Thanks to getting caught in a mysterious chemical spill during a car accident, Jessica Jones gained abilities like super strength, accelerated healing and limited flight. However, fans of the show know that unlike fellow Marvel Netflix hero Daredevil, Jessica never got the chance to become a superhero, instead becoming a private eye after escaping Kilgrave’s control. So even though she was protecting others on her series, there’s a reason why she wasn’t as flashy with the fighting as the Man Without Fear on his series.
Krysten Ritter has noted that Jessica is merely a “brawler” in her series, who only wants to break up a conflict and then leave, rather than escalate the violence. As showrunner Melissa Rosenberg explained to IGN, this was a “conscious decision” on Jessica Jones’ part to distance itself from Daredevil’s action tone. She said:
She's strong, but she's not a ninja. She didn't spend her life training. That's just not who she is. She's a brawler. You have everyone else doing these fancy moves, and she just goes 'boom.' That's not the story we're telling. This is a psychological thriller. It's about being grounded and real. It wasn't in our tone. It very clearly wasn't our objective to go in that way.
Like Rosenberg mentioned, Jessica could never go full-ninja because she didn't receive the proper training. Matt Murdock learned how to fight from Stick, and combined with his enhanced senses, that made him agile and able to jump around while punching and kicking. So even though Daredevil had its own twists and turns, it was much more action-heavy, while Jessica Jones was more about solving mysteries and trying to track down Kilgrave. If she found herself in a fight, she would simply use her mighty strength to put an end to it as quickly as possible.
Even with her powers, Jessica was by no means invincible on her show. When Luke Cage was under Kilgrave’s control, Jessica was barely able to keep him at bay, and it was only after shooting him at close range with a shotgun that she was able to knock him out. Plus, she was still susceptible to normal weaponry, like guns and knives, even if she recovered from those wounds quicker than a normal human. So, if she continues with the crimefighting, it wouldn’t hurt for her to learn at least a few moves. As the show moves into its second season, it’s likely that the “psychological thriller” tone will remain the primary focus, and we won’t see any hardcore fights break out. Well, at least nothing as intense as Daredevil’s hallway brawl. Maybe The Defenders program will give her the opportunity to fully cut loose.
We’ll keep you updated on what in store for Jessica Jones’ future as new developments come out, but Marvel fans can always re-watch Season 1 on Netflix in the meantime.
