Marvel’s The Defenders: 9 New Details Netflix Just Revealed

9. It's As Much Crime Drama As Superhero Show

While the titular characters are superheroes, each Marvel/Netflix series manages to be much more than a superhero show. There are the influences of other genres in each, from the legal drama element of Daredevil to the noir of Jones, and the 70s-blaxpoitation-meets-90s-hip-hop of Luke Cage to the martial arts of Iron Fist.

It's no real surprise, then, that The Defenders is aiming to be more than a superhero show as well, with showrunner Marco Ramirez saying it owes a lot to the great crime dramas of yesteryear:

"We’re not entering the world of capes and superheroes. We’re taking our cues from shows like The Wire and The Shield. This is about what happens in the back alleys of New York City, and how people have to rise to the occasion. It’s for a fan of good crime TV as much as it is for a fan of superhero TV shows."

That's much in keeping with the rest of the series, then. Of course, a number of shows say they're inspired by The Wire without coming close to matching its greatness (and to be fair, that's no easy feat). But it's good to see they're keeping things grounded, when things could've gotten a little more out-there in the name of bringing the heroes together.