Marvel Studios' current street-level series plans on Disney+ are leading toward a major crossover event series. For the first time since the six Defenders Saga series were airing on Netflix from 2015 to 2019, the MCU has been going all-in on street-level storytelling in recent years. The apparent big bad of that so far has been Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, who famously fought Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock in Daredevil. Kingpin's resurgence began with his return in Hawkeye and, more recently, continued in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again. As the story currently stands, Wilson Fisk has completed his rise to New York Mayor and instituted martial law, along with a strong anti-vigilante agenda in the city.
The street-level MCU will soon get new pieces when Jon Bernthal's Punisher gets a Special Presentation on Disney+ in 2026, and could get another soon, as Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones could be next in line for a Born Again-esque revival.
The MCU's growing street-level slate spans multiple projects, each with its own heroes and storylines, albeit with some overlap. This closely mirrors the structure that led to The Defenders on Netflix, and one has to wonder if Marvel Television sees these projects as "Phase 2" of the Defenders Saga, this time on Disney+.
If Marvel Studios is looking to remain in the business of reviving its Netflix series, perhaps The Defenders could be next in line to resume on Disney+. The eight-episode limited series brought together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist to fight the ancient criminal organization, The Hand.
Two of the original Defenders are still missing from the MCU in Mike Colter's Luke Cage and Finn Jones' Iron Fist. That duo is most famously known as the Heroes for Fire, which could be a unique concept for its own Disney+ series, as Luke Cage and Danny Rand are employed to take on street-level threats.
An MCU Defenders Revival Could Be Disney+'s Avengers
While a "full-fledged Defenders reunion" may not be as certain as some hoped, Marvel Television looks to, at very least, be putting all the pieces back on the board for such a team-up to happen again, possibly in its own Disney+ show.
Of course, there is still plenty of time for new threats to brew in the background, but Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and his Anti-Vigilante Task Force may be the perfect villain to reunite the Defenders in a Disney+ sequel.
Marvel Television could develop a Defenders reboot for Disney+ as a limited series or an R-rated streaming original movie that unites heroes, villains, and storylines from other shows. That could not only see the four fan-favorite Defenders teaming up for the first time in ten years, but also adding new members, such as Echo, The Punisher, Kate Bishop, White Tiger, Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, and Elektra.
In pulling together heroes from Disney+ shows, MCU movies, and even some new introductions, The Defenders could be the answer to matching the magic of the theatrical Avengers franchise for streaming.
One key hero who is, unfortunately, unlikely to join the fight is Tom Holland's Spider-Man, as he is prohibited from appearing in a live-action Disney+ series. There were once rumors that Spider-Man 4 would include a Daredevil team-up and Kingpin face-off, but Brand New Day looks to be going in a different direction.
That's not to say that Daredevil and other Defenders couldn't crossover into Spider-Man 5, as the MCU sequel could be the vehicle for the ensemble instead of a Disney+ series if the studio was especially eager to involve Peter Parker.
