5 Characters Marvel Television And Netflix Got Right (And 5 They Totally Screwed Up)

Over the years, Marvel Television introduced lots of great comic book characters on Netflix, and with that era of storytelling officially at an end, we're looking back at who they got right...and wrong!

By JoshWilding - Oct 23, 2021 12:10 PM EST

Filed Under: Daredevil

Season one of Daredevil was launched back in 2015 and in the years that followed, we spent quite a bit of time with both the Man Without Fear and heroes like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher. Throw in a plethora of supporting players and villains, and Marvel Television ended up introducing a lot of comic book characters on the small screen alongside Netflix.

However, once it became clear that Disney had plans to launch its own streaming service (and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was put in charge of everything), Netflix started killing off these shows quicker than Frank Cast is capable of takin down a group of criminals.

Now, it's looking like the plan is for at least some of these heroes and villains to be softly rebooted for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether that's with the same or different actors remains to be seen, but we're betting it will be a mixture of both. Regardless, thinking about that has led to us looking back at the 5 characters Marvel Television got right...and 5 they really screwed up.

We think you'll have some fun with this one, so hit the "Next" button below to see who made the cut!

Wrong: Iron Fist

Finn Jones is a talented actor, and on the surface, he was a pretty good choice to take on the role of Danny Rand. Unfortunately, he was wasted from the start despite a few moments of greatness (that cameo in season two of Luke Cage, for example). Overall, Marvel Television dropped the ball on the hero, and the show's cancellation ultimately came as welcome news to many fans.

In season one, Danny could barely use the Iron Fist and when the show returned, he spent most of those episodes without it. Creatively speaking, this was nothing short of idiotic.

A third season with Orson Randall receiving the spotlight alongside Danny had some serious potential, but Marvel Television's slow-burn style of storytelling with this character proved to be a major detriment to the show. Here's hoping Iron Fist is eventually rebooted for the MCU with a new actor.

Right: Colleen Wing

Fans have so many of their own preconceived notions about who or what a character should be, it's rare they unanimously agree that one has been improved during the transition from page to screen.

In the case of Colleen Wing, though, it's fair to say that Marvel Television did an incredible job bringing her to life in Iron Fist. There's a good reason why a huge number of fans campaigned for her to get her own spinoff series (preferably alongside Misty Knight, another fantastic character), and while that won't happen now, this iteration of the hero could still return.

While giving her the power of the Iron Fist was a controversial decision at the end of season two, it set the stage for some exciting stories down the line...which sadly are now unlikely to ever be told. We'd love to see Jessica Henwick get the chance to put a fresh spin on her in the MCU, though!

Wrong: "The Owl"

While Leland Owlsley was a competent enough secondary villain in Daredevil's first season, Marvel Television completely dropped the ball on a villain who has frequently come to blows with both the Man Without Fear and Spider-Man over the years.

From the moment he was introduced, it was hard to imagine Bob Gunton's version of the character ever taking to the skies with razor-sharp claws capable of slicing Matt Murdock to pieces. Plus, while his death at the hands of Wilson Fisk was definitely a surprise, it also closed the door to him ever developing into anything close to what we've seen in the comic books.

Ultimately, this screw up was probably the result of Marvel Television looking to ground these shows in reality as much as possible, but there's definitely still potential for The Owl in the MCU.

Right: The Punisher

When Jon Bernthal was cast as Frank Castle, fans rejoiced. After all, it was hard to imagine anyone better than The Walking Dead alum taking on the role of The Punisher. While he could have easily disappointed, the actor exceeded expectations from the start and delivered a performance that was undoubtedly Emmy worthy.

As a result, it came as no surprise when the vigilante was granted his own series after appearing in Daredevil season two. Unfortunately, neither season of that spinoff lived up to expectations.

Marvel Television really screwed up The Punisher up with that convoluted origin story and a conspiracy theory revolving around the death of his family. However, by throwing all that to one side, Marvel Studios could easily reboot the vigilante with Bernthal back in the role. He deserves another shot, and Kevin Feige is the right person to make it happen.

Wrong: The Hand

When it became clear during the first season of Daredevil that The Hand would be the lead villains tied to nearly all of the Netflix TV shows, there was a lot of excitement among fans. Iron Fist and Daredevil season two attempted to expand on their history, but it soon started becoming clear that Marvel Television didn't know what they were doing with this clandestine group of ninjas.

In fact, by the time The Defenders rolled around, it was apparent that the ball had been completely dropped on the villains, doing away with what made them great in the comic books and focusing instead on businessmen and plans which made little to no sense.

Even Elektra's death and resurrection were botched, and seeing Daredevil or any of these heroes battle ninjas quickly got old. The Hand was eventually defeated, but teases about The Chaste and other familiar characters came to nought. Marvel Television seemingly just bailed on the entire storyline, but here's hoping something can be done to redeem them down the line.

Right: The Kingpin

Giving Wilson Fisk an origin story rather than making him a cardboard cutout mobster (often the case for his comic book counterpart) was a bold move. However, it definitely paid off.

Vincent D'Onofrio's performance was in equal parts terrifying and magnetic; whether he's brutally attacking a fellow criminal or delivering a speech to one of the heroes that sends a chill down your spine, his Kingpin is a force to be reckoned with. Needless to say, seeing him cross paths with the likes of Spider-Man and The Avengers in the MCU would be beyond awesome.

Fisk's transformation into the Kingpin of Crime continued in Daredevil season three, and it's since been rumoured that we can look forward to him returning in Hawkeye. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but it would be nuts to leave this Kingpin on the shelf for much longer.

Wrong: Diamondback

Well, what a clusterf**k this ended up being. Teased throughout the first half of Luke Cage's first season before being unmasked as the show's big bad, his attempts to make the life of his "brother" a living hell fell flat and were topped off with a cringe-worthy fight sequence which saw him suited up in a comical costume for a lame-ass fight scene.

By the time the season ended, he was left comatose and the stage was seemingly set for him to return...something season two understandably didn't even bother to reference.

Both Mike Colter and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker later acknowledged that Luke Cage went downhill with Diamondback's introduction. While it's not like the character was ever that great in the comics to begin with, it was still a shame to see him wasted in this series.

Right: "Purple Man"

Marvel Studios has a spotty track record when it comes to villains and it's only really been in recent years that we've seen any sort of real improvement. David Tennant's Kilgrave knocks spots off nearly every bad guy to grace the big screen, though; he was menacing, twisted, and genuinely frightening.

Sure, it was disappointing seeing him return as an "It's all a dream!" style character in season two of Jessica Jones, but the way he tortured her throughout the first season made for compelling viewing. Tennant's portrayal also made it so that it was extremely satisfying to see the villain eventually get his just desserts at her hands.

Purple Man is a great character, but not one we anticipate seeing again in the near future. That's a shame, but there's bound to be another role in the MCU for an actor as talented as the Doctor Who alum.

Wrong: Foggy Nelson

Elden Henson made for a good Foggy Nelson, but Marvel Television made him arguably one of the most infuriating characters in any of these Netflix shows. He's a bad friend to Matt Murdock, pretty much nothing like his comic book counterpart when it comes to reluctantly supporting the Man Without Fear, and so judgemental that, well, he was a chore to watch.

Foggy has had his moments, however, and season 3 of Daredevil went some way in making things right.

Many of you might take issue with Foggy making the list instead of Karen Page (or even Claire Temple) but while she has also become equally as infuriating as time has passed, it's just frustrating to see Foggy wasted. There's been talk of Marvel Studios bringing the original cast from this show back when the Man Without Fear is rebooted for the MCU, so here's hoping for a new personality.

Right: Daredevil

While Netflix's portrayal of Matt Murdock was hit and miss at best, he was easily the most consistent character in any of those shows. Following his journey was always fun, though, and Charlie Cox did such a great job that it's no wonder fans are keeping everything crossed those rumours about a return in Spider-Man: No Way Home prove to be correct.

From his time in the black suit inspired by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.'s The Man Without Fear to the moment he finally donned the classic red costume, Daredevil's story definitely hit some bumps in the road and probably needed at least a little more time in the courtroom. However, this version of the character was hard to fault for the most part.

Whether it's his interactions with The Kingpin or the way he stood up against The Punisher's twisted belief system, Charlie Cox's Daredevil is so good, he's the only one listed here who deserves a movie. Hopefully, the next few years will see him appear on the big and small screen regularly.

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99 Comments

1 2 3

TheWalkingCuban - 10/23/2021, 12:34 PM

Right:
Fisk
Bullseye
DD
JJ
Sometimes LC
Sky
Robbie Reyes
Ward
Sometimes Punisher

Wrong:
Other times LC
Other times Punisher
A bunch of people

Coulda shoulda woulda:
Terry Crews as LC

MrDandy - 10/23/2021, 12:38 PM

How dare you insult Foggy, you uncouth swine.

But everything else you are right on.

Origame - 10/23/2021, 1:19 PM

@MrDandy - yeah. Foggy was great on the show. And his relationship with Matt was a compelling friendship without having to make it look like a romance, something Hollywood really struggles with.

ModHaterSLADE - 10/23/2021, 12:40 PM

Liked Finn Jones on Luke Cage more than on his own show.

MrDandy - 10/23/2021, 12:41 PM

Also Luke Cage was decent but he didn’t nail the role in the same way as Cox, Bernthal, or Ritter did.

bobevanz - 10/23/2021, 12:41 PM

Hehe Iron Fist was terrible hehe

Doomsday8888 - 10/23/2021, 12:53 PM

You can say that the Punisher series was enjoyable but saying that they got Frank right? Heh...

Syringe - 10/23/2021, 1:04 PM

Boy did they get The Hand wrong. Like, it's almost as if they didn't even try. I've never been a huge fan of them during their appearances in the comics but I still would have appreciated a somewhat accurate portrayal.

1 2 3

5 Characters Marvel Television And Netflix Got Right (And 5 They Totally Screwed Up)

Over the years, Marvel Television introduced lots of great comic book characters on Netflix, and with that era of storytelling officially at an end, we're looking back at who they got right...and wrong!

Wrong: Iron Fist

Right: Colleen Wing

Wrong: "The Owl"

Right: The Punisher

Wrong: The Hand

Right: The Kingpin

Wrong: Diamondback

Right: "Purple Man"

Wrong: Foggy Nelson

Right: Daredevil

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