Marvel Studios and Marvel Television were two separate entities, and while shows like Daredevil and Runaways were technically set in the MCU, they were really more adjacent to it. After all, the shows on Netflix never really moved beyond a post-The Avengers setting, failing to reference Ultron's attack or the Sokovia Accords, for example.
Now Kevin Feige is in charge of everything, stories told on the big and small screens are tied together just like the movies always have been.
Marvel Studios has even started highlighting characters and actors from that Marvel Television era of storytelling, including Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin of Crime. There are also rumblings that their reunion, which takes place in Daredevil: Born Again, will include other familiar faces, including The Punisher and Jessica Jones.
The latter was played by Krysten Ritter and speculation is running rampant that she's teasing her MCU debut alongside Luke Cage star Mike Colter.
Ritter recently took to Instagram to share a photo of her and Colter seemingly reunited, later following that with an old Entertainment Weekly cover featuring The Defenders cast. It could be that she was just having fun, of course, but it's easy to see why fans are hoping Luke and Jessica's respective stories will continue in the MCU. Colter later re-shared the posts.
While Colter has shown little interest in reprising the role, the character has some potential both as a father (he and Jessica have a baby in the comic books) and as Mayor of New York City, a role Wilson Fisk is reportedly going to be shown vying for.
There's been speculation that Marvel Studios might recast Cage with a younger actor, but there's storytelling potential with an experienced Power Man as well.
One thing that's clear is the fact Marvel Studios won't be beholden to past creative decisions with these characters as they're reinvented for the MCU. The 18-episode Daredevil: Born Again will be the place to make these possible returns happen, but we'll have to wait and see.
That series is expected to premiere on Disney+ next year.