'The Defenders' Has A Lowkey Brilliant 'Avengers' Callback In Its Final Trailer

Could Marvel fans possibly be any more excited about The Defenders? This latest Marvel series for Netflix promises to be the climax of everything we've seen so far, uniting four of Marvel's most kick-ass heroes: Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. The series is due to stream on Netflix on Friday August 18 and just in case any fans were in danger of forgetting, Marvel has just released the final (and arguably the best) trailer yet.

The Ultimate Avengers Callback

The trailer is a beautiful blend of action and humor, setting up all the character dynamics that will be key to the show's success. It feels like a wonderful homage to 2012's #TheAvengers, an appropriate touch given that that film saw #Marvel's big-screen heroes unite for the first time. Attentive fans will spot a clever homage to the famous Shawarma scene, which involved the battle-worn Avengers gather for a bite to eat. The opening scene is a hugely reminiscent of this, where all the Defenders are slumped or learning back in their chair, eating Chinese food and trading snarky remarks about their superpowers. Danny Rand's comment about having to eat to reload on his chi? Brilliant.

Where the Shawarma scene was a conclusion to The Avengers, though, this meal is presented as setup to the entire Defenders season. The dinner table conversation is used to highlight each character in turn, and alternates with some tremendous action sequences. Some of them we've seen before, in earlier trailers, but they're laid out in a sequence that feels fresh and original.

The trailer also focuses a lot on the dynamic between Mike Colter's #LukeCage and Finn Jones's #IronFist, a smart move on Marvel's part. Over in the comics, Cage and Iron Fist are close friends who frequently co-star as the 'Heroes for Hire.' It's literally impossible to tell the comic book story of one without discussing the other, and fans will surely be eager to see Colter and Jones recreate that same sense of companionship and teamwork. That's pressure will surely have mounted for Jones and his performance as The Iron Fist the negative critical response to his solo show's first season. This is Jones's big chance to show just why he was cast in the role and to see that he can integrate into the Marvel-Netflix line-up, which this final trailer makes clear he can do.

Additionally, the meal looks like it will be interrupted by both allies and enemies that will pop up again and again in the show. First up is Stick, a mentor to The Defenders and as caustic as ever, only to be one-upped by #JessicaJones. I love the subtle details, with each of the Defenders reacting to Stick in a different way. Stick is swiftly followed by the Hand themselves and Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra herself makes quite an entrance. She promises to be a cool and calculating villain as she ominously warns: "They haven't lost everything. Not yet."

The Defenders — and their closest friends — should be seriously worried about the threat of Alexandra. After all, only #Daredevil keeps a secret identity, and the Hand already know who he is. Alexandra could easily launch a devastating attack on everyone the heroes care about if she can deduce who they are.

Things are clearly heating up for The Defenders and it's clear from the final trailer they have their work cut out for them. How will they handle these new threats? Tune in when the first season drops on Netflix on August 18.

Marvel know just how to make their fans happy. In 2012, The Avengers united their big-screen heroes in the biggest superhero blockbuster of all time. Now, in 2017, The Defenders promises to unite the four fan-favorite street-level vigilantes in an all-action Netflix show that's dripping with the classic Marvel humor. The homage is so very appropriate.