It's been confirmed at the Disney Upfronts today that Krysten Ritter will reprise her role as Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again season 2. This marks The Defenders star's official MCU debut.
Ritter joined Charlie Cox on stage at the event to announce her return, telling those in attendance, "It’s so great to be back, returning to Jessica after three seasons and ‘The Defenders' and now joining the MCU. I’m so excited to bring back this iconic character, and without giving too much away, there is much more in store for Jessica Jones. This is going to be an incredible season!"
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daredevil: Born Again was a hit for Disney+ as the series was a "solid performer" that "[notched] an uptick" with the finale. It also gave the Netflix-era Daredevil seasons a boost on the platform.
Talking to the trade, Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum said, "People were watching it as a season four, not at as a first season. It’s given us the confidence of making the show annually into the future."
Asked whether Mike Colter's Luke Cage and Finn Jones' Iron Fist could also appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, Winderbaum responded, "It’s about not rushing and telling the best story. Yes, it’s exciting to think about characters interacting, but it’s about the reasons why. At times we’ve done that very well, at times we’ve rushed. The story has to lead the path."
We'd take that as a "no" for now, and it's not hugely surprising that Jessica is a bigger priority given her popularity and the acclaim Jessica Jones received.
Season 1 ended on a big cliffhanger as the Man Without Fear assembled his allies to fight back against Mayor Wilson Fisk's tyrannical takeover of New York City. Vigilantes are outlawed, and the Big Apple is under martial law, but Daredevil will now have Jessica on his side.
It hasn't been revealed how many episodes Ritter will appear in, but she's already dropped a teaser on social media to celebrate her long-awaited return to the role:
In Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
The series also stars Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal. Dario Scardapane is showrunner.
"A masterpiece of epic proportions, Daredevil: Born Again delivers a powerful, unmissable take on the Man Without Fear," we said in our review. "Putting street-level heroics on the map in a way that promises to change the MCU forever, the show is sublime superhero storytelling on a whole new level."
All episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are now streaming on Disney+. As for season 2, that's set to premiere next year.