Marvel's Netflix Defenders · Marvel's The Defenders
The Defenders
Season 1
TV · 2017
Danny Rand tracks the Hand to New York, where Alexandra and her fellow leaders are digging beneath the city toward a substance they believe will let them live forever. Danny, Matt Murdock (who has retired as Daredevil), Jessica Jones and Luke Cage keep colliding while chasing separate pieces of the plot, and after a rocky start they join forces with help from Stick, Colleen Wing, Claire Temple and Misty Knight. Elektra, resurrected by the Hand as its weapon, the Black Sky, kills Stick and then Alexandra, seizing command of the Hand to pursue its plan, which depends on Danny. The heroes decide to bring down the Midland Circle building on top of the Hand's dig, and in the final battle beneath it Colleen kills Bakuto. Matt stays behind with Elektra as the building collapses, burying her, Madame Gao and Murakami, while the others escape believing he has died. In the closing scene Matt wakes, badly injured, in the care of nuns.
Follows on from
- Daredevil: Season 2direct-sequel — Elektra's death at the end of Daredevil season 2, her resurrection as the Hand's Black Sky, Stick and Matt's retirement from Daredevil all carry straight into the team-up.
- Iron Fist: Season 1direct-sequel — Danny Rand's pursuit of the Hand and his power as the Iron Fist, which the Hand wants, drive the plot from the first episode.
- Jessica Jones: Season 1direct-sequel · optional — Jessica's life after killing Kilgrave, and her circle of Trish and Malcolm, is where she starts; her Defenders plot is largely self-contained.
- Luke Cage: Season 1direct-sequel · optional — Luke Cage season 1 ends with him arrested; the miniseries opens with him released and his name cleared.
Leads to
- Luke Cage: Season 2direct-sequel · optional — Follows on from The Defenders: Misty Knight lost her arm there and is fitted with a prosthetic this season, and Luke returns to Harlem a known hero. A real but minor thread.
- Iron Fist: Season 2direct-sequel — Opens in the aftermath of The Defenders: Danny has taken up Matt Murdock's role of protecting the city, and his partnership with Colleen and Misty's lost arm both carry over.
- Daredevil: Season 3direct-sequel — Opens with Matt battered and missing after the building collapse that ended The Defenders, and his recovery drives the early episodes.