Peggy Carter may have suffered a serious blow this week with the cancellation of Agent Carter on ABC, but things have never looked better for Marvel’s other small screen leading lady. Jessica Jones absolutely blew audiences away when it hit Netflix in November, and we have all collectively clamored for a follow up season ever since. We know that a second season is now on the way, and the show will endeavor to expand the roles of its supporting cast going forward.
During a recent interview with Nerdist, Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg explained how Season 1 of the Netflix series set the stage to turn the show into more of an ensemble-oriented drama:
That's the trick of a show called Jessica Jones. If she's not in the scene, it's not a guarantee that scene will end up in the final picture. You have to earn secondary character stories. You have to flesh them out enough so they can eventually carry stories of their own, which is very much what season one was about.
So it seems that, while Season 1 of Jessica Jones focused almost solely on Jessica's journey to overcome the influenced and damage of Kilgrave, Season 2 of the series will open things up and allow the secondary characters to be fleshed out even more. This points to characters like Trish Walker, Malcolm Ducasse, and Jeri Hogarth getting their own moments to shine, even when Jessica herself isn’t necessarily in a scene. Trish's arc will prove particularly engaging next season, as she seems to be on the way towards becoming the heroic Hellcat.
This creative decision shouldn’t come as a huge shock to anyone who has followed Marvel’s Netflix properties. Daredevil pulled the exact same move with its second season. While Season 1 of Daredevil focused primarily on Matt Murdock’s journey towards becoming a hero, the second season (which hit Netflix this past March) gave much stronger arcs to characters like Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, and newcomer Frank Castle. These series are all endeavoring to create a cohesive world that will culminate in the formation of The Defenders series, so every corner of Hell’s Kitchen needs definition and proper formation outside of the titular heroes.
Only time will tell how Melissa Rosenberg and the creative forces behind Jessica Jones choose to flesh out the supporting cast going forward. The show has already featured too many twists and turns to count, so it’s anyone’s guess as to how it will develop. We will keep you posted regarding any and all updates related to Jessica Jones, and the rest of The Defenders universe. Stay tuned for more details.
