Netflix CCO Talks THE DEFENDERS, Jessica Jones Casting, And Gritty/Grounded Tone
Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos talks here about assembling Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist into The Defenders, where they're at with casting, the grounded costumes and making Daredevil darker than the movie, and whether these shows will cross over with the movies...
Netflix are moving ahead with four Marvel shows, with the plan being to then bring them together in a team-up series. As of right now, we don't know if multiple seasons are planned, whether this is a one off deal which will take a few years to play out or if the characters will eventually be brought to the big screen. As of right now, it's just too soon to tell, but with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter on ABC and Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist on the online streaming service, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is aiming to take over television as well. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos was quizzed on what led them to choose these heroes. "It was really based on the theatrical model of The Avengers. Could you take another group of characters, The Defenders, and go about it the same way? Normally they do the big movie and then eventually they get to the group origin story. Having 13 hours to tell each of these stories, you can go right to the origin story and the action at the same time."
We know that Daredevil is set for 2015, but what comes next? Well, Sarandos may have inadvertently revealed exactly that as it turns out that the casting process has already begun for another character. "Right now, the writers' rooms are open and they're looking at casting Jessica," the CCO revealed. "If you sense some hesitation in my voice, that's classic Marvel fashion. They like to keep that veil of secrecy. But Daredevil is already shooting, since that's out first. Eventually the series will run very close together. You can then have a separate season where the characters will cross over." As for whether these cross overs will reach the movies, he would only say: "It has definitely been talked about."
With the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy likely set to team-up at some point in the next few years, throwing The Defenders into the mix could be very interesting, even if it would result in a VERY crowded movie. Ultimately, it's hard to imagine superheroes such as these not one day factoring into Marvel's big screen plans at some point. When talk turned to how the tone of this take on Daredevil will differ to the 2003 movie starring Ben Affleck, Sarandos said, "The series will not be afraid to go darker than the film did. What we love about this particular set of heroes is that they're a little more down to Earth. Costume wise and also in that these are gritty crime stories, more in the streets than in the clouds." While his point about the costumes may be true for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, could this mean that Daredevil and Iron Fist WON'T be suiting up in spandex? We'll have to wait and see! What do you guys think?