Marvel’s Head of Streaming Says the Studio Is “Exploring” Bringing The Defenders Back

As Charlie Cox prepares to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) return in Daredevil: Born Again, fans are holding out hope that we will see the rest of the Netflix Defenders again soon.

For those who don’t remember, before Marvel Studios got into the streaming business with Wanda Vision, Marvel Television created an inter-connected world of street-level heroes on Netflix.

Beginning with 2015’s Daredevil, the Netflix Marvel universe would eventually expand to include Punisher, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. Eventually, the heroes would come together to form The Defenders.

Source: Marvel Studios

While ostensibly set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Defenders’ stories were largely isolated from the Marvel films. Instead, they existed in a street-level world that was often grittier and more violent than that occupied by their big-screen brethren.

The Demise of the Netflix Marvel Universe

With the launch of Disney+, however, Marvel Studios decided to expand the mainline MCU into streaming. This spelled the end for the Netflix Marvel shows, which were abruptly canceled.

For the next several years, The Defenders lingered in limbo, and the canonicity of the shows was a point of contention among fans.

Photo: Netflix

When Marvel eventually announced that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio would return for a new Daredevil series, it looked like the studio was turning the page on the Defenders shows. At the time, Marvel wanted Daredevil: Born Again to have no connection to the original Netflix series.

Then, a miracle happened.

The Defenders Reborn

During the 2023 Hollywood Strikes, Kevin Feige and his team viewed the finished episodes of Daredevil: Born Again and determined that the series wasn’t working.

Eventually, Marvel decided to overhaul Born Again and tie the show into the original series. This decision also led Marvel to finally deem the Netflix Defenders shows canon.

Source: Marvel Studios

With Daredevil: Born Again now just weeks from returning fans to the world established on Netflix, fans have been clamoring for the other Defenders to return.

Brad Winderbaum  Says Marvel Is “Exploring” Bringing the Defenders Back

In a recent interview with Entertainment, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Widerbaum revealed that Marvel was “exploring” bringing the other Defenders back.

“I can’t say much, but I’ll tell you that it’s so exciting to be able to play in that sandbox,” Winderbaum told Entertainment Weekly. “Obviously, we don’t have the unlimited storytelling resources like a comic book. If you can draw it, you can do it.”

Source: Marvel Studios

According to Winderbaum, the idea of creating a subset of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on streaming again is exciting.

“It’s dealing with actors and time and the massive scale of production in order to build a cinematic universe, especially on television. But I can just say that all those variables taken into account, it is certainly something that is creatively extremely exciting and that we are very much exploring,” he continued.

Photo: The Hollywood Reporter

So, with Daredevil: Born Again just weeks from debuting, Defenders fans can hold out hope. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist could return after all.