‘The Defenders’: Netflix Show Has Cast Sigourney Weaver In Villainous Role
In a surprising turn of events, Marvel’s The Defenders has apparently cast Sigourney Weaver as the main villain for the upcoming Netflix show. According to The Verge, Marvel’s head of television Jeph Loeb announced recently Weaver’s role as the primary antagonist of The Defenders, although he did not reveal exactly who she would be portraying.
Netflix has made an interesting move casting Weaver in The Defenders, arguably in an attempt to raise not only expectations, but also interest in the show (as if the idea of a superhero team-up in the same vein as Marvel’s other popular property The Avengers isn’t enough enticement already). Keeping the role a mystery for the moment should also play to The Defenders‘ advantage, inviting much guess-work about who she’ll be playing.
The Defenders is the culmination of the Netflix-Marvel universe (which is connected to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe) which started last year with the first season of Daredevil and just recently added the critically acclaimed Luke Cage to its repertoire. It will feature all of Netflix’s Marvel superheroes teaming up against what is supposedly Weaver’s mystery villain character. Obviously this means she’ll have to be a rather powerful villain to warrant a team-up of such powerful protagonists.
Sigourney Weaver joins #TheDefenders & more casting news from #MarvelNYCC 2016! https://t.co/YunvBuOkaf pic.twitter.com/kgnWvJ8ANg
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 9, 2016
Many have speculated as to who the main villainous force could be on The Defenders – like CheatSheet‘s recent article on who might be showing up – but most speculation has circulated around male super villains in Marvel’s vast stable. Could Netflix be pulling a gender swap and casting Weaver in a traditionally male role? Will she instead be the controlling force behind The Hand (who were the main focus of Daredevil‘s Season 2), controlling events from behind the curtain? Or will Weaver simply be an original character? Judging from Marvel’s track record so far, which has at least based most of its main characters on existing comic characters, that last one seems unlikely.
It’s also completely feasible (and likely) that Weaver’s villain won’t be the only bad influence to appear on The Defenders, as fan favorites like Daredevil’s Kingpin are expected to at least make an appearance in the show. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the show will set fans up for villains in future seasons, like Mephisto (who is essentially Satan) or The Nameless One (the leader of an evil army known as the Undying Ones). Naturally, we’ll just have to wait for the show to be available for our binging pleasure to find out for sure.
Weaver rose to fame in the late 1970s and 1980s with starring roles in both Alien and Aliens (the latter garnered the actress an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress) as well as memorable supporting roles in Ghostbusters and its sequel. She has been a staple in science-fiction-related films for over 30 years, so her casting in a Marvel-related property seems like it was only a matter of time. The real surprise is that she ended up on the small screen instead of appearing in the MCU, though her presence on The Defenders could give the show the gravitas it needs to be excellent. Every great superhero needs a great villain, after all.
Are you excited to see Weaver finally join the Marvel universe, especially in a setting that allows maximum character development because of such an extended runtime? Were you instead hoping to see her on the big screen with the A-list superheroes? Or is the prospect of seeing what is basically The Avengers on television enough for you regardless of who the villain is? Let us know in the comments section.
The Defenders does not have a definitive release date as of now, but is expected to drop some time in 2017. Check out a teaser trailer for The Defenders below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBZtM8q2Z1g
[Featured Image by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP Images]
