16 Perfect Superhero TV Show Casting Choices That Nailed Their Characters

9. Krysten Ritter - Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones)

Cesar Romero Joker Krysten Ritter Jessica Jones
Netflix

For a character that had never been brought to life onscreen before, it must be said that Krysten Ritter nailed it first time around when bringing Jessica Jones to Netflix. She manages to capture that perfect blend of cynicism and charm that makes Jones such an engaging character in the first place.

You can tell that the PI's pretty much sick of everything that's going on in the show, but clearly not enough to give up fighting. She also manages to provide a much needed pragmatic voice to balance out the more heavy-handed idealism of the MCU, so nailing that aspect alone is enough to love Ritter's performance. That's not all though - Jones is too nuanced to simply be defined by her cynicism.

See, Ritter's performance isn't just a perfect emulation of Jessica Jones' personality, it's also quite revolutionary. Jones, far from simply being just a PI, is a female character that isn't afraid to let go of restraint. As opposed to most depictions of comic book heroines in the medium, that in itself is markedly progressive, as too is Ritter's convincing portrayal of Jessica's experiences living with PTSD. It is, of course, an incredibly sensitive topic to approach, but to see it handled with such care - so convincingly I might add - isn't just sobering, it's transformative. It is by definition one of the most mature portrayals of a superhero in TV history.

Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.