How ‘The Defenders’ Sets Up The Next Marvel Shows

The stars of The Defenders stressed that the events of the new series would have lasting changes affecting the characters on their own shows.

Now that she show has premiered on Netflix, we wanted to take a look at how the Marvel vigilantes were impacted from their battle with the Hand and how they would move forward.

Spoilers for The Defenders below.

While the events of Iron Fist and Daredevil directly fed into The Defenders, both Luke Cage‘s and Jessica Jones‘ participation in the new battle for New York will directly affect their trajectories moving forward.

Most members of the ragtag superteam were unacquainted with each other prior to the events of The Defenders, but now they’ve all had profound influences on each other and how they’ll serve their communities in the future.

And the supporting casts were there along the way, with Karen Page, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, Trish Walker, and others being directly affected by their friends’ actions.

New York might be save, but the heroes will be dealing with the repercussions in the immediate future.

Here’s where all the heroes are left off when The Defenders wraps up.

Jessica Jones

The private investigator had all but closed up shop after her confrontation with Kilgrave.

Jessica Jones had taped her windows closed and was using her office as an apartment when a worried family of a missing man intrigued her into taking her first case since Kilgrave’s death.

But she refused to admit she was “back” and she turned away her friends’ attempts to help her, including Malcom and Trish.

The battle with the Hand reinvigorated Jessica’s own sense of justice. She felt guilty about Matt Murdock’s death, but a conversation with Luke Cage reminded her that she doesn’t have to shoulder the burden alone — she has friends she can depend on.

Jessica returned to her office to find Malcom repairing her damaged wall, telling her “it’s almost like you’re back in business.”

“Almost,” she replied, then ripped the paper covering her window revealing the “Alias Investigations” signage on her front door. Jessica’s finally back.

Iron Fist

Before Daredevil sacrificed his life to cover the Defenders’ escape and make one last-ditch attempt to sway Elektra back from the Hand, he whispered in Danny Rand’s ear and told him to “protect my city.”

With the battle against the Hand over (for now), Rand seemed to take those words to heart.

After visiting Misty Knight in the hospital, Colleen Wing returns to her dojo to find Rand meditating. He says he learned in K’un-Lun that there’s “a lesson in every tragedy,” which provides an opportunity to grow.

Rand admits that New York City is “starting to feel like home,” causing Colleen Wing to kiss him.

He’s then revealed to be sitting on a rooftop which appears to be in Hell’s Kitchen at night, his fist glowing, waiting to protect the innocent much like Daredevil did for two seasons.

Luke Cage

Foggy Nelson met with his client at Claire Temple’s apartment where he revealed the NYPD didn’t file reports over the incident at Midland Circle so the city cannot file any charges.

Luke Cage and his fellow Defenders are off the hook because the event “never happened.”

Claire and Luke thanked Foggy and offered condolences to him regarding the loss of Matt Murdock.

Luke then met Jessica at a watering hole (see above) and tells her that she’ll always have a friend in Harlem.

With the battle against the Hand over and all of his legal troubles behind him, Luke can refocus his efforts on taking down Mariah and Shades.

Daredevil

Foggy found Karen Page lighting a candle for the fallen Matt Murdock in a church and attempted to console her.

He asked her how her story was going, and Karen replied she’s not writing about Midland Circle anymore.

”All it takes is someone like me figuring out, superhero and lawyer go missing at the same time,” and potentially expose Murdock’s identity at Daredevil. 



Karen said it doesn’t feel real and that it’s possible Murdock made it out. Foggy obviously didn’t believe her but stayed positive, replying “maybe.”

The final scene of the series revealed Daredevil, still alive, laying in a bed shirtless and bloodied with a nun sitting over him. When he began waking up the nun called out, “Get Maggie. Tell her he’s awake.”

With that reference to a major comic book storyline coming in Daredevil Season Three, the credits roll.

The Defenders

The Defenders is now streaming on Netflix.

Marvel’s The Defenders follows Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones). A quartet of singular heroes with one common goal – to save New York City. This is the story of four solitary figures, burdened with their own personal challenges, who realize they just might be stronger when teamed together.