Marvel's Phase 2 of Netflix Could Include Punisher, Blade, Ghost Rider and More
Daredevil ended up being a huge hit for Marvel and Netflix, and fans are excitedly anticipating the future of their partnership and the shows they're developing for fans. Apparently the series did better than anyone at Marvel and Netflix expected. Right now AKA Jessica Jones is in production with Luke Cage and Iron Fist currently in development. This first phase of these Netflix series will lead to The Defenders, which is sure to be awesome.
Thanks to Heroic Hollywood we have some details on what Marvel is looking at doing for Phase II of their Netflix series plan. On top of the characters that make up The Defenders team, we will also see the addition of Elektra, which has been rumored lately. That's not the best news though, because according to the report, the studio is toying with the idea of bringing in characters like Punisher, Blade, and Ghost Rider. It would be amazing to see these characters come into this world! But there are risks to including them. The site explains:
Not only are they darker and more violent, but two of them require supernatural elements in order to tell their stories. The inclusion of these characters could send Netflix over to the goofy side, which is something they’re very afraid of Ghost Rider would also rely on CGI too much for the studio’s taste.
It would also be difficult to incorporate the stories of these characters smoothly. Blade and Punisher are perceived to be rather one-note to carry a series on their own. The heavy level of violence is also perceived to be a risk. They want a “hard PG-13,” instead of an R. And since none of the Defenders actively kill, throwing Punisher into the mix could be a challenge.
Marvel has to find a way to bring Punisher to life again. Yeah, he's a hard-R character, but that's why building a Netflix series around him is perfect. If done right it would be a huge hit with the fans just like Daredevil. I'm not sure what the big issue is, especially with how dark Daredevil was.
The report speculates that we'll likely see a cameo and backdoor pilot for some of these characters first. If those were to go over well with fans, it could lead to a full-on series for them.
On top of all that, the studio is working very hard on bringing in the film actors to make cameos in these series. We've already heard rumors of Doctor Strange appearing in Iron Fist, but the powers at be are trying to find a way to get Benedict Cumberbatch to appear in the Defenders series. It's not a done deal, but that's what they are pushing for.
That's not all though! The studio also hopes that they will be able to develop a movie or mini-series on Netflix that would feature characters like Hawkeye or Black Widow. A project like this could feature both TV and movie characters, and could serve as a bridge between the two Marvel worlds.
As for non-Netflix series there are other shows in early development for titles that include Cloak and Dagger, Ms. Marvel, and a Hulk prequel. Things are starting to get even more and more interesting on the Marvel TV front.
We'll keep you updated on additional info as it continues to roll in.