Excitement is really starting to ramp up for the upcoming The Defenders Netflix series, thanks to new details and photos spilling out. The show will be the combination of four different Netflix series, leading many to wonder how exactly it's going to work. Is it more like Daredevil in tone? Will it take inspiration from Jessica Jones' noir aesthetic? It turns out that the series it most takes after is one that isn't even on Netflix. Sons of Anarchy played an influence on the show, according to the showrunner, thanks in no small part to its nonstop action.
The Defenders showrunner Marco Ramirez sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss the upcoming miniseries, and among the many questions he was asked was how is the eight episode series constructed based on other Netflix shows. When it comes to a superhero show as big as this one, the only way to go is with nonstop action and adrenaline that will take the viewer from beginning to end. Ramirez compared it to Sons of Anarchy, which had a similar don't-want-to-stop structure to it.
My first TV job was on Sons of Anarchy, and that show really tended to run and gun, and you picked up with adrenaline every episode and ended with adrenaline, so to me, that feels like what we want to do with these eight.
More action is definitely not a bad thing. Seeing how these four characters interact with each other and use their powers is a major selling point for the show, and this Sons of Anarchy-like style sounds perfect for The Defenders. We all typically watch Netflix shows differently, but making it easier to watch all eight episodes in a row fits in perfectly with the new watch 'em all at once culture.
With only eight episodes to its name, The Defenders really can't afford to be anything but fast paced. To learn that the series is going for this "run and gun" style is only music to fans' ears. While some were disheartened to learn that The Defenders was so short in comparison to most Netflix shows, this could be a good thing. Though each of the Marvel Netflix are well received, pacing can sometimes be a problem and 13 episodes be too many at a times. The Defenders sounds like it's going to fix this problem before it begins.
We still have Iron Fist to get through before the premiere of The Defenders, with Iron Fist making his debut on March 17. 2017. After that, The Defenders will premiere sometime in the summer of 2017 on Netflix. For more returning and new shows, check out our 2017 midseason guide!
