While the characters and events of the Avengers films have been referenced in Netflix’s Marvel series, neither Daredevil or Jessica Jones has felt all that connected to the larger MCU. Perhaps this is because of their darker tone or the less fantastical elements (or Jones‘ rather cheap looking effects). Either way, fans have figured that including these newly-minted superheroes in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War would be the perfect way to integrate them. Actually, Civil War would be a more logical place but I digress.
Unfortunately, Anthony Russo (co-director of like a quarter of the MCU) has shot those dreams down. At the Brazilian comic con, CCXP, this weekend, Russo explained why we likely won’t see the Defenders and the Avengers team up any time soon.
It’s complicated. When we start to serialize the telling of stories it’s difficult. You have to have a lot of control and focus on the course of history. The films are controlled by a group led by Kevin Feige, so they function as a unit. Other products, even if they are from Marvel, are controlled by others. Then there is the possibility of a crossover, but it’s more complicated. It is a smaller scale version of the problem that exists when remembering that Fox holds the rights to some of Marvel’s most popular characters, as does Sony and others. As storytellers, we only have control over what happens in Marvel movies, but everything is possible, Spider-Man became possible!
What’s this all mean? Basically that the Marvel movies and TV shows are handled by two different teams and they’re not really great at sharing their toys. Could they work something out and get Luke Cage on the big screen or Hawkeye on the small one? Possibly, but not something we should put any money on.
