Marvel’s The Defenders Is Officially Certified Fresh

Marvel’s The Defenders premieres on Netflix in mere hours (at the time of writing this), and so far, the critics are loving it!

The Defenders is heading into its premiere with a certified fresh rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s a nice rating in its own right, and sits well alongside the rest of the Marvel Netflix shows, which have each earned the following scores on the aggregate site:

• Daredevil Season 1 – 98%
• Jessica Jones – 92%
• Daredevil Season 2 – 74%
• Luke Cage – 96%
• Iron Fist – 17%

So, while The Defenders may not be the hit that the solo debuts of Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage were (according to critics), it would seem to be a better exploration of the deeper mythology of The Hand, The Chaste, and K’un-Lun than either Daredevil season 2 or Iron Fist were.

Read on for what Critics are saying about The Defenders – starting with Comicbook.com’s Jamie Lovett!

Comicbook.com Reviews The Defenders

According to our official Defenders Review: 

“Marvel’s The Defenders does an admirable of giving fans what they want by drawing its heroes together, without treating the alliance like fan service. The Defenders team has a distinct purpose, and each character’s narrative is given the time, space, and respect it deserves. That modicum of restraint makes the heroes’ time together feel that much more exciting, and even with the methodical pacing, there’s no shortage of humor and action to be had.”

In Kofi Outlaw’s feature on why The Defenders fulfills the true potential of the MCU, he states: 

“The Defenders succeeds at bringing its four respective Marvel Netflix series together, but it also succeeds in reminding us what is cool about each individual series and their respective heroes. Viewers will admire how the crossover actually takes time to pick up where each show left off, and slowly weave them into a big crossover event.”

What Other Critics Are Saying

Here’s what some other industry critics are saying about The Defenders: 

EW – “The Defenders is a lively genre entertainment that recharges your interest in Marvel pop. It presents as a big event, yet values consolidation. Marvel should embrace this approach moving forward.”

Variety – “While The Defenders is occasionally a bit blander than an endeavor featuring deadly ninjas and elaborate costumes should be, the eight-part drama has notable selling points, chief among them an elegant and fierce performance from Sigourney Weaver.”

NPR – “With The Defenders, Netflix is making another very bold, very smart move.”

Wall Street Journal – “Though Marvel’s The Defenders is and will continue to be arcane, it’s also thoroughly engaging, almost entirely thanks to its cast.”

CNN.Com – “The product of meticulous planning, Marvel’s The Defenders starts slowly but rewards patience, gradually uniting its “street level” heroes against a somewhat amorphous but bigger-than-any-one-can-handle threat.”

Los Angeles Daily News – “Undoubtedly, fans will analyze the series to death, but don’t sweat it. It’s a fine superhero adventure even if you don’t know all the characters. Just go with it. It may not be super, but it gets in its hits.”

Boston Globe – “While it’s a kick to watch these heroes trade barbs and sometimes blows, the miniseries leaves you itching for them, especially Jessica and Luke, to return to their own, somehow more expansive sandboxes.”

Marvel’s The Defenders premieres Friday, August 18th on Netflix.