Confirming what many had already considered to be a done deal, Marvel and Netflix announced today that both Deborah Ann Woll (Daredevil) and Simone Missick (Luke Cage) will indeed crop up in The Defenders.
They join fellow supporting players Eka Darville (Malcolm), Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson) and Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle/The Punisher) in the 2017 ensemble series, which we now know will run for a total of eight episodes as opposed to the standard 13. Word of Woll and Missick’s casting hails from a brief promo released today, bearing the caption “those who surround us, define us.”
Now that Luke Cage is officially out in the open, the only remaining member of The Defenders yet to be introduced to Netflix viewers is Iron Fist. The fourth and final standalone show – The Punisher notwithstanding – will bow on March 17, meaning it’s likely that Marvel will hold fire on The Defenders until summer 2017 or, in the vein of Luke Cage, towards the fall season.
Regardless, we know that S.J. Clarkson (Jessica Jones, Vinyl, Orange is the New Black) will be helming the first two installments, and the latest synopsis reads as so: “Marvel’s The Defenders follows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. 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.”
All eight episodes of The Defenders are slated to hit Netflix late next year, making it the third Marvel series to premiere in 2017 following Iron Fist and The Punisher spinoff.
