Netflix’s MCU: What Went Wrong?

4. The Defenders Disappointment

Defenders Netflix EW
Netflix/EW

When the Netflix-Marvel partnership was first announced, there was a clear goal in mind. Four heroes, four seasons, and then the team-up with The Defenders. The template was fairly clear, as it was following what'd worked so well for Phase 1 of the MCU, with the origin stories leading to the main event.

That put the stumbles into a necessary context too. It didn't matter too much if Luke Cage dropped off, or if Iron Fist dropped the ball, much like it didn't matter that, say, Iron Man 2 wasn't great. It's all in service of the larger whole, and if that delivers - like The Avengers did - then it all works out.

Unfortunately, The Defenders didn't deliver. Despite having some good character moments - especially for Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones - the show somehow still felt like a slog, despite only having eight episodes. It didn't bring the kind of action you'd expect from having four superheroes, and the plotting was overall on the dull side. While Iron Fist wasn't great, The Defenders was by far the biggest disappointment yet. It was the one they really needed to be a hit, and missing the target here was the turning point for the fortunes of the rest of the Netflix MCU.

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Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.