Monday, August 14, 2017

Why cast these characters on TV in Defenders instead of Heroes for Hire?

Here's another sugary column in the Times Record that tells about the launch of a Netflix series bearing the Defenders title...but stars at least a few characters who once headlined the Heroes for Hire title in the late 90s:
...the Netflix “Defenders” is from Marvel Television and teams up all the characters which have headlined Netflix series so far: Luke Cage (Mike Colter), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Matt “Daredevil” Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Danny “Iron Fist” Rand (Finn Jones). It also includes a lot of supporting characters from those shows, both heroes and villains, including Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), Misty Knight (Simone Missick), Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung), Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Stick (Scott Glenn), Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick).
But no Dr. Strange, Hulk, Valkyrie, Silver Surfer or Namor? Now isn't this weird. Because as mentioned, there was a title starring a few of the above in the late 90s called Heroes for Hire, written by John Ostrander, which would've made a far better title for a TV show spotlighting these street-level heroes whose powers, if any, aren't the most elaborate, and not as formidable as Strange and Valkyrie's. Only Luke Cage and Misty Knight qualify, and I think Cage did make an appearance in Defenders during its original 1972-86 run.

IMO, a TV show titled Defenders after Marvel's past series should star characters who comprised the original cast members. While Heroes for Hire should serve as the title for a show starring street-level vigilantes. If Netflix is using the title of the Bronze Age adventure series instead of the latter, they're only being absurd.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous3:42 PM

    Both Cage and Daredevil were in the original Defenders 1972-86 series; Cage was also a member of the Fantastic Four for a short bit, replacing Ben Grimm for a few issues.

    Heroes for Hire would not work as a title for the new tv series, because Daredevil does not hire himself out as a hero; he uses the income from his law practice to subsidize the heroing.

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