Jessica Jones is making her triumphant return, with Krysten Ritter reprising her iconic role as the superhero-turned-private investigator. She is set to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by joining the cast of the highly anticipated second season of Marvel Television's "Daredevil: Born Again." Ritter previously starred as Jones in the eponymous Netflix series in the mid-2010s, a show that garnered immense praise, accolades, and is remembered as a standout in the Marvel television era on Netflix.
The casting announcement was unveiled during Marvel's segment of Disney's upfront presentation to advertisers on Tuesday. The presentation also offered a sneak peek at "Wonder Man," a meta series that takes a humorous look at Hollywood and stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley.
Ritter's addition, alongside "Daredevil" star Charlie Cox on stage for the reveal, gives a major boost to "Born Again." This season officially integrates characters and actors from the Netflix-era Marvel series (which were not produced by Marvel Studios) into the MCU. According to insiders, "Born Again" has been a solid performer on Disney+, with the season finale seeing a notable uptick in viewership. The show has also given a new lease of life to the Netflix seasons, which are now exclusively streaming on Disney+.
"People are watching it as if it's a season four, not as a first season," noted Brad Winderbaum, Marvel's head of television and animation, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the presentation. Winderbaum, a Marvel veteran who took charge of the series in 2021, recently renewed his contract, signaling Marvel's confidence in his ability to steer the television ship.
Winderbaum emphasized that the audience reaction has been overwhelming, ranging from discussions to fan-made videos and art. "It's given us the confidence to produce the show annually in the future," he said.
However, the exec remained tight-lipped on whether other actors and characters from the Netflix era, such as Mike Colter as Luke Cage and Finn Jones as Iron Fist, would make an appearance in the future. "It's about not rushing and telling the best story," he deflected. "Yes, it's exciting to think about characters interacting, but it's about the reasons behind it. Sometimes we've done it well, sometimes we've rushed. The story must lead the way."
Season two of "Daredevil: Born Again" will pick up where season one left off, with crime lord Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) consolidating power violently, prompting Matt Murdock (Cox) to go underground and seek allies to resist Fisk and his anti-vigilante task force. Jones will be part of this group of allies.
Marvel has been recalibrating its television strategy, and "Daredevil" represents this new model. The company made a splashy TV debut with a series of limited shows featuring big-name stars who had appeared in its big-budget movies. It treated these shows differently, eschewing a traditional TV development process and not even producing pilots. The numerous titles overwhelmed audiences, making it hard to keep up.
"Daredevil" underwent course correction during its production as Marvel embraced a more traditional development model. This year serves as a transition, with "Daredevil" bringing in the new while Marvel's two other shows – "Ironheart," a six-episode series produced by Ryan Coogler premiering on June 24, and "Wonder Man," an eight-episode series with 30-minute episodes – represent shows made before the switch. The company will take a wait-and-see approach to determine whether these titles will get second seasons.
Marvel now aims to develop and focus on shows that will have multiple seasons, producing one or two live-action shows and two animated shows per year. In many cases, these shows will not feature big-name Avengers actors. "Producing shows with marquee names made it challenging to produce second seasons due to the smaller margins in TV," Winderbaum said. "Looking ahead, does it mean we won't have big Avengers names? No. They may not be the titular character of the show, but they can still make appearances."
Balancing shows that stand alone yet remain connected to the rest of the Marvel Universe is a delicate act. Some shows lost steam because they were too interconnected, making it feel like a chore to watch. "You should be able to watch these shows independently without knowing the overall MCU story," admitted Winderbaum. "But if they're not connected, it severs what makes the MCU unique."
