The release of Echo signalled the official confirmation that Netflix’s Defenders series are a part of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s sacred timeline. Daredevil: Born Again heralds the return to the street-level heroes, who have been sorely lacking within the MCU as of late, save Spider-Man. There are plenty of colourful characters to handle non-Avengers level threats on the streets of New York City and other locations.
If the Defenders were to reform, the original roster of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist would be welcome. Other pre-established heroes, such as the Punisher, Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, Spider-Man, Moon Knight, Kate Bishop, and Echo, could become members too. But, there is also room for more. There is a golden opportunity to continue to grow the Defenders’ corner of the MCU, introducing lesser known heroes in their either own television series, or as supporting characters in others. Here are six choices to join the ranks.
White Tiger (Ava Ayala)
White Tiger is a mantle held by three members of the same family; first Hector Ayala, then his niece Angela Del Toro, and then Hector’s sister Ava Ayala. The powers of White Tiger originate from the three Jade Amulets, each gifting the user with superhuman powers. However, there is a hanging sense of tragedy around the amulets, bringing more misery than good to the Ayala family.
Ava Ayala would be a good central character, a proud member of her Hispanic family and community. The inciting incident would be Hector’s death, likely a murder, leading Ava to seek answers into his activities and lead her to the White Tiger’s amulets. Hector’s own time as the character can be explored through flashbacks during Ava’s investigation. Alternatively, all three members of the family could wield the amulets, having different methods and motivations for crimefighting. As for a villain, the mafia agent Gideon Mace is suitable, targeting and murdering superheroes to secure power in New York. Mace lacks powers, but could match White Tiger with his manipulative nature and strategic mind, being a former soldier.
Paladin
Paladin is purely in the grey area, being hired by both heroes and villains as a mercenary. He is inspired by the 1950s western series Have Gun – Will Travel, which featured a very similar character. Paladin is depicted as a very professional gun-for-hire, willing to work with other superheroes if necessary to get his assignments done, but his lack of loyalties puts him at odds with his would-be allies. The lack of a backstory might make him a little lacklustre, but this doesn’t deprive Paladin of depth and the potential to be a wildcard member of the Defenders.
Blindspot (Samuel Chung)
Passing the superhero mantle from one character to another is nothing new in Marvel. It has already begun in the MCU, with Sam Wilson and Kate Bishop becoming the new Captain America and Hawkeye. Although Charlie Cox has only recently reprised his role as Daredevil, he may one day choose to leave. One character who could succeed Daredevil is Blindspot, a Chinese martial artist who becomes Daredevil’s ally and protégé. Samuel Chung has already appeared in Iron Fist, played by James Chen, as the manager of a community centre in Colleen Wing’s neighbourhood.
In the comics, Sam works as a janitor at Columbia University, designing an invisibility suit to fight crime. His mother Lu Wei abandons the family to join the Church of the Sheltering Hands, actually run by former members of the Hand. The Church could work as a revival of the Hand, Daredevil’s arch enemies, run by the crime lord Tenfingers, who exhorts Chinese immigrants to turn them into devoted minions. Combining acrobatics, martial arts, and invisibility suit would make Blindspot a compelling fighter, further bringing more Asian heroes into the limelight. On a side note, a religious-driven conflict between Daredevil and the Church would make for good drama.
Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond)
Kyle Richmond has a lot of potential as a character, especially in terms of what direction to take him. Introduced as a thrill-seeking, privileged playboy, Kyle’s life takes a nasty turn when his girlfriend dies whilst he is DUI. He develops a heart murmur, and then his father dies in a plane crash, leaving his entire business empire to his son. Kyle gains superpowers through an alchemic concoction, recruited into the Grandmaster’s Squadron Sinister team, alongside Hyperion, Whizzer, and Doctor Spectrum. Developing a conscience, Nighthawk turns to crime-fighting, becoming an altruistic Batman-esque character who protects others, often at his own expense.
That is a lot to unwrap, but some streamlining could create an intriguing story about a selfish frat boy facing his own mortality and life choices. Discovering his actions have consequences sends Kyle down a dark path of self-discovery, going from one extreme to the next. A potential series could serve as an ensemble with the other Squadron Sinister members, exploring their motives and morals as they all fall in with the wrong crowd. If the Defenders ever crossed into the multiverse, Kyle could meet his heroic variant from the Squadron Supreme universe, where Nighthawk is the US President.
Gargoyle (Isaac Christians)
Isaac Christians could embody the supernatural side of the MCU amongst the Defenders. Gargoyle is a WWI veteran who has one of the most miserable strings of bad luck in an origin story. He pushed his brother off a roof as a kid, witnessed his best friend die on the battlefield, suffered from shell shock, and then served as the mayor for his dying hometown. Fed up, Isaac began reading magic books and summoned the demon Avarrish, a member of the Six-Fingered Hand. Avarrish promised to save Isaac’s town if he did some evil work for him. This involved kidnapping Trish Walker (aka Hellcat) in the form of a powerful gargoyle. However, Isaacs hesitated in fighting the Defenders, causing Avarrish to trap him as the Gargoyle, who joined the team to make amends.
The gargoyle itself has a nifty backstory, being brought to life by a vengeful pagan named Derwyddon against Roman Christians for destroying his religious rights. It then spent time as a mage’s familiar, terrorises humanity for a few centuries, and then became a slave of the Six-Fingered Hand. Are all of the Defenders’ enemies hand-related? Anyway, Gargoyle would be a fun character to explore, and casting an older actor as a superhero would be refreshing. Gargoyle has fought against the hell lords and their minions, one of whom is Count Dracula. This would make him a viable candidate for the Midnight Sons. A potential series could explore Isaac’s inner and outer turmoil, using his powers to vent against both demons and the modern world, and in some literal cases, encountering the ghosts of his past.
Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson)
Being a superhero can be a pain in the neck for Marvel’s characters. Just ask Peter Parker. Another character who struggled with his duality is Eric Masterson, better known as Thunderstrike. An ally to Thor, Eric was wounded during a fight against Mongoose. At Thor’s request, Odin merged their lifeforces together, making them both Thor, yet maintained their separate minds like they are Automan! This causes problems for Eric, forced by Thor to leave his family so often, that his wife divorces him and he loses custody of his son Kevin. Eric succeeded Thor for a time, but his inexperience and struggle to master the thunder god’s powers only brought more trouble. Thor reclaimed his title, finally granting Eric the Thunderstrike Mace, from which he takes his name.
Chris Hemsworth has said he will continue to play Thor as long as the role remains interesting. This puts the likelihood of Thunderstrike appearing unlikely, but the character could play a part. The Thunderstrike Mace could appear on Earth through unknown reasons, found by Eric, who gains its powers and struggles to handle them, affecting is personal life. Compared to the other Defenders who have honed their powers for years, Thunderstrike would be an inexperienced newcomer who causes more harm than good.
Which characters would you like to see appear in the Defenders TV series? Should there be a reunion of the original team? Leave a comment below or on our Twitter feed.
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