Well, it’s a been a while since any updates have been made
to my geeky side of the world. Life and work have taken their toll on my
availability, it happens. Still, it’s okay to dive right in and see what the
latest and greatest things are that are shaking in the world of pop culture.
As you might expect, over the last twenty-four one new
trailer is dominating talking points in a lot of circles. That would be the
newest trailer for the Marvel Netflix series “The Defenders.” Take a look:
At first glance, the sixteen second spot seems a bit on the
boring side. After all, seeing all four characters standing together in an
elevator with Danny looking a bit more worse for the wear BTW, is really
nothing special. Luckily, the folks at Fnga Bang have dissected the trailer and
uncovered a few Easter Eggs. Here’s a look at the break down:
I don’t want to steal their thunder and credit where credit
is due, but like most of the Marvel fan population, a lot of those hidden gems
were right there in your face. Still, lots of folks likely missed them the
first or even the second time around. The real important one is probably the
expected release date of 8/18/2017, because that means “The Defenders” will be
dropping during those hot August nights where most of us just want to curl up
with a blanket and the AC blasting with some popcorn, Butterfingers, and a
Coke. (Okay, maybe that’s just me, but you can’t blame a guy).
I’m excited for “The Defenders” on a few levels: Four
interesting characters, a villain from the off-the-page world, setting up a
larger world.
Four Interesting Characters
Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones really do
make quite the team. Each character has seen their individual Netflix series
received with a fair bit of acclaim and even a touch of criticism. Yes, Iron
Fist was a bit slow, Luke Cage was a bit uneven, etc, etc. Seeing these four
interact, and probably especially how they meet should be pretty entertaining.
An Off-the-Page Villain
While The Hand will probably pop up with several ninjas (or
is it just ninja for plural?) for the characters to do some fighting with, news
of Sigourney Weaver will be playing Alexandra, the main villain of the series.
Since Alexandra is not a Marvel villain, this off-the page concept is a bit on
the daring side as Netflix is going with something that is an unproven
commodity. How’s it going to work? Who knows, but this could be magic, as
Weaver’s reputation precedes her, I know I’m expecting something great.
Setting Up the Larger World
The Netflix world of Marvel characters is set to expand with
“The Punisher” series later this year as well, and with characters getting
their own series after appearances in other Netflix series, the “network” has
proven to be a launching pad of entertainment. I look at Netflix as the first
real live-action comic book publisher. I think of “The Defenders” as an 8-issue
limited series from a larger line of products. After all, it all started with
comics, so it might just launch some additional stories.
All the positive set aside, there are a few reasons to be
nervous about “The Defenders” as well: that villain, the length, and how big
can the world really get?
The Villain
Yep, excited and nervous about anything that has not been
established (in some form or another) on the comic book page. Maybe it’s my
age, maybe it’s something else, I’m not sure. One thing I do know from just
about every form of entertainment imaginable is that a property is only as good
as the villain. That hangs quite a bit of responsibility on the writers of the
show to really do it some justice.
The Length
Eight episodes is not a lot of time. With four great
characters, one new villain, and hopefully some great deep storylines, there is
A LOT that is going to be packed into “The Defenders.” With so many faces
needing to chew up some screen time, this could be a competition more than a
show. Directors and writers are going to have to make sure everyone has just
enough to do without shadowing everyone else.
How Far is Netflix Willing to Go?
I often wonder about just how far Netflix is willing to go
with these Marvel properties. You could say that the company has been
successfully mining the C-List of characters for a few years. Sorry fans,
Daredevil and Frank Miller were brilliant, but the character has had more
valleys than peaks. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist are all great
characters, but aside from outworldly geeks like myself (and no doubt several
of you reading this right now) the characters were largely a mystery before
their Netflix bows. So I ask Marvel and Netflix, who or what is next, because
the big screen is going to be packed with Avengers and Guardians over the next
few years. That’s a lot of A-List (and B-List) characters shaking up the world
(quite literally in a few cases), Netflix and Marvel seem committed to a darker
grittier world than the unicorns and cotton candy at the box office, just how
far are they willing to go?
So, “The Defenders” will be dropping this summer, it’ll be
binged by millions of fans, it’ll be judged by thousands of them, it might
work, it might not. With more than four months to go, more trailers are likely
on the way. This is more of a pivotal point in the Marvel/Netflix partnership
than many people realize, and there is a lot riding on the success (or failure)
of this single series. I’m rooting for the show to be a runaway (see what I did
there?) hit. Seems like the answer is not all that far way.
