With Marvel’s ever-expanding Cinematic Universe crammed so full of characters, plots, and crossovers, it’s no surprise their bag of tricks has burst onto the small screen. Their new roster of TV shows has already found a home with streaming giant, Netflix, where they will all debut exclusively. Thanks to Deadline, who landed the scoop this morning, we now have an inkling as to who will be heading up one of those series: Jessica Jones.
Testing on the show has begun with Alexandra Daddario, Krysten Ritter, Teresa Palmer and Jessica De Gouw all in contention for the lead. Landing on a Marvel shortlist of course does wonders for any actor, even if they don’t bag the role. The fact that their resume has linked them to what’s bound to be a well-watched piece of entertainment is an achievement in itself.
Daddario’s recent work on True Detective marks her as a serious contender. But De Gouw’s tackled superhero fare before on Arrow. Then again, the more light-hearted approach from Ritter or Palmer might better suit the role. Right now, it’s hard to tell which actress will be stronger in the part, as there’s scarce info on the specifics of the show’s storyline.
In the panels, Jones is a former superhero who opts out of the hectic lifestyle due to PTSD and winds up opening a detective agency to assist other heroes still in the ‘biz. Taking the reins on the series is Dexter showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, who will spearhead the series 13-episodes already ordered by Netflix.
Jessica Jones will be the second of the four series in a deal between Marvel and Netflix. First up is Daredevil, which has already begun filming, followed by Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and then Luke Cage. All four characters will then unite for a wrap-up miniseries, Defenders. Circling back to the last show for a minute, the character of Cage will actually make his first appearance in Jessica Jones. At this point it’s assumed he will crop up in the initial 6-7 episodes before his spinoff begins. Deadline’s report also mentions briefly two names linked to the iconic comic book hero, Crisis‘ Lance Gross and The Good Wife‘s Mike Colter.
At this point, all names are unverified by Marvel – so expect a press release any day now to confirm who will be taking on the role of Jessica Jones. Until then, throw in your two cents on the news. Are you happy to hear the names in the running for Marvel’s small screen series? Let us know in the comments below!
