6 Marvel Netflix Cliffhangers the MCU Needs to Deal With Now Jessica Jones is Back

Marvel Studios initially reintroduced Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) through a series of tactical cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo, treating the character as a familiar face within the Sacred Timeline without explicitly confirming his prior history. This approach changed drastically during the development of Daredevil: Born Again, which underwent a major creative overhaul mid-production to shift from a reboot into an official continuation of the original Netflix narrative. By deciding to embrace the established continuity of the three-season Netflix run, the studio has effectively validated the entire Defenders Saga, as every show of that era was tightly stitched together. This means the street-level struggles, historical conflicts, and interpersonal relationships established during the mid-2010s are now canonical to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Defenders Saga re-canonization is highlighted by the confirmed return of Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, marking her first appearance in the franchise since the conclusion of her solo series. With Mike Colter currently in discussions to reprise his role as Luke Cage and the renewal of Matt Murdock’s solo series for a third season, Marvel Studios has the opportunity to address cliffhangers from the Defenders Saga and streamline the continuity of it’s stree-level heroes.

6) Trish Walker’s Raft Imprisonment

The series finale of Jessica Jones concluded with Patricia “Trish” Walker (Rachael Taylor) being apprehended and sent to the Raft, the high-security underwater facility designed for superpowered offenders. At the time of her incarceration, the legal status of vigilantes was strictly governed by the Sokovia Accords, which criminalized enhanced individuals who operated without government oversight. Trish’s imprisonment served as a definitive emotional end for her character’s fall from grace, but the political landscape of the Sacred Timeline has evolved significantly since that moment.

In the years following her sentence, the world has endured the five-year global instability of the Blip and the eventual repeal of the Sokovia Accords. This legislative shift, confirmed during the events of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, suggests that the legal grounds for Trish Walker’s initial detention have effectively been dismantled. While she still had to pay for her crimes, the MCU’s current status quo opens the door for Trish’s potential redemption and her fully embracing her Hellcat persona.

5) Stone’s Fate

During the first season of Daredevil, a key scene introduced a mysterious conversation between Stick (Scott Glenn) and a massive, scarred figure identified as Stone (Jaye Ers). This interaction served as a high-stakes tease for the Chaste, an ancient martial order dedicated to opposing the Hand. Stone appeared to hold a position of significant authority within the group, suggesting that Matt Murdock’s struggle was merely one front in a much larger supernatural war. However, as the narrative progressed through the second season of Daredevil and the Defenders crossover event, Stone vanished from the story entirely, and the internal hierarchy of the Chaste was largely abandoned. This disappearance is particularly notable given that the Hand was seemingly dismantled during the collapse of Midland Circle. With rumors indicating that the Hand will return in Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel Studios can reveal Stone’s role in the MCU.

4) Typhoid Mary’s Whereabouts

The second season of Iron Fist concluded with a major revelation regarding Mary Walker (Alice Eve), a former special operations soldier whose dissociative identity disorder was initially presented as having two primary personas. In the final episode of the series, Walker discovered the existence of a third, far more violent and suppressed personality that had been responsible for her brutal prison break many years before. This discovery functioned as a cliffhanger, positioning the character to evolve into the formidable antagonist known as Typhoid Mary. In Marvel Comics, Typhoid Mary is one of the most persistent and psychologically damaging foes in the history of Matt Murdock, often serving as a professional assassin with pyrokinetic and telekinetic abilities. With Daredevil: Born Again extending beyond the Mayor Fisk storyline, the MCU should bring Mary Walker back.

3) The Daughters of the Dragon Tease

Iron Fist Season 2 shifted the power structure of the New York City hero community by establishing Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) as the new Immortal Iron Fist. This mystical evolution coincided with the continued collaboration of Misty Knight (Simone Missick), an NYPD detective equipped with a bionic prosthetic provided by Rand Enterprises. During their final meeting, Misty Knight revealed that she was being fast-tracked for a promotion to Captain, though she explicitly stated she was unsure about accepting the administrative role because she prefers working on the street. They also discussed the possibility of banding together to stop Lucas (Mike Colter) if they have to.

The Daughters of the Dragon moniker originated in Marvel Comics as a label for Colleen Wing and Misty Knight after they formed a detective agency in New York City. The Defenders Saga utilized several crossover events to build toward this status, transitioning from the duo’s initial meeting in The Defenders to a full tactical collaboration in the second season of Iron Fist. Although the cancellation of the series prevented the official founding of a business, the finale established them as the primary street-level guardians of the city.

2) Danny Rand’s Sabbatical

The finale of Iron Fist Season 2 depicted Danny Rand (Finn Jones) and Ward Meachum (Tom Pelphrey) on a global sabbatical in Asia as they searched for the historical truth behind the Iron Fist legacy. During a brief skirmish, Danny showed the ability to channel his chi through a pair of pistols, which served as a clear reference to his legendary comic book predecessor, Orson Randall. This ending promised a narrative shift away from the corporate boardrooms of New York toward a mystical odyssey that would dive into the broader mythology of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven.

Despite the MCU subsequently exploring similar mystical themes in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the artifacts and powers Danny Rand was pursuing have remained unmentioned for years. This journey was intended to explain how the Iron Fist mantle could evolve outside the traditional constraints of K’un-Lun, yet the outcome of Danny’s international hunt for Orson Randall remains a total mystery. Leaving this sabbatical unaddressed creates a void in the mystical lore of the franchise, especially as other members of the street-level hero community are reintegrated into the mainstream timeline.

1) Luke Cage’s Criminal Empire

The second season of Luke Cage concluded with the protagonist making the controversial decision to take ownership of the nightclub known as Harlem’s Paradise following the death of Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard). By assuming the role of the neighborhood’s “Sheriff,” Luke effectively became a benevolent mobster, using the club’s criminal infrastructure to regulate the illegal activities of Harlem through intimidation. This pivot was a significant moral departure, placing Luke in an ethical gray area as he attempted to maintain peace by ruling the underworld he once fought to destroy.

Luke Cage‘s cliffhanger represents the most consequential unresolved thread in the entire Defenders Saga because it fundamentally altered the power dynamics of the New York City crime scene. The bulletproof hero was even warned by his friend, Misty Knight (Simone Missick), that she would come for him if he kept breaking the law. It was clear the Defenders Saga was working to pitch Luke against other superpowered people, effectively forcing his friends to stop him before he went too far. For the studio to establish a unified street-level vision, it must confront the reality of Luke’s regime and the fallout of his decision to seize the throne.

Which dangling Defenders Saga plot point do you think is the most critical for Marvel Studios to resolve now that the street-level continuity is expanding? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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