The Defenders ( miniseries ) - wikipedia The Defenders ( miniseries ) This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 26 May 2018. The Defenders Genre Action Drama Superhero Created by Douglas Petrie Marco Ramirez Based on Daredevil by Stan Lee Bill Everett Jessica Jones by Brian Michael Bendis Michael Gaydos Luke Cage by Archie Goodwin George Tuska Roy Thomas John Romita Sr. Iron Fist by Roy Thomas Gil Kane Starring Charlie Cox Krysten Ritter Mike Colter Finn Jones Eka Darville Elden Henson Jessica Henwick Simone Missick Ramón Rodríguez Rachael Taylor Deborah Ann Woll Élodie Yung Rosario Dawson Scott Glenn Sigourney Weaver Composer ( s ) John Paesano Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons No. of episodes 8 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) S.J. Clarkson ( 1x01 only ) Cindy Holland Allie Goss Alison Engel Kris Henigman Alan Fine Stan Lee Joe Quesada Karim Zreik Jim Chory Jeph Loeb Drew Goddard Douglas Petrie Marco Ramirez Producer ( s ) Evan Perazzo Location ( s ) New York City Cinematography Matthew J. Lloyd Jim McMillan Editor ( s ) Jonathan Chibnall Miklos Wright Michael Knue Running time 44 -- 55 minutes Production company ( s ) Marvel Television ABC Studios Goddard Textiles Nine and a Half Fingers, Inc. Distributor Netflix Release Original network Netflix Picture format 4K ( Ultra HD ) High dynamic range Original release August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Chronology Preceded by Marvel 's Iron Fist Related shows Marvel Cinematic Universe television series Marvel 's The Defenders, or simply The Defenders, is an American web television miniseries created by Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez for Netflix, based on the Marvel Comics characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, who form the eponymous superhero team. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise and is the culmination of a series of interconnected shows from Marvel and Netflix. The miniseries is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios, Nine and a Half Fingers, Inc., and Goddard Textiles, with Ramirez serving as showrunner. The limited series stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage, and Finn Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist, all reprising their roles from their individual series. The miniseries also stars Eka Darville, Elden Henson, Jessica Henwick, Simone Missick, Ramón Rodríguez, Rachael Taylor, Deborah Ann Woll, Élodie Yung, Rosario Dawson, Scott Glenn, and Sigourney Weaver. Development on the miniseries began in late 2013, with Cox the first actor cast in May 2014. Petrie and Ramirez joined as showrunners in April, after serving in the same role on the second season of Daredevil, though Petrie left with the start of filming, which took place in New York City from October 2016 to March 2017. The Defenders premiered in New York on July 31, 2017, with the full season of eight episodes released on August 18, 2017 on Netflix. The miniseries met with generally positive reviews, with particular praise going to Weaver. Netflix revealed The Defenders was the third-most `` Binge Raced '' series globally, while third - party analysis indicated the miniseries was the least - viewed of the Marvel Netflix series and had the largest week - over-week drop in viewership. Contents 1 Premise 2 Cast and characters 2.1 Main 2.2 Recurring 2.3 Guest 3 Episodes 4 Production 4.1 Development 4.2 Writing 4.3 Casting 4.4 Design 4.5 Filming 4.6 Music 4.7 Marvel Cinematic Universe tie - ins 5 Release 5.1 Marketing 6 Reception 6.1 Audience viewership 6.2 Critical response 6.3 Accolades 7 References 8 External links Premise Set a few months after the events of the second season of Daredevil, and a month after the events of the first season of Iron Fist, the vigilantes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist team up in New York City to fight a common enemy : the Hand. Cast and characters Cast of The Defenders at the 2017 San Diego Comic - Con. From left to right : Jeph Loeb, Charlie Cox, Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Sigourney Weaver, Elodie Yung, Deborah Ann Woll, Jessica Henwick and Marco Ramirez. Main Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil : A blind pro-bono lawyer in Hell 's Kitchen with his four remaining senses enhanced who is secretly the vigilante, Daredevil. Cox stated that the second season of Daredevil, which sees Murdock fight alongside Elektra Natchios and the Punisher, prepared Murdock for the Defenders, saying, `` Something that 's very tricky for Matt is to allow anyone to help him. He finds it impossible to ask for help. One of the lessons that he 's ( starting ) to learn... is that he needs other people, he needs help. '' Cox added that the start of the miniseries sees Elektra 's death at the end of Daredevil 's second season weighing heavily on Murdock, that he is `` a little bit lost, and the best he can do for now is to not engage in his vigilante activities, '' though he has not `` completely found peace with that idea. '' In addition, Murdock still looks to his faith regarding his actions, with Cox commenting, `` He believes that his intentions are good. He 's always, always going to wonder if he 's committing mortal sin. '' Ramirez likened Murdock and Natchios ' relationship to Edward Norton and Brad Pitt 's characters in Fight Club `` except with a more overt sexual dynamic... Emotionally, Matt knows and has to embrace the fact that she 's his burden to deal with ( once she is resurrected )... Elektra is his problem, his cross to bear. '' Cox also felt that Murdock and Jessica Jones would have a `` fiery relationship '' in the series since both characters are `` quite opinionated and quite stubborn. '' Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones : A private investigator suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who runs her own agency, Alias Investigations. Ritter felt it would be interesting to see what forces Jones to team up with the other heroes, since `` she does n't want to be a superhero. She does n't want anything to do with that. '' She added that at the start of the series, Jones is `` still dealing with the aftermath of Kilgrave '' along with the new found `` success '' for Alias Investigations at the conclusion of the first season of Jessica Jones, stating, `` People want her to work for them, she 's getting a lot of business, and she 's not ready for any of that. '' Describing the dynamic between Jones and the rest of the team, showrunner Marco Ramirez says, `` She 's gloriously the most reluctant hero in the world. She 's going to have to let three men into her life who she does n't 100 percent trust. '' Ritter noted that Jones and Murdock would have a `` cat and mouse '' dynamic, with the roles switching between the two characters. Mike Colter as Luke Cage : A former convict with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who now fights crime in Harlem. Colter felt that none of the Defenders seemed like they would want to be in a superhero group together, and said that though Cage, specifically, `` knows there are other people like him, '' he `` is in his own world. '' He added that the beginning of the series would deal with the consequences of Cage voluntarily going to prison to atone for his past, saying, `` He 's been able to come clean and deal with his past... The difficulty with Cage ( in the first season of Luke Cage ) is that he has this secret, he has this thing that he 's been trying to run away from and deal with, and that 's a big burden to bear. That weighs on you, that changes who you are as a person. Now that that 's out of the way, I think we can give him a different approach to life. '' Colter added that Cage would act as `` the conciliator '' for the group as well as a mentor to Danny Rand. The combination of Cage and Rand was done as an homage to the pair 's relationship in Heroes for Hire, that Colter described as `` a cool combination '' and would have `` a wisdom - versus - youth quality. '' Finn Jones as Danny Rand / Iron Fist : A billionaire Buddhist monk, co-CEO of Rand Enterprises, and martial arts expert with the ability to call upon the mystical power of the Iron Fist. Jones said that Rand is the one `` who really knows what 's going on, he knows how serious this situation is '' and the one who `` drives the group to get shit done. '' Jones described the difference in Rand from Iron Fist versus The Defenders as `` Danny in his adolescence '' in the former, and `` Danny taking responsibility and moving forward with his purpose '' in the latter. He continued, saying, `` He 's craving desperately for family, for help, for guidance, for people to learn from, and for a team ( in The Defenders ). But because of what happens in Iron Fist, he 's very untrusting. It 's really his way or no way. '' Jones also felt that between Iron Fist and The Defenders, the series and miniseries was `` the complete first season of Danny 's journey. '' Colter described Rand as `` a young guy '' with `` an exuberance... that Luke Cage wants to temper a bit... Danny comes out like a bull in a china shop in some ways, and I think Luke has seen the world and knows certain things. '' Jones felt Rand is influenced by the other Defenders, who are older than Rand and are `` people with abilities and problems that still manage to keep their shit together and live a responsible and purposeful life. Danny is really in admiration of that, especially in admiration of Daredevil... he 's really inspired by what they are able to achieve, so it 's like Danny meeting a bunch of older brothers and sister for the first time, and they 're keeping him in check a little bit, and they give him a self - realization that he can do that as well. '' Since Rand is picked on by the other members of the group, this was seen by viewers as an acknowledgment of the poor reception that the first season of his series received. However, Ramirez said that Iron Fist had not been released when they were making The Defenders, and that dynamic was how they naturally felt his character would be treated. Eka Darville as Malcolm Ducasse : Jones ' neighbor and assistant at Alias Investigations. Darville reprises his role from Jessica Jones. Elden Henson as Franklin `` Foggy '' Nelson : Murdock 's close friend and former law partner who now works with Jeri Hogarth. Henson reprises his role from Daredevil. Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing : A former member of the Hand, Rand 's lover, and the owner of a New York City dojo. Henwick reprises her role from Iron Fist. Simone Missick as Misty Knight : A Harlem police detective part of a citywide task force who is Cage 's ally. Missick reprises her role from Luke Cage. Ramón Rodríguez as Bakuto : One of the five `` fingers '' of the Hand, and Wing 's former sensei. Rodríguez reprises his role from Iron Fist. Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker : Jones ' adoptive sister and best friend who hosts her own radio talk show. Taylor reprises her role from previous Marvel Netflix series. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page : Murdock 's close friend and former secretary and a burgeoning newspaper reporter. Woll reprises her role from Daredevil. Élodie Yung as Elektra Natchios : A mysterious and dangerous woman from Murdock 's past, who is the Black Sky, a weapon of the Hand. Yung reprises her role from Daredevil. Executive producer Jeph Loeb wanted to include Natchios ' resurrection storyline from the comics with the character, with Ramirez commenting that `` once we got to where we got organically by the end of season 2 of Daredevil '' where the character died, it `` was pretty clear '' that her resurrection would be featured in The Defenders. Yung called Natchios `` an amnesiac ( who ) does n't remember who she is or anything about her past life, '' adding that she is trained by Alexandra. Sigourney Weaver, who portrays the latter, called their relationship `` one of the most unusual that I 've ever experienced '' and `` very, very strange. '' Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple : A former nurse who gives medical aid to vigilantes. Dawson reprises her role from each of the previous Marvel Netflix series. Scott Glenn as Stick : Murdock 's mentor and leader of The Chaste who wages a war against the Hand. Glenn reprises his role from Daredevil. Sigourney Weaver as Alexandra : One of the five `` fingers '' of the Hand and its leader. Weaver described the character as `` really smart '', `` very in charge '', and more of an adversary than a villain. Showrunner Marco Ramirez described her as `` a survivor '' and `` a very powerful force in New York City '', adding, `` She 's everything Sigourney is : sophisticated, intellectual, dangerous. '' As the villain of the series, the character had to be `` something massive to pull these four ( hero ) characters from their individual worlds to work together, but also small enough that it felt like it existed in our world. '' Alexandra is `` charmed '' by the four heroes teaming up against her, having `` never met four people who are seemingly just interested in taking care of this one little part of New York... they 're unlike anybody she 's ever faced off against before, it 's intimidating to her. '' Weaver worked with the writers to avoid a cliche portrayal, specifically `` terms like ' ice queen ' that are often thrown at women who are n't completely sympathetic. '' It was important to Ramirez and Weaver to introduce Alexandra in a `` fairly sympathetic light '' and `` in a way where she 's actually vulnerable. '' The character is ultimately a supporting player for the overall story of Natchios, with Ramirez explaining, `` In a way we introduced Sigourney 's character a little bit to highlight Elektra 's story. I like to think that we wrote a really fun cool character for Sigourney but really it was also a way for us to say this is the journey that Elektra is going on. '' Recurring Wai Ching Ho as Gao : A former ally of Wilson Fisk and one of the five `` fingers '' of the Hand. Ho reprises her role from previous Marvel Netflix series. J. Mallory McCree as Cole Miller : A young man from Harlem who gets involved with the Hand to try and make ends meet where he works for Sowande. Michelle Federer as Michelle Raymond : A woman who approaches Jones about her missing husband. Chloe Levine as Lexi Raymond : The daughter of John and Michelle Raymond, who helps with the investigation into her father. Babs Olusanmokun as Sowande : One of the five `` fingers '' of the Hand, also known as `` White Hat '', who uses Harlem teenagers to clean up Hand operations. Ron Simons as Strieber : Knight 's police captain. Yutaka Takeuchi as Murakami : One of the five `` fingers '' of the Hand. Guest Peter McRobbie as Lantom : A Catholic priest and confidante for Murdock. McRobbie reprises his role from Daredevil. Debbi Morgan as Delores Miller : Cole 's mother. Marko Zaror as Shaft : A member of The Chaste. Carrie - Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth : A lawyer and ally of Jones and Rand. Moss reprises her role from previous Marvel Netflix series. Rob Morgan as Turk Barrett : A low - level criminal who crosses paths with Daredevil and Luke Cage. Morgan reprises his role from previous Marvel Netflix shows. Amy Rutberg as Marci Stahl : Nelson 's girlfriend and fellow lawyer. Rutberg reprises her role from Daredevil. Susan Varon as Josie : Owner of a bar frequented by Nelson and Murdock. Varon reprises her role from Daredevil. Alex Moggridge as John Raymond : An architect who gets involved with the Hand, and whose missing persons case leads to Jones and Murdock 's investigations. Nichole Yannetty as Nicole : An intern at Walker 's talk show. Yannetty reprises her role from Jessica Jones. Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance through an on - set photograph as NYPD Captain Irving Forbush, the same photograph seen in previous Marvel Netflix series. The Aeolus Quartet also cameo as themselves. Episodes No. Title Directed by Written by Original release date `` The H Word '' S.J. Clarkson Douglas Petrie & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) While hunting agents of the Hand in Cambodia, Danny Rand / Iron Fist and Colleen Wing are told that the war they are fighting is actually taking place in New York City. There, Matt Murdock has given up his life as the vigilante Daredevil and is working as a pro bono lawyer. He remains conflicted due to his feelings for Elektra Natchios, who died fighting the Hand. Luke Cage, his name cleared by Murdock 's ex-partner Foggy Nelson, returns from prison to the streets of Harlem where police detective Misty Knight informs him of local kids who have been getting involved with a mysterious business and ending up dead. After learning that all her major organs are failing and she has little time to live, a woman informs her colleagues to speed up their plans, and subsequently watches with a resurrected Natchios as a large earthquake tears through New York, felt by Rand and Wing as they return, and private investigator Jessica Jones as she discovers explosives while searching for a missing husband that an anonymous caller warned her to avoid. `` Mean Right Hook '' S.J. Clarkson Lauren Schmidt Hissrich & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Jones calls the police, but Knight sees her taking some evidence as she leaves the scene. Cage follows some leads on local kids, and finds them being sent to clean up a workshop where several enemies of the Hand have been murdered. Rand and Wing are also investigating the workshop, leading to a fight between Rand and Cage which only ends when the police arrive. The mysterious woman, Alexandra, is informed that her group 's plans have been halted by a mystical wall. Alexandra believes this may actually be a door, and interrogates an old enemy, Stick, for answers on this. Jones is warned off her investigation by lawyer Jeri Hogarth, who later tells Nelson to keep any fallout from Jones 's actions away from their firm. Jones returns to her apartment to find the missing man, John Raymond. They are attacked by Natchios, but he kills himself first. Jones chases Natchios, but is caught and arrested by Knight. Murdock soon arrives to serve as Jones 's lawyer, having made an agreement with Nelson to carry out some of his extra work. `` Worst Behavior '' Peter Hoar Lauren Schmidt Hissrich & Douglas Petrie August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Months ago, the Hand acquired the ancient weapon Black Sky -- the body of Natchios -- and used the last of their resources to resurrect her. Under Alexandra 's tutelage, the Black Sky was prepared to fight as a weapon against the Hand 's enemies. Now, Jones dismisses Murdock 's help, but he becomes interested in her case and begins investigating it himself. Cage tells his girlfriend Claire Temple about his fight with Rand, whom she knows. Temple organizes a meeting between the two, hoping they can work together to fight the Hand, but they clash over their respective backgrounds. Inspired by some of Cage 's comments, Rand decides to take a different approach and uses his corporate influence to find the Hand 's new front, Midland Circle. Cage visits the mother of one of the local kids the Hand had hired, while Jones investigates Raymond 's job. They also learn of a connection to Midland Circle. Cage arrives there to help Rand fight the Hand, soon followed by Jones and Murdock. They are attacked by the Black Sky, but Rand drives her off. `` Royal Dragon '' Phil Abraham Douglas Petrie & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Rand, Cage, Jones, and Murdock escape to a nearby restaurant to hide out. With everyone introduced, Rand proposes that they work as a team to defeat the Hand, but Murdock is unwilling to get involved, and Jones leaves. Stick escapes from the Hand and finds the group, having already known Murdock and known of Rand. He explains that a long time ago the elders of K'un - Lun came together to study the healing powers of qi, but five among them wished to use this power to live forever and were cast out. They became the five fingers of the Hand, and include Alexandra ( who has gone by many names through the centuries ), Madame Gao, Sowande ( who has been recruiting the Harlem kids ), Murakami, and the recently deceased Bakuto. Now the Hand have defeated all that oppose them, except for Stick and the Iron Fist. Alexandra arrives and offers to spare New York if Rand leaves with her, since their plan requires the Iron Fist, but he rejects her offer. Jones realizes that the Raymond family is still in danger, and returns to help as the Black Sky attacks. 5 `` Take Shelter '' Uta Briesewitz Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Douglas Petrie & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) The Hand converges on the restaurant, and Murdock lures the Black Sky away from the fight. When he calls her Elektra, she flees, but not before preventing Murakami from killing Murdock. Cage is able to kidnap Sowande while the others escape. After Sowande warns that their loved ones will be targeted next, they convince their friends to stay with Knight at the police precinct until they are out of danger. While doing this, Wing is confronted by a resurrected Bakuto, who unsuccessfully attempts to recruit her to his cause after raising her as a member of the Hand before she met and joined with Rand. Murdock decides to take up his Daredevil identity once again, something that concerns the leaders of the Hand due to his relationship with Natchios. Murakami questions Alexandra 's reliance on the Black Sky to complete their goals and notes that they can all be killed now that their resources were used on Natchios. He suggests that they devise a new plan without Alexandra. Stick decapitates Sowande when he attempts to escape capture. 6 `` Ashes, Ashes '' Stephen Surjik Drew Goddard & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Now realizing that the Hand wants the Iron Fist as a key to unlock something, the group decides to hide Rand away while they continue the fight. However, Rand disagrees and attacks the others. They stop him, and tie him up, with Cage and Stick watching over him while Jones and Murdock continue the investigation of Raymond. Natchios begins to regain memories of her previous life, but Alexandra insists that she is not that person anymore. Meanwhile, the other leaders of the Hand learn of Sowande 's death, and continue to lose faith in Alexandra 's leadership. Murdock and Jones learn that there is something beneath Midland Circle, a hole to which Murdock had come across previously when dealing with the Hand. They return to the group with plans of attacking the building, to find Stick attempting to murder Rand to keep the Hand from using him. They are interrupted by Natchios, who kills Stick and takes Rand. Alexandra gloats to the other leaders about this victory, but is murdered herself by Natchios, who claims leadership of the Hand. 7 `` Fish in the Jailhouse '' Félix Enríquez Alcalá Lauren Schmidt Hissrich & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Jones, Murdock, and Cage wake up in the police precinct as suspects for the murders of Sowande and Stick. They tell Knight about the Hand, but try not to go into the details or let her get involved much to the chagrin of her superiors. The remaining fingers of the Hand agree to let Natchios pursue her goals, hoping that she will grant them access to the substance they need to avoid death ( the last of their supply was used on Natchios ). She takes Rand below the building to the mystical door that they need him to open. Jones, Murdock, and Cage escape the precinct and go to Midland Circle, where they are confronted by Gao, Bakuto, and Murakami. Wing soon arrives to help, bringing with her the explosives that Raymond had been stockpiling. The group drives the fingers of the Hand away. Knight and Temple arrive soon after, and Knight agrees to stall the police while the others get to Rand. Natchios tricks Rand into opening the door, causing a blast that knocks out power throughout the city. Rand awakens beneath the skeleton of a dragon. 8 `` The Defenders '' Farren Blackburn Lauren Schmidt Hissrich & Marco Ramirez August 18, 2017 ( 2017 - 08 - 18 ) Gao explains to Rand that the substance that the Hand uses for resurrection comes from the bones of dragons, just as his Iron Fist abilities came from a dragon. The Hand begins harvesting the skeleton, which will weaken the foundations of the city and cause widespread destruction. Wing and Temple place the explosives so as to destroy the building once the others escape. They are confronted by Bakuto, who cuts off Knight 's arm when she arrives to help. Wing decapitates Bakuto, but his body sets off the timer for the explosives. Jones, Murdock, and Cage arrive in the cavern to help Rand, and they fight the members of the Hand together. When Murdock realizes that the explosives are about to go off, he gets the others to leave immediately. He remains to plead with Natchios, and the two are together -- along with Gao and Murakami -- as the building implodes around them. These events are all covered up by authorities. Rand, Jones, and Cage look to move on and protect the city. A battered Murdock later wakes up in a room with a nun at his side. Production Development In October 2013, Deadline reported that Marvel was preparing four drama series and a miniseries, totaling 60 episodes, to present to video on demand services and cable providers, with Netflix, Amazon, and WGN America expressing interest. A few weeks later, Marvel and Disney announced that Marvel Television and ABC Studios would provide Netflix with live action series centered around Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, leading up to a miniseries based on the Defenders. In November 2015, Marvel Comics ' editor - in - chief Joe Quesada stated there was no apprehension from Marvel in changing the line up of the Defenders from the `` classic '' original line - up ( Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor and Silver Surfer ) to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, `` because to the world at large, no one knows who the Defenders are. So the idea of taking the concept and name and applying it to ( the Marvel Cinematic Universe ) feels wholly natural '' adding that Marvel has `` a wonderful concept '' behind why the group would form in the MCU and why they would be called the Defenders. In April 2016, Marvel announced that Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez, the showrunners for the second season of Marvel 's Daredevil, would serve as showrunners and executive producers on Marvel 's The Defenders. Daredevil creator Drew Goddard also serves as an executive producer on the miniseries, along with Karim Zreik, Cindy Holland, Allie Goss, Alison Engel, Kris Henigman, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Jim Chory, and head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb. S.J. Clarkson, director of the first two episodes, also serves as an executive producer on the first episode. In January 2015, Netflix COO Ted Sarandos had stated that the series was `` eligible to go into multiple seasons for sure '' and Netflix would look at `` how well ( they ) are addressing both the Marvel fanbase but also the broader fanbase '' in terms of determining if additional seasons would be appropriate. However, in July 2016, Loeb referred to the miniseries as a one - off event rather than a season of an ongoing story. Loeb also confirmed that the miniseries would consist of eight episodes, and stated that Petrie and Ramirez would consult with Melissa Rosenberg, Cheo Hodari Coker, and Scott Buck -- the showrunners of Marvel 's Jessica Jones, Marvel 's Luke Cage, and Marvel 's Iron Fist, respectively -- on how `` their characters would react '' to certain situations ; the other showrunners read each of the scripts for The Defenders and provided insight into each individual character 's world. On this collaboration, Petrie said of Rosenberg specifically that she was `` wonderful because she 's in this position of being a fellow artist and letting us do what we do, but at the same time loving her character and being protective of her character and wanting us to get it right and wanting to guide us and help up, but also let us be free. '' Rosenberg added that all of the showrunners for the other series `` felt really included in the process. '' Loeb compared this relationship to Joss Whedon 's approach with the similar crossover in the MCU films, Marvel 's The Avengers, for which Whedon `` sought out all of the creative input from everybody that had worked on Iron Man and Hulk and Captain America and Thor, but he had to make The Avengers its own thing. '' At the start of filming in October 2016, Petrie left the series as co-showrunner. Loeb explained, `` We got to a point where the scripts were done, and we wanted Marco to continue, and Doug pursued other avenues. '' Finn Jones said The Defenders `` feels like the end of Phase One '' of the Marvel Netflix series, with the events of the miniseries leading into `` the beginning of another phase ''. Writing One of the things early on that I found helpful was not to think about how many differences ( the other series ) have but to go the opposite way and think about how much they have in common... there 's a recurring theme here with people who are orphans or people who do n't understand this urge but feel the need to do good and are constantly fighting inner turmoil and having that affect their personal lives... We did n't think about it in terms of how we 'll combine all the tones. We thought about the tone as its own thing. It 's about making sure this thing is something that could encapsulate all four worlds. -- Showrunner Marco Ramirez on combining elements from the individual series to craft the tone of The Defenders By late May 2016, Petrie and Ramirez had turned in a completed story for the miniseries, based on a `` very bare - bones structure '' from Loeb. The latter described the completed story as `` epic '', feeling that all the characters `` have great roles... where everyone feels like they 're telling more of their own ongoing tale. '' Petrie and Ramirez created a story that would allow viewers to watch The Defenders without having seen any of the previous series while still not redundant stating information from the previous series for those who had seen them. Ramirez noted it was `` a trapeze act of figuring out the writing, making sure to never be expository but also make sure it was n't a requirement that you would have '' go back to watch the other series to fully understand what was happening. The intention was for the miniseries to feel like `` Daredevil season 2.5, a Luke Cage season 1.5, a Jessica Jones 1.5, and Iron Fist 1.5, '' telling `` the story that came after their immediate seasons and before their next ones. '' Loeb compared this dynamic to the Olympics, where `` you get to know all of these athletes in their various sports all throughout their careers, and then once every four years they 're going to get together and compete against each other. '' Coker further compared the miniseries to the forming of the Wu - Tang Clan and Voltron. Petrie noted that the intent was not to stop any of the character arcs built in the previous series, rather each character is `` just taking this incredible epic detour then going back into their own respective pools. '' Ramirez said the ending was designed `` so they could go back to their individual worlds, but it 's not like they 're apart permanently in any way. '' Goddard talked about the resulting genre for the miniseries, since each of the individual series were different from one another, feeling that bringing them all together created `` its own genre ''. Ramirez added that the series ' tone was `` one of the most challenging and most exciting parts of this project '', and `` has really just been about organically blending ( the tones of the previous series ) together so that it feels like they 're all cohesive and all of a piece. '' Scenes in the early episodes were created `` to feel like the most optimal versions of '' each individual series, which slowly `` start to cross-pollinate '' helping `` the identity '' of The Defenders to emerge, `` which is kind of a combination of all the visual and sonic elements of each of their individual worlds. '' Ramirez and Petrie also wanted to ensure the project did not feel like `` a corporate mandate '', striving to make it `` feel earned and real and grounded... and also topical and important '' as the individual series had done. Cautioning against the `` easy comparison '' to The Avengers, Loeb said the aim with The Defenders was to say, `` ' OK, how do we do that and how do we do it different ? ' We saw how the Avengers came together ( and ) it does n't quite go as smoothly as you 'd like it to go. '' He added, `` The Defenders did n't have a ' D ' on their belt buckles and a Defenders Tower. We agreed from the very beginning that these folks could at the very end go, ' I never want to see your face again. ' '' Loeb also noted that `` the sky 's not going to open up and aliens are n't going to come flying out of it. That 's the Avengers ' job, that 's what they 're supposed to do. The street level heroes always come from a very real place. '' The Dirty Dozen, Seven Samurai, and other films `` where characters came together who did not want to come together '' served as influences for The Defenders, more so than The Avengers. Regarding the antagonist, Ramirez said having the Defenders face an alien threat like the Avengers, for example, was `` never an option '', as the crossover was always going to be a street level New York story. This did prove challenging in choosing an antagonist though, as the four Defenders are shown to be `` really powerful people '' in their individual series, and the miniseries ' villain had to prove a challenge for the four of them together. Discussing why the antagonists were the Hand, and not a previously established antagonist such as Wilson Fisk, Ramirez felt the villain needed to be `` new to all four of them, so that everyone was on the same page. We needed a villain who was a common denominator... as opposed to everyone having a villain ( from their show ) who they 're facing off with here. '' To form the team - up, Ramirez stated that each Defender begins to investigate a mystery separately, with the four all converging on the same location after `` following their own trail of bread crumbs ''. Ramirez added, `` We wanted them all caught off guard ( by seeing one another at the same location ). Once they 're in that room together, it 's kind of like, ' Oh, shit, who are you ? ' '' Regarding the Hand 's destruction at the end of the series, Ramirez said `` we definitely felt like we wanted this to be the end of this specific show, so while I do n't know if it 's the end of the Hand forever -- who knows what will happen in the future -- it just felt like it 's the end of this story in the lore. Particularly for Iron Fist, we wanted to close that chapter ( of the Hand 's story ) ''. On the decision to kill off Alexandra, who was presented as the show 's main villain, in the sixth episode, Ramirez said that it was something unexpected to give the audience a `` jolt '' rather than play into assumptions, and came from the idea that they had really wanted to focus on Nachios ' story and her relationship with Alexandra. He elaborated that `` it 's organic in the writing of Elektra, because Elektra has been told by many people in her life what she is, whether it was Stick or Matt... So when she kills Alexandra, it 's really her saying, ' People need to stop telling me who I am. This is who I am. ' And I think there 's something particularly interesting about that idea. '' He said that similar thoughts were behind Nachios ' murder of Stick in the series, and said that the theme of `` rejecting the identity that the world is trying to put upon you, and having to embrace the identity you want '' is one that applies to the four Defenders as well. The final image of Murdock waking up is an homage to a panel from the `` Born Again '' story arc, while the nun calling for `` Maggie '', is implied to be Murdock 's mother, Maggie Murdock. When asked if `` Maggie '' in the scene was Murdock 's mother, Ramirez could not confirm it, but noted this scene, and others in Daredevil 's story in The Defenders, were homages to the comics, and called the panel taken from `` Born Again '' `` one of my favorite Daredevil images ''. Ramirez added the scene was included because `` we did n't want to make the audience think we were trying to cheat them or convince them of something that 's not happening '', given The Defenders released after the announcement of the third season of Daredevil. Casting At the end of May 2014, Charlie Cox was cast as Daredevil for Daredevil. In December 2014, Krysten Ritter was cast as Jessica Jones and Mike Colter was cast as Luke Cage for Jessica Jones, with Colter also headlining Luke Cage. In February 2016, Finn Jones was reported to be cast as Danny Rand for Iron Fist, with Marvel confirming his casting the following month. They also confirmed that Cox, Ritter, Colter, and Jones would all reprise their roles to star in The Defenders. In March 2016, Élodie Yung, who portrays Elektra Natchios in Daredevil, expressed interest in appearing in The Defenders `` on the bad side... that would be a good dynamic I think -- to be confronted by these four superheroes ''. The next month, Eka Darville said that he would reprise his Jessica Jones role of Malcolm Ducasse in The Defenders. In September, Simone Missick stated that she would be reprising the role of Misty Knight from Luke Cage in the miniseries. At New York Comic - Con in October, Sigourney Weaver was announced as playing the main antagonist of the miniseries, later revealed to be Alexandra. The producers had referred to the character as `` a Sigourney Weaver type '' for four months before Loeb contacted the actress about the project. After production on the miniseries began at the end of that month, Marvel confirmed that Darville, Missick, and Yung would appear, alongside Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Scott Glenn as Stick, Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, and Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing, all also reprising their roles from previous Marvel Netflix series. Ramón Rodríguez also reprises his role as Bakuto. Other actors reprising their roles for the miniseries include Wai Ching Ho as Madame Gao, Carrie - Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth, Peter McRobbie as Father Lantom, Rob Morgan as Turk Barrett, Amy Rutberg as Marci Stahl, Susan Varon as Josie, and Nichole Yannetty as Nicole. Additionally, J. Mallory McCree recurs as Cole ; Michelle Federer and Chloe Levine portray Michelle and Lexi Raymond ; Ron Simons appears as police captain Strieber ; and Babs Olusanmokun as Sowande and Yutaka Takeuchi as Murakami, who are other leaders of the Hand. Design Stephanie Maslansky is the costume designer for The Defenders, after serving the same role for the previous Marvel Netflix series. Maslansky noted, `` we celebrated the differences, and the coming together of these four very distinct characters. For each character, there is definitely a color palette -- Daredevil you think of the reds, Jessica Jones shades of navies and lavender, Iron Fist you think of the olive green family and with Luke Cage it 's the golds, the Harlem colors. We utilized those palettes, and that gave us the distinction. '' For Alexandra, Maslansky wanted `` a lot of depth to her wardrobe '' that was `` grounded in an older world. Maybe very, in a way, European. More of a global feeling to her wardrobe, very lush... her wardrobe reflects that kind of ancientness. '' The series ' title sequence, designed by Elastic, `` teases all the heroes through colored topographical views of New York City. '' Filming Marvel announced in February 2014 that the series would be filmed in New York City, with Marvel Comics ' editor - in - chief Joe Quesada stating in April that the show would be filming in areas of Brooklyn and Long Island City that still look like the old Hell 's Kitchen, in addition to sound stage work. In April 2016, Cox confirmed a late 2016 start for filming, following the conclusion of production on Iron Fist in October 2016. The Defenders began filming on October 31, 2016, under the working title Group Therapy. Additional filming took place in the Upper West Side, Hell 's Kitchen, and Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhoods, the Stapleton neighborhood on Staten Island, St. Nicholas Park, the Central Park Mall, the rooftop gardens at Rockefeller Center, the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, 240 Centre Street in Manhattan, the Appel Room at Time Warner Center and the New York City Municipal Archives. Ritter revealed that the series would be filming back - to - back with the second season of Jessica Jones, adding there was the potential to overlap the two productions. Filming wrapped on March 19, 2017. Clarkson took inspiration, when establishing the look of the miniseries, from other New York - set films such as The French Connection, Shaft, and Serpico. Clarkson looked to embrace the different color palettes of the individual series, and bring them together, noting that Jessica Jones ( which she had also directed for ) was `` very dark and very steely and very blue '' while Daredevil focused more on red, and so these were emphasized early on. When Murdock and Jones meet, they are in a `` steely gray - blue '' room to indicate that it is Jones 's world, with Knight there wearing a Luke Cage - appropriate tan color, and Murdock entering and letting red into the room to show the connecting of the two characters. Clarkson also looked to `` twist '' the series to indicate that the characters were coming together, including a moment in the first episode where Cage leaves an apartment and puts his head up, which cuts to Jones entering a flat and putting her head down. Clarkson said on this, `` I tried to do transitions that connected them, even though they were far removed from each other at this point, so you constantly felt these world were eventually going to come together. '' Clarkson also looked to film the action sequences in the different ways that the other series had, such as the `` incredibly choreographed and... almost balletic '' fights from Daredevil, or the more `` scrappy, messy '' sequences from Jessica Jones. For Cage, Clarkson felt that he is `` this solid, central figure that is bulletproof, is unbreakable '', so she often filmed him with a static camera or steady camera, while Iron Fist was filmed in a lot more movements and with handheld cameras. The fight between the two, in the second episode, combined those two styles. Music In February 2017, John Paesano was announced as the composer for the miniseries, after previously composing the first two seasons of Daredevil. Paesano felt `` there was more license to push the envelope and lean a bit more into the orchestral colors '' of each character since `` we 're dealing with outright superheroes that our audience is familiar with ''. His score, which was a hybrid of synthesizers and a 30 - piece orchestra, borrows the `` color '' of each character 's themes from their individual series, `` to remind viewers of their individual personalities. '' A soundtrack album for the series was released digitally by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on August 17, 2017. All music composed by John Paesano. Track listing No. Title Length 1. `` The Defenders Main Title '' 1 : 18 2. `` Allies Are n't Alone '' 3 : 42 3. `` Terminal '' 2 : 39 4. `` Tailing Jones '' 2 : 44 5. `` Board Room '' 5 : 36 6. `` Our Weapon '' 3 : 27 7. `` Aliasing '' 1 : 54 8. `` Chinese Drive Through '' 1 : 35 9. `` Restaurant Fight '' 2 : 35 10. `` Alexandra '' 3 : 59 11. `` Old Friends '' 2 : 49 12. `` A Bone to Pick '' 2 : 32 13. `` Kung Fu Party '' 3 : 45 14. `` Protect My City '' 5 : 36 15. `` The Defenders '' 5 : 04 Total length : 49 : 15 Marvel Cinematic Universe tie - ins The Defenders is the final miniseries of the initially ordered Netflix series, after Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. In August 2014, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Fisk in Daredevil, stated that after the `` series stuff with Netflix '', Marvel has `` a bigger plan to branch out ''. In March 2015, Loeb spoke on the ability for the series to crossover with the MCU films and the ABC television series, saying, `` It all exists in the same universe. As it is now, in the same way that our films started out as self - contained and then by the time we got to The Avengers, it became more practical for Captain America to do a little crossover into Thor 2 and for Bruce Banner to appear at the end of Iron Man 3. We have to earn that. The audience needs to understand who all of these characters are and what the world is before you then start co-mingling in terms of where it 's going. '' Midland Circle, where the four Defenders all initially meet and was previously mentioned in the first and second seasons of Daredevil and the first season of Iron Fist, was revealed to be an operation of the Hand, who bought the building to search for the life substance hidden beneath the property. Ramirez noted that after showing the Hand purchasing the building in the first season of Daredevil, and introducing the hole they were digging in Daredevil 's second season, it was not known `` what they were digging for, and we could come up with anything ''. Having the skeleton of a dead dragon be the source of the substance the Hand sought `` felt like the cleanest way to tie everything in '' according to Ramirez, referencing back to the first season of Daredevil, where Gao sells a drug made from the dragon 's bone crushed into powder. The miniseries also references the events of The Avengers. Release The Defenders was released on August 18, 2017, on the streaming service Netflix, worldwide, in Ultra HD 4K and high dynamic range. The eight, hour - long episodes were released simultaneously, as opposed to a serialized format, to encourage binge - watching, a format which has been successful for other Netflix series. Marketing At San Diego Comic - Con International 2016, a teaser trailer was shown featuring the word `` Defend '' forming from pieces of the logos from the four previous series over `` the ominous shape of a giant hand '', along with Glenn providing a voice over as Stick, asking how the four heroes plan to save New York when they can not save themselves. For New York Comic Con later that year, the four Defenders ' actors appeared together on stage, along with Weaver, to promote the miniseries. In April 2017, the release date for the series was revealed via a teaser trailer designed to look like security footage showing the four Defenders inside a Midland Circle elevator. The teaser also featured a hidden URL which led to a faux website for the New York Bulletin featuring `` plenty of easter eggs and little details waiting to be discovered '' ; the bottom of the faux website also confirmed the miniseries ' release date. Dave Lewis of the Los Angeles Times felt having the security footage teaser end on the timecode 08 : 18 : 20 : 17, was `` a fun way to indicate the show 's release date ''. A month later, Netflix and Marvel released an official trailer for the miniseries. They also released multiple motion graphics showcasing various character crossovers through the social media accounts for The Defenders as well as each of the individual series. Nicole Sobon of Comic Book Resources felt releasing each of the graphics this way was `` a smart marketing move by both Marvel and Netflix, as over the course of the years, the Twitter accounts ( for each series ) have managed to drive in plenty of fan interaction by their ' conversations ' between the characters. '' Cox, Ritter, Colter, Jones, and additional stars of the miniseries appeared at San Diego Comic - Con International 2017 to promote the series, where the first episode was also screened. The Defenders had its red carpet premiere at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center on July 31, 2017. Reception Audience viewership As Netflix does not reveal subscriber viewership numbers for any of their original series, the marketing analytics firm Jumpshot determined the series garnered 17 % of the viewers that the second season of Daredevil received in its first 30 days, which was the most viewed season according to Jumpshot. The Defenders was, comparably, the least - viewed of the Marvel Netflix series and had the largest week - over-week drop in viewership, declining by 67 %, 48 %, and 41 %, respectively, over the 30 - day period. Jumpshot, which `` analyzes anonymized click - stream data from a panel of more than 100 million internet consumers '', looked at the viewing behavior and activity of the company 's U.S. members, factoring in the relative number of U.S. Netflix viewers who watched at least one episode of the season. The data excludes viewing that occurred on Netflix 's connected TV or mobile apps. In October 2017, Netflix revealed The Defenders was the third-most `` Binge Raced '' series globally, and first in South Korea, of their original series. Netflix defined `` Binge Racers '' as members who watched the entire series within 24 hours after its release, and that data accommodated `` for time zones and is reflective of a show 's launch within 24 hours of a country 's release. '' They also went on to note that the `` Binge Racing '' ranking had `` no relation to overall viewership. '' Critical response Sigourney Weaver received praise from critics for her appearance in The Defenders The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 74 % approval rating with an average rating of 6.47 / 10 based on 81 reviews. The site 's critical consensus reads, `` Marvel 's The Defenders further develops well - known characters in an action - packed arc whose payoff packs more than enough of a punch to offset its flaws. '' Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 63 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating `` generally favorable reviews ''. The early screening of the first episode at San Diego Comic - Con was met by `` applause throughout '' from the crowd. Tracy Brown of the Los Angeles Times noted after `` a quick refresher on where each hero 's solo story left off... there is forward progress in the narratives for each '' of the Defenders, despite them not interacting in the episode. She added that the episode `` includes fighting, lawyering, drinking, destruction of property, and, yes, even a little bit of physical loving '' as has come to be expected for the Marvel Netflix series, and concluded that `` if every episode of The Defenders ends in a similar way to this pilot, fans may end up binge - watching the show without being able to help themselves. '' Polygon 's Julia Alexander was `` stupidly excited to binge the rest of the season '' after seeing the first episode. On the episode, Alexander said `` Even though you know they 'll end up getting together to take on the worst villains the city has to offer, having a first episode to set up ( the Defenders ' ) own personal identities and narratives goes a long way for a show like this. '' She also called Weaver 's Alexandra `` one of the more entertaining and intriguing antagonists we 've gotten in a Marvel / Netflix series, '' with her relationship to Elektra making her potentially `` the most deadly. '' Peter Sciretta for / Film called the episode `` a fine start '' to The Defenders, but felt it did not `` do a great job of explaining these heroes for people who have not seen the individual series. '' He also commented on the use of color throughout the episode, with `` colored lighting in the background to match the particular hero who is the focus of the scene '' as a way to differentiate each character 's story. Reviewing the first four episodes of the series, Katharine Trendacosta for io9 had positive thoughts, appreciating the writers for addressing many of `` the questions viewers would have coming into the show, as well as the moments fans would love to see... It 's fanservice done right, without sacrificing the characters or the story. '' However, she did feel there was an overabundance of talking, explaining every part of the story. She concluded that `` the good of The Defenders far outweighs the bad. The story is n't revolutionary, and as usual, the villains have a typically over-the - top and hilariously convoluted plan -- but it 's all a canvas to showcase Matt, Jessica, Luke, and Danny coming together as a team. They 're not just stronger together than they are apart -- it turns out they 're more entertaining, too. '' The Washington Post 's David Betancourt also gave a positive review, saying, `` The Defenders is the type of superhero streaming that we 've come to expect from Netflix 's live - action Marvel productions. Well worth the wait, the new show is every bit the event that Marvel fans hoped it could be. '' He enjoyed the pairing of Cage and Rand, and felt Weaver 's `` compelling '' Alexandra was `` the biggest surprise '' of the series. Jeff Jensen for Entertainment Weekly gave the series a `` B + '' saying, the series is `` a lively genre entertainment that recharges your interest in Marvel pop. It presents as a big event, yet values consolidation. '' He praised the fact that The Defenders was only 8 episodes long, compared to the 13 of previous Marvel Netflix seasons, and Petrie and Ramirez for `` upping their own game, honoring the best parts of every series, and elevating the franchise. '' Dan Jolin of Empire gave The Defenders 3 out of 5 stars, saying, `` there is enough joy in watching the sparks fly as these four alpha characters finally collide to make you feel The Defenders might just have been worth the wait. It 's a long - anticipated crossover series that delivers some engaging character clashes, but which fails -- in the first half at least -- to up the ante story-wise. '' He also called the villains of the series `` a mild disappointment '', with Weaver 's Alexandra `` yet another businessperson baddie whose dirty deeds are hidden by sharp suits '' and the Hand `` fail ( ing ) to ignite much excitement. '' Collider 's Allison Keene also gave the miniseries 3 stars out of 5, noting, `` It 's something new, but it has a lot of problems... If you thought Defenders would be a culminating chapter to the other Netflix Marvel series so far, think again. So far it feels like another prelude, and it makes one wonder if we 'll ever get to the main event. '' She felt some of the solo series issues such as pacing and narrative choices were still present, but like each, `` there are still things to enjoy '' including Jessica Jones and the banter among the heroes. Keene added that `` the show does n't really come together '' until the Defenders unite, which helps with some of the pacing issues, but felt one of the major mistakes of the series was setting the series around Rand and his connection to Rand Enterprises. Reviewing the series for Uproxx, Alan Sepinwall felt The Defenders did `` a good job of borrowing what worked best from the previous series : the fight scenes are mostly Daredevil - caliber rather than Iron Fist - caliber, Jessica gets a lot of snappy dialogue,... the music is strong ( particularly in the Cage scenes ), and Rosario Dawson as usual works wonders in making these characters feel like they could all be part of the same story. '' However, he also commented on the pacing of the four episodes reviewed, saying it was `` yet another Netflix ultra-slow burn '' and `` a frustrating reminder that even at a relatively compact eight episodes, these Marvel Netflix shows still do n't have a great command of pacing. '' Once the four heroes meet in the fourth episode ( after `` a pretty impressive '' fight ), Sepinwall felt the series got better, but hoped in the second half of the season `` both ( the ) show and team could justify their existence as something more than a package Marvel put together years ago in the hopes everything would work out. '' Variety 's Maureen Ryan felt The Defenders was `` a workmanlike series that gets the job done with a reasonable amount of energy and a few bursts of flair. It may not offer the highest highs of Jessica Jones... ( and ) is occasionally a bit blander than an endeavor featuring deadly ninjas and elaborate costumes should be, ( but ) the eight - part drama has notable selling points, chief among them an elegant and fierce performance from Sigourney Weaver. '' USA Today 's Kelly Lawler was more critical of the series, awarding it 2 out of 4 stars, feeling Rand was the `` undeniable handicap '' of the series, noting `` One would hope that The Defenders would shy away from Danny and his petulance, but unfortunately, Iron Fist is integral to the larger plot. Every scene featuring him drags, and he is in too many to ignore, with clunkier dialogue than his fellows. '' She also felt The Defenders suffered from the pacing issue the previous individual series had, and while some of the character pairings worked, as a group the Defenders `` lack chemistry ''. Lawler felt Weaver was `` a bright spot '' but concluded `` The Defenders will likely please devoted Marvel fans who merely want to see these four in the same room... But viewers who were attracted to one or more of the Netflix series for their unique perspectives will be disappointed. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and even Iron Fist deserve better. '' Reviewing the entire miniseries, Daniel Krupa of IGN gave it a 6.5 out of 10, saying, The Defenders felt `` uneven, hastily - planned, and ultimately like a missed opportunity. '' Krupa added that the story suffered from pacing issues, and `` an ill - defined, confused and confusing antagonist in the form of The Hand '' did not compare favorably to previously introduced villains Wilson Fisk, Kilgrave and Cornell `` Cottonmouth '' Stokes, while the inclusion of the supporting characters felt forced. Conversely, Krupa noted that the chemistry between the main characters was `` excellent '', with the reintroduction of Elektra `` well - done '', given Yung provided `` the most credible and emotionally - rich villain for The Defenders to face. '' He also called the Chinese restaurant scene in episode 4 `` the highpoint of the season ''. 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Question: how many episodes in the defenders season 1
Answer: eight