Fans are only eight months away from a historic Marvel Studios Netflix crossover. After years in the super-powered dog house, the Netflix Marvel series are back in the spotlight, with characters like Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Jon Bernthal's Punisher leading the charge. The new initiative at Marvel Studios has seen several of these formerly Netflix-exclusive characters/shows dusted off for Disney, with this year's Daredevil: Born Again being the thing to kick this new era off.
These Defenders-centric efforts will only continue to expand within the MCU ranks. Born Again Season 2 has already been confirmed to feature another returning Netflix character in Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones (who led her own Marvel Netflix series for three seasons), with rumors swirling of heroes like Iron Fist and Luke Cage coming back into the fray.
The recent confirmation that Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones will return to the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 marks a historic moment for the interconnected comic book franchise.
The 2026 series will be the first time that three titular MCU Defenders characters have interacted in a Marvel Studios-produced project, with Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Punisher all confirmed to appear in the series.
Several Defenders characters had previously crossed paths on screen; however, this had only been done in a Marvel Television-produced Netflix series, which was technically done outside Marvel Studios' central purview.
Now, with everything under the Marvel Studios umbrella, including the newly redubbed Marvel Television (no, not the same Marvel Television as before), the Jones-Murdock-Castle team-up will mark the first time this has been done within the Marvel Studios machine proper.
It is also worth noting that this will be the first time (Netflix or not) that Ritter's Jessica Jones has interacted with Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle in an MCU project, denoting yet another historic moment for the long-running franchise.
This historic Netflix crossover will come to screen in next year's Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. The second season of the R-rated Disney+ drama is a mere eight months away, expected to be released sometime in March 2026. Born Again Season 2 will again be led by Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock as he assembles a team to take on the villainous Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio).
The new season will continue the epic Marvel story from Season 1, as D'Onofrio's MCU villain declared war on the masked vigilantes of New York City, setting in motion what is expected to be an adaptation of the beloved "Devil's Reign" comic storyline.
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After years of turning a blind eye to the Netflix Marvel series, Marvel Studios seems to be welcoming the Defenders world and characters back into its ranks with open arms.
Daredevil: Born Again was just the beginning of this new effort. Also releasing next year (along with Born Again Season 2) is the new Punisher Special Presentation, telling a one-off story centered on Jon Bernthal's skull-cracking anti-hero.
That could only be the beginning of this Marvel Netflix revival. There have been rumors that Born Again Season 2 will be just the start of a new era for a character like Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones.
Ritter's super-powered private investigator has reportedly been eyed for a future Marvel Studios project of her own. However, whether that would be a full-fledged series or a Special Presentation is unknown.
Then, if the likes of Iron Fist and Luke Cage also come back, putting their stamp on the MCU once again, Defenders fans will be back in the glory days of the Netflix-Marvel partnership.
With this, though, one can only hope that it is just the characters that come back from the Marvel Netflix era and not the lackluster quality as well (looking at you, Iron Fist Seasons 1 and 2).
