AKA Everything: Is Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones Rumored to Return to the Superhero Gig in the MCU??
This article is part of the entertainment column “The Daily Bugle”
January 13, 2023
With the return of Charlie Cox as DareDevil (Spider-Man: No Way, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Echo, and DareDevil: Born Again) and Vincent D’Onofrio’s antagonist role of Kingpin (Hawkeye Echo, and DareDevil: Born Again), both part of the Defenders Saga, is it time for Marvel to bring in one of the best Defenders with the most popular series, Jessica Jones?? Or is she too brutal for Disney/Marvel’s kid friendly films, shows, and specials?? It might be possible that since times are changing, so is the MCU as fans know it.
There has been much speculation for quite some time now that Marvel Studios would introduce characters from the canceled Netflix Marvel hits. All the series’ included DareDevil, Luke Cage, Iron First, The Defenders, The Punisher, and, of course, Jessica Jones.
After the great success of Spider-Man: No Way Home with Charlie Cox’s cameo as the really good lawyer, Matt Murdock, and the main villain of Hawkeye turning out to be Vincent D’Onofrio reprising his role as the crime lord of Hell’s Kitchen, AKA the Kingpin. Making not just DareDevil canonized in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but all the other Netflix series. It was recently announced that both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio will not only be returning for the Echo series but with the surprise announcement of DareDevil: Born Again. Though DareDevil: Born Again will not release until Spring of 2024, Matt Murdock appeared in two episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (“Ribbit and Rip It” and “Whose Show Is This?”) and as The Hollywood Reporter announced, “both Cox and D’Onofrio will have pivotal roles in Echo”.
Since longtime Marvel fans as well as “Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” supporters are absolutely ecstatic over Matt Murdock and The Kingpin’s massive return to the Marvel scene, they can’t help but wonder, will other Netflix characters join the MCU?? Or will DareDevil be the lone show?? It was just confirmed that one of the best Defenders with the most popular series will be making her Marvel comeback in an upcoming project. From apparent “trusted and proven sources”, it is safe to report that Kevin Feige has approved Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in a solo series set to start filming in 2024. Though nothing has been officially released or announced by Marvel Studios or the actress herself, Krysten Ritter recently posted pictures of her gym training sessions via Instagram (@therealkrystenritter). Many fans did not think much of this but if you look closely she is wearing a DareDevil shirt, leading fans to believe that she would be returning as Jessica days before the new series rumor. Another rumor surfacing is that Ritter will cameo in DareDevil: Born Again before her leading role in a Jessica Jones reboot, to introduce her into the MCU. Having Jessica debut in the DareDevil project makes the most sense MCU wise due to her connections with the blind attorney at law due to The Defenders mini-series.
With two Defenders set to return, will this mean a Defenders reunion or reboot?? Possibly, as Finn Jones has been lobbying for a while to reprise his role as Danny Rand AKA The Immortal Iron Fist. But it is most likely they will recast or leave the character out of the MCU completely due to the failed solo series, Iron First. Jon Bernthal will be returning as Frank Castle/The Punisher but not for a while… Krysten Ritter was supposed to return as one of New York’s best Private Investigators, Jessica Jones in DareDevil: Born Again but due to scheduling conflicts Jon Bernthal is now taking her pivotal part in the series where Jessica is now just rumored to cameo in the series.
An interesting Marvel fact is Vulture just released a list of “Every Marvel Live-Action Show of the MCU Era, Ranked”, though some fans believe the Disney+ series starting off with WandaVision to be the first Marvel project not in the form of a theatrical release, they are completely wrong. Other series like Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Inhumans, and even DareDevil all premiered before Disney+ even existed. What is most notable on Vulture’s rankings is that in the Marvel community, DareDevil seems to be the best show among fans but on this list Jessica Jones lands the top spot. Meaning of all Marvel series’ whether they premiered on ABC, Disney+, or Netflix, Jessica Jones is the overall best. This is monumental because having a female led show ranked number one, proves that powerful female superhero leads don’t need to be done up in some costume or have a secret alter ego. As Vulture states, Jessica Jones is an “unflinching presentation of a woman struggling with the aftereffects of her assault made for harrowing television.” The excerpt goes on to discuss Krysten Ritter’s outstanding portrayal as “a woman whose virtually limitless strength wasn’t able to save her from being victimized”. Even though Jessica Jones didn’t conform to the other Marvel heroes and similar tropes, that is exactly what made the series so memorable along with David Tennant’s bone chilling performance as the main antagonist, Killgrave AKA The Purple Man. “On the whole, Jessica Jones was a show that was brave enough to try new things, and to present new sides to stories we’ve seen elements of before.” As Vulture perfectly put into words above, Jessica Jones was ahead of its time by having a fresh new story with a female lead, these are things fans do not want the reboot to leave out since it had such a pivotal role in the success of the series, character, and actors.
Now you may be wondering, who is Jessica Jones?? For fans who have not read her comics or seen the Netflix series (which is now streaming all three seasons on Disney+), some background knowledge of the character may be helpful. Below is an opinionated review (covered by Val Kohan) and overall breakdown of the Jessica Jones series. The article also includes a brief comic storyline recap.
Like most superheroes, Jessica Jones received her powers in a freak accident. When she was a teenager , a chemical waste truck collided with the Jones’ family car, killing both her parents as well as her little brother, but leaving her in a coma. When she woke, she discovered she was “gifted” or “cursed” with such powers as enhanced durability, super-strength, and flight (but after a while loses flight as it rather just jumping long distances). In the comics, Jessica Jones takes a run at the superhero gig as the heroine, “Jewel” for about a half a decade. Her alias look consisted of bright pink hair and a strapless white and bright blue jumpsuit with a large pink jewel to match her hair and of course alter ego. In the Netflix show Jessica and Trish even joked about the ridiculous name and costume in season one, episode five. There viewers learn about Jessica’s life before Kilgrave as an *almost* normal New Yorker that Trish designed her traditional superhero costume and even suggested the alias, “Jewel”. In the comics during Jessica’s time as Jewel that is where her life is turned upside down by the Purple Man AKA Kilgrave who mind controls her and anyone in their way. It isn’t until the Jessica Jones: Alias comic series where Jessica’s shifted to a more dark, mysterious, and modern look where she rocks the iconic black leather jacket and gray scarf. FUN FACT: Jessica actually went to high school with Peter Parker and her father worked for Tony Stark in the earlier comics.
However, the Netflix series, Jessica Jones follows Jessica Jones who possesses superhuman powers trying to go on with her difficult life after an incident that changes everything. While living in New York as a PI (Private Investigator) with her own company, Alias Investigations, her traumatic past catches up with the man who ruined everything, Killgrave. She then finds herself in the superhero gig once again trying to fix and stop all the damage Killgrave has forced others to do including Jessica. She must confront her past in order to defeat the ominous purple man, Killgrave, that ruined her current life. Can Jessica get to Kilgrave in time so more lives are sacrificed or will the whole city become in danger of Kilgrave’s deadly mind control games.
Check out a previous article on Jessica Jones
Read about Jessica Jones in Part Two in “Marvel’s The Defenders Saga Has a New Home on Disney+ Ft. Jessica Jones (Pt. 2)”
All three seasons of Jessica Jones are streaming (again) on Disney+!!
