Marvel Studios' Defenders Crossover Will Happen Later Than Fans Had Hoped (If It Even Happens at All)

The long-awaited crossover moment for the Defenders is going to take a long time to materialize, if it comes to fruition at all. After Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist assembled on the small screen in Netflix's The Defenders, their future in the MCU became uncertain in the following years until new developments in the Multiverse Saga.

Daredevil: Born Again executive producer/writer Dario Scardapane confirmed Season 2 will not include a reunion for the Defenders. Speaking with TV Insider, he addressed fan hopes for the four New York City heroes to reassemble under Marvel Studios as Matt Murdock continues to fight Mayor Wilson Fisk's anti-vigilante campaign.

While he admitted to not "[wanting] everything that the fans want," he explained that New York's current difficult situation includes other people who have not popped up yet. Calling that part "half fun," he further noted that he did not know if "a full-fledged Defenders reunion" was in the cards for the show's next nine episodes:

"The funny thing is, I don’t feel there’s a huge dividing line between myself and the fans. I am a super fan. I don’t necessarily want everything that the fans want, so I can’t give anything away. But the idea that New York is in a really tough place and that Hell’s Kitchen and Daredevil’s world includes other people, some of whom we have not seen yet… it makes a certain amount of sense that the world is going to expand a little bit. Now, a full-fledged Defenders reunion, I don’t know about that. But the idea that there are people in our world that we haven’t seen yet… I think that’s half fun."

This comes after the Daredevil: Season 1 finale hinted at Daredevil possibly recruiting the Defenders for his army as Fisk's reign over New York grew more dangerous. Thus far, some of the characters on Matt's potential roster include Ruibo Qian's Detective Angie Kim and Clark Johnson's former cop Cherry, along with a few other officers. However, no other superheroes are currently in the group.

While most of the Defenders are still being held back, Charlie Cox's Daredevil returned to action in his own revival solo series, Daredevil: Born Again, in 2025. Confirmed to bring Netflix's Defenders Saga into the canon MCU, Matt Murdock rekindled his fierce rivalry with Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, who now sits as the Mayor of New York.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 ran from March to April in 2025, and Season 2 is expected to be released sometime in March 2026.

When Will the Defenders Return to the MCU?

Although it is still unclear if or when any of the other Defenders actors will come back to their roles for the MCU, in recent months, all of them have expressed a willingness to return.

Iron Fist star Finn Jones urged Marvel to give him another chance at the role, expressing a desire to redeem himself after a rough showing on Netflix. This comes shortly after Luke Cage actor Mike Colter offered an "anything can happen" response when asked about the chances of his comeback to his fan-favorite role.

Meanwhile, Krysten Ritter (the star behind Jessica Jones) has been eager to return with Marvel Studios for a long time, often saying she is always ready to don her leather jacket and jeans again.

For now, Disney is moving forward with a Punisher Special Presentation set up at the end of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 for Jon Bernthal. With plenty of potential avenues for the other Defenders stars to use for a comeback, fans are anxious to see if and when this group's reunion becomes a reality.