the fans” the old college try in response to negative press.

Marvel’s Netflix ‘Iron Fist’ punches through to the final ‘Defender’ series, but forgets anything resembling relatable characters, missing every chance to embrace its comic weirdness. Our early review, before all episodes start to glow on March 17.