MCU Phase 4 Can Complete The Original Defenders Team - Screen Rant

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Phase 4 of the MCU can take the final steps toward completing the original Defenders team from Marvel Comics. Marvel already created a Defenders group on Netflix, but a proper version of the team could be introduced on the big screen.

Marvel’s Netflix shows culminated into The Defenders, a miniseries loosely inspired by the comic book superhero team of the same name. Netflix’s Defenders consisted of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Unfortunately for Marvel and Netflix, the show wasn’t received nearly as well as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, and wasn’t considered a success. Later, Marvel’s deal with Netflix was terminated. This meant that these characters could eventually be brought into the MCU proper, possibly with all-new stories and new actors portraying them. Recently, the rights to Daredevil reverted to Marvel and it may not be long before Marvel can use the “Defenders” name again.

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When this becomes an option, Marvel could theoretically reassemble these heroes on Disney+, but making Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil the face of the Defenders again may not be their plan. Marvel may have a much different plan for the iconic superhero team from the 1970s. To separate their Defenders from Netflix’s team, there’s a good chance that Marvel will put together a team that’s totally unique to what Netflix had. The blueprint for that can be found in the original Defenders comics from the 1970s and 1980s. One reason why this Defenders team may be the only Marvel decides to build is related to the fact that Marvel is already almost there. Here’s what Marvel needs to do to finish its Defenders team, and why it could happen as early as Phase 4.

The Defenders In Marvel Comics Explained

Netflix’s Defenders is a group of street-level superheroes, but that’s not at all how they were originally envisioned in Marvel Comics. The first lineup, formed in 1971’s Marvel Feature #1, consisted of three of Marvel’s most powerful heroes: Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Namor the Sub-Mariner. A fourth powerhouse, Silver Surfer, was added in 1972. The unofficial leader was Doctor Strange, who let the group use his Sanctum Sanctorum as a base. His idea was for the Defenders to be a group that would come together when the need arose, rather than being a more permanent superhero team like the Avengers. For that reason, the Defenders were often referred to as a “non-team”.

Hulk and Namor – who quarreled often – stuck around for a number of cosmic and interdimensional adventures. As for Silver Surfer, he didn’t stay with the team for very long, and was quickly replaced by Valkyrie and Nighthawk, who both served as mainstays for over a decade. When Strange became too busy with his activities as the Sorcerer Supreme, Nighthawk took over his role and used his resources to make sure the Defenders stayed together. Heroes came and went as time passed, with characters like Beast, Gargoyle, and Hellcat all acting as long-term members. One constant was Valkyrie, who was a Defender up until the very end when the comic was canceled in 1985. Occasionally, Marvel has staged reunions of the team by bringing several of them back for more team-ups.

Marvel Already Has Three Key Defenders Characters

The five most important Defenders in Marvel Comics are Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, Valkyrie, and Nighthawk. Silver Surfer is another one that’s worth mentioning, but he hasn’t been around nearly as much as the others. Of the ones listed above, three are already in the MCU and are still active. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) will be key to Phase 4, as he’ll be starring in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and will also have a presence in Spider-Man 3 alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie is currently the leader of Asgard and will be appearing in Thor: Love and Thunder. The Hulk, one of the three founding Avengers who’s still around in the MCU, has an uncertain future but could appear in She-Hulk.

Marvel Can Add Two Main Members In Phase 4

The other two of the five central Defenders could be added to the MCU in Phase 4. Namor the Sub-Mariner, who may be the biggest Marvel Comics superhero who has never appeared in live-action, is a heavy favorite to be the villain in Black Panther 2. However, that’s not the only movie that could introduce him. The Avenging Son is a strong candidate for Doctor Strange 2’s mystery character. It may be that the movie will include a scene or two that explores his underwater home, Atlantis. This would help set up Namor as a major player in the MCU in Phase 5.

With Namor, Marvel would have the complete original Defenders lineup, but one more cornerstone of the team could be incorporated into the MCU in the near future. There are rumors going around that the Squadron Supreme may debut in Marvel’s Disney+ series, Loki, or be the focus of their own show or movie. In the comics, Nighthawk got his start as the Batman-inspired member of the Squadron Supreme, who were intentionally created to be counterparts of DC’s Justice League. If Marvel does have intentions of using the Squadron Supreme, Nighthawk is more than likely to be involved. They would work in Loki or in Doctor Strange 2, since most versions of the Squadron Supreme hail from alternate universes. That could be how they’re worked into the MCU. There could be a timeline in Marvel’s multiverse where the people of Earth depend on the Squadron instead of the Avengers for protection.

When The Defenders Can Unite In The MCU

If Marvel did complete the original team by adding Namor (and possibly Nighthawk as well), their next step would be to unite them. An opportunity for that could come somewhere in Phase 5. By that time, enough years will have passed that Marvel may be open to reusing the Defenders name and not being too concerned about audiences associating it with the Netflix series. The amount of time that will have gone by combined with how fundamentally different they are will help Marvel distance the MCU’s Defenders from the previous, small screen iteration.

Led by Doctor Strange, the Defenders could get their own team-up movie. Alternatively, they could come together in Doctor Strange 3. Doctor Strange 2 could provide the setup by having him meet Namor and Nighthawk, and then the sequel could take this a step further by having the three join forces with Hulk and Valkyrie (who already know each other). If this were to happen, Doctor Strange 3 could be the big crossover movie of Phase 5.

More: MCU Villains Who Could Be More Powerful Than Thanos In Phase 4 (& Beyond)

Key Release Dates

Black Widow (2021)Release date: May 07, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Jul 09, 2021
Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 (2021)Release date: Dec 17, 2021
Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Feb 11, 2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: Mar 25, 2022
Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
Captain Marvel 2 (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022

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About The Author

Nicholas Raymond (2033 Articles Published)

Nicholas Raymond is a staff features writer for Screen Rant. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo. He is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, "A Man Against the World." Nicholas' love for telling stories is inspired by his love for film noir, westerns, superhero movies, classic films, foreign cinema, and wuxia. He also has interests in ancient history. His favorite actors are Tyrone Power, Charlton Heston, and Eleanor Parker. His favorite film is Casablanca, and his favorite director is Alfred Hitchcock. He can be reached by email at cnrmail@bellsouth.net and on Twitter at @cnraymond91.