With the blockbuster successes of standalone superhero films as well as the Avengers collaborations, Marvel working to create an empire on the small screen is no surprise. The foundation for this empire was set with the first season of Daredevil on Netflix, which had subscribers everywhere binge-watching to see more of Matt Murdock and his mission to help the helpless of Hell’s Kitchen. Matt will be a key member of the team of superheroes to star in the Defenders miniseries, and according to star Charlie Cox, the first steps toward The Defenders may be taken in Season 2 of Daredevil.
Something that’s very tricky for Matt is to allow anyone to help him. He finds it impossible to ask for help. One of the lessons that he’s going to have to learn this season is that he needs other people, he needs help, we all need help.
Charlie Cox’s explanation of Matt’s mindset in Season 2 could well reveal a lot about Netflix’s first superhero’s journey toward becoming a Defender. Every Marvel series on the streaming service will inevitably be compared to the one that started everything, so if Matt opens himself up to the idea of asking for help, that would introduce the idea of good guys teaming up for the greater good. Season 2 will undoubtedly be about Matt, Punisher, Elektra and the other characters from Season 1, but the next set of episodes sneakily setting up The Defenders could be fantastic.
Given Matt’s state of mind in Season 1, it’s no shocker that he might struggle with accepting help when the action kicks off in Season 2. He’d spent a lot of his life hiding his superpower and concealing the truth about his evening activities. Even bringing his best pal and new nurse friend in on his secret by the finale wouldn’t have been enough to change his instincts after choosing to go at it alone for so long. He had the stuffing pretty well beat out of him on a regular basis for the first 13 episodes; maybe he’ll need something different to open himself up to not isolating himself in the future.
Granted, Matt has already discovered that he needs somebody in the medical profession in his pocket. If anything, Claire Temple deserves to have the Defenders set up so that she can quit hospital work and set up a clinic for New York City vigilantes.
The only other vigilante currently set up to possibly join a team of fighters would be the titular hero of Jessica Jones, but upcoming series Luke Cage and Iron Fist will be expanding the Netflix roster of active Marvel heroes. There’s no telling just yet if there will be any more overt nods toward a future Defenders team in the second season, but we luckily don’t have much longer to wait until we see more of Matt and Co. Season 2 of Daredevil will be released on Netflix on Friday, March 18.
