After 'The Defenders': What Can We Expect From Marvel Netflix's Phase 2?

Back in 2015, Marvel took the world by storm when they released the first season of Daredevil, launching a whole new corner of the MCU over on Netflix. Now, the first phase of Marvel Netflix has finally come to a triumphant close with The Defenders. But with at least three, possibly even four, Marvel shows streaming on Netflix in 2018, where do we go from here? What plot threads does The Defenders set up for the future?

Note: This article contains heavy spoilers for The Defenders.

Will Luke Cage And Jessica Jones Grab A Coffee Sometime?

The Defenders ends with a series of closing scenes, and the most amusing one of all is when #LukeCage drops in to remind #JessicaJones that she has friends — one of whom is in Harlem. Mike Colter and Krysten Ritter play their parts with perfection, and you can really feel the weight of romantic history behind the two heroes. There's still a very visible spark, and you can't help chuckling when Jessica suggests they should "maybe grab a coffee sometime or something."

In the comics, Luke and Jessica are Marvel's current power couple; they even married and had a kid. Over on Marvel Netflix, though, the two walked a different path. Luke is even in a serious relationship with Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple. It looks as though things might get a tad complicated in the future!

Iron Fist Has A New City To Protect

The first season of Iron Fist wasn't exactly critically-acclaimed, but The Defenders serves as a course correction to Finn Jones's #IronFist. The series ends with Daredevil giving Danny Rand a mission: "Protect my city." It's clearly a charge that the Immortal Iron Fist will take seriously; he finally admits that New York is feeling like home, and we get a final scene with him stalking the skyline of Hell's Kitchen. It's artistically done, combining the aesthetics of Daredevil and Iron Fist, telling us that Danny Rand has accepted this mission.

Daughters Of The Dragon

Alas, poor Misty Knight! No comic book fan will have been surprised to see Simone Missick's Misty lose an arm in the battle against the Hand. Frankly, that's something we've been expecting to happen sooner or later, given the character is famous for her cyborg arm over in the comics. A closing scene teases that Danny Rand's high-tech hospital ("He owns the place") will be looking at advanced tech to help Misty get back on her feet. No prizes for guessing what that'll look like.

Meanwhile, the series goes to great effort to tease a strong, growing bond between Misty and Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing. Colleen and Misty are close friends and allies in the comics. They're collectively known as the 'Daughters of the Dragon,' and fans would be delighted to see the two star in their own Marvel Netflix show. This suddenly looks a lot more likely for Phase 2.

Daredevil, Born Again

Matt Murdock's closest friends believe him to be dead — but we know better. The final scene shows Matt waking up in what appears to be a Church hospital, cared for by a nun. We hear one whisper an instruction: "Get Maggie. Tell her he's awake."

The scene's a deliberate homage to one of the most-loved Daredevil arcs of all time: Frank Miller's 'Born Again.' We'd already seen hints that Daredevil Season 3 would explore this arc, with the surprise return of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin in Season 2. It's clear the Netflix show will heavily adapt it, as both Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and Elden Henson's Foggy are in very different places.

Of course, if Matt somehow survived, that probably means Elektra did too...

So there you have it, Marvel fans! Phase 2 already looked tremendous. It's set to kick off with The Punisher in November. Next year, we'll see Jessica Jones relaunch her career as a private detective, all while working to uncover the mysteries of her own past. Meanwhile, Luke Cage Season 2 will continue the war between the Hero of Harlem and Black Mariah. But now we know to expect a whole lot more action and intrigue in the future too...