As we have said before, Daredevil s going to be in Spider-man 3. Daredevil is a part of the Defenders. In Netflix’s, The Defenders, the core team consisted of four Marvel characters who had previously headlined their own shows: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. The Netflix shows were set in the MCU, but none were ever incorporated into any of the MCU films. For years, there were fans who wanted the characters from these shows to receive representation or at least some form of acknowledgment in a Marvel movie, but it never happened. The hope of that occurring in the future dimmed when Marvel’s deal with Netflix terminated. Because of the terms of the deal, it certainly delayed their inclusion, but it didn’t make them appear impossible. Now, Marvel has access to Daredevil again. This of course led to great interest in the Man Without Fear being revived in the MCU.
Charlie Cox’s Daredevil is rumored to be a part of Spider-Man 3, which is the third solo movie for Sprier-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will as supposed, be a part of a large cast of iconic characters that includes Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire incarnations of Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2’s Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Electro (Jamie Foxx), and more. Daredevil and Doctor Strange being in the movie indicates that Marvel will do much more than just focus on Spider-Man characters. It may be that Marvel will use them to form the Defenders.
Contrary to Netflix and modern comics’ grounded approach to The Defenders, the classic team faced much bigger threats, many of which being extraterrestrial or interdimensional in nature. They also called themselves a “non-team,” which means that they didn’t really see themselves as an organization on the same level as the Avengers. In the beginning, the Defenders felt that they only needed to assemble when the Earth needed them. In their first appearance in 1971’s Marvel Feature #1, three of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Universe — Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Namor (who may appear in the Doctor Strange sequel), came together to save the world. Shortly after that, they were joined by Silver Surfer. Other mainstays of the group include Nighthawk and Valkyrie.
This definition of the Defenders is decidedly different from the one that Netflix used, and that’s primarily why it’s the one the MCU should use. The Defenders wasn’t a big hit, so there really isn’t a good reason why Marvel should try to recreate them perfectly. But, the Defenders are one of the biggest names in Marvel Comics and they do deserve proper MCU representation. Marvel should work them in, but at the same time, they should distance them from the Netflix team in order to create something that feels unique and original. The best way to do that is to bring in Doctor Strange’s Defenders.
Spider-Man has fought alongside the Defenders in the past, plus he worked with Doctor Strange in the Secret Defenders, but he really isn’t an important part of the classic team. That being said, Spider-Man does feel like a logical fit for an MCU adaptation. In the Silver Age of Marvel Comics, Peter Parker declined an offer to join the Avengers and often expressed disinterest in being one of them because he felt that he didn’t have time for it. Peter had his own problems and didn’t want to have expectations put on him as an Avenger. It also didn’t help that he was a poor team player (a fact that was recognized by Captain America himself in the early 1990s). The MCU’s Spider-Man (Tom Holland) hasn’t always been good at following orders either, and he does seem to do his best work when able to do his own thing.
That’s part of why it may be a good move for Marvel to move Spider-man away from The Avengers and towards the Defenders. As for the other characters present, Marvel would admittedly only have one classic Defender on the roster via the Sorcerer Supreme if it only uses the three heroes. However, that could change in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There’s a chance that Namor the Sub-Mariner could make an appearance as well. The Defenders may not get their own movie, but they may not need one if they get enough to do in Spider-Man 3 and Doctor Strange 2.
