10) Nothing Is Ever Thrown Away
While the New York setting and character crossovers have been clear all along, The Defenders brought connecting factors in the Netflix shows to light like never before. Following the introduction of The Hand in Daredevil, their role as antagonist grew when they featured in Iron Fist. Now, with all the heroes thrust together in the largest conflict against them so far, their involvement has come full circle.
What’s most impressive about how this came together was how seamless it’s felt recently. Seeds that were planted from the early days have now come to fruition and grown to drive the story, rather than just supplement them. A supporting subplot about reviving the dead in Daredevil proved to influence one of the largest story beats in The Defenders where Elektra is brought back to life as an antagonist. The whole thing was meticulously calculated.
In the events that follow, elements from all of the series came together to work in tandem. Nods to Danny Rand’s origin as a hero became motivation for the antagonists in The Defenders, while Matt Murdock’s past relationship with Elektra provided a potential resolution for the heroes. We weren’t just expected to accept that the characters fell in as a team through geographical convenience. They needed each other more than The Avengers ever have.