Rachael Taylor Joins Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones

Marvel’s upcoming Netflix series, A.K.A. Jessica Jones, continues to take shape as it’s added yet another member to its cast: Grey’s Anatomy and 666 Park Avenue actress Rachael Taylor. She’ll join a cast that includes Krysten Ritter as the titular superhero-turned-private investigator, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and David Tennant as the villainous “Purple Man,” Zebediah Kilgrave.

The actress is set to play Patricia “Trish” Walker, who comes with a superhero alias of her own. Walker is the alter-ego of Hellcat, a member of both the Avengers and Defenders. Whether or not she’ll suit up in the series remains to be seen, but Marvel does allude to her costumed history in the official announcement, so perhaps there’s a chance we’ll see Walker in full fledged Hellcat mode at some point in the show’s 13-episode run.

Walker will be a major player in the series, however, and is described as the “emotional anchor” for Jessica Jones. Here’s the official character description:

“Trish is a syndicated radio talk show host, former model and child TV star known to her adoring fans as “Patsy” Walker. As Jessica Jones’ closest friend, Trish helps her embark on the most dangerous case of Jessica’s career.”

Marvel’s head of television, Jeph Loeb, went on to praise Rachael Taylor and her ability to handle the complex role:

“Rachael’s ability to embody a character that must balance both the darker and lighter elements of our series will provide a perfect emotional anchor for Jessica Jones. Rachael blew us away with her grounded, humanizing take on Trish, adding yet another layer to the complex, emotional story we’re telling with this series.”

A.K.A. Jessica Jones is just one of four series coming to Netflix from Marvel studios. The others include Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Once all four shows have aired, the characters will team up for a limited mini-series dubbed The Defenders. 

A.K.A. Jessica Jones does not yet have an official release date, but is expected to hit the streaming service sometime later this year.