Netflix's Jessica Jones: Five Things To Look Forward To

Following the great success of Netflix's gritty, street-level crime thriller Daredevil earlier this year, it didn't take that long for Marvel Studios to cook up their next big project for the small screen. After months of mysterious castings, name changes, and minor details concerning the show's premise, Marvel's Jessica Jones finally released some gracious footage in two full-length trailers. Depicting a hard-core series of loss, redemption, and not to mention superpowers, this second installment in Marvel's gritty take on their acclaimed Cinematic Universe takes us inside yet another one of the comics' darkest characters. Here are just a few things you should expect when the series premieres November 20th: 

A Strong, Short-Fused, and Sarcastic Female Lead: One of the most defining things about this show, as well as for its cousin, Marvel's Daredevil, would have to be its brilliant leading cast; most profoundly, its leading man/woman. With Daredevil offering up a deliciously calculated and suave Matt Murdock in Charlie Cox, Jessica Jones hopes to bring the same intensity to their lead in Krysten Ritter. Taking on the persona of Jessica Jones, an ex-superhero who must confront her past as she becomes a private investigator on the streets of Hell's Kitchen, New York, Ritter exchanges her quirky, bubbly nature in ABC's short-lived Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 for a leather jacket and one short-fused temper. Holding onto her cynical yet comical sarcasm and vulgar attitude from the ABC show, Ritter may be both an unlikely and perfect candidate to lead this series. Hoping to have a similar, if not more gloomy and gripping, backstory to her character as Matt Murdock, Ritter's Jessica Jones could end up being one of Marvel's most dynamic characters to watch. 

More Kick-Ass Choreography: Comparing it yet again to Daredevil, Jessica Jones looks to have some pretty kick-ass fight scenes. Just as Matt Murdock threw down baddies left and right during his nights in Hell's Kitchen, Jessica Jones doesn't look too afraid to knock in some skulls on her daily trips to the bar. With an array of different powers up her sleeve, some of which she dare not use again, Jones' super strength, limited invulnerability, and flight might make for amazing action scenes. Given Netflix's somewhat more considerate budget for their shows, the show may be able to pull off a greater amount of special effects (at least compared to ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Hoping to maintain a similar display of complex and methodical fight scenes as Daredevil, this series looks to be an awesome mix of stylized fighting and fantastic storytelling.     

A Villain Reminiscent of Loki: Within the dark and mysterious trailer for the series, we meet (or vaguely meet) the central antagonist of the story, Zebediah Killgrave, aka the Purple Man, played by the brilliant David Tennant. A wicked yet methodical man, just as the Doctor Who actor is in real life, Killgrave jumps into the series in a very interesting and dynamic way. Offering up what looks to be a sarcastic yet conniving performance as the mind-bending villain -- quite reminiscent of one of the MCU's most defining antagonists, the god of mischief Loki, -- Tennant again seems like an odd yet nearly spot-on choice for the show's big baddie. Not as exposed to Tennant's work as the so-called "Whovians" of the world are, I'm definitely intrigued about what kind of villain he'll be, and just what his "mind control" powers might entail. The character having a dark and quite involved past with Jones, it'll be very interesting to see how it all plays out on the small-screen. 

  

One Cut-Throat, Enthralling Story of Redemption: Speaking of dark pasts and involved stories, the tale of Jessica Jones isn't one for the light-hearted. Delving into abusive drinking, scandalous sex, and careless street violence, following her fall from grace as a failed super-heroine, Jones' life takes a turn for the worse as she struggles with PTSD and its many emotional effects. Now if that doesn't fuel a damn good story, on such a dark and violent platform as Netflix, I don't know what will. Looking to be a little more grown-up than the already matured Daredevil, Jessica Jones doesn't seem to care what audience it's appealing to, just so long as it delivers great television. With such a cut-throat tale of regret and redemption on the hard streets of New York City, Netflix looks like it will surely have another success on their hands, as they're not afraid to expose the true horrors behind one woman and the world she'd wished she had never explored.         

Connections to the Films/Other Series: One of the most burning questions fans of Marvel ask whenever a new show or film comes out that involves the MCU is: Where the hell does this fit in? With the shows and films all existing in the same shared universe (yes, even Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), where any character (given their contractual obligations) can stroll onto the screen of another character's film anytime and make some obscure reference to the comics, Netflix only fueled that dream when it announced its four-character team known as The Defenders. Building up said team with every new series they make -- from Daredevil to Jessica Jones, and also two planned series on the way for Power Man aka Luke Cake and the martial artist Iron Fist -- fans have been asking since last year when we might see Matt Murdock kick it with Captain America or Jessica Jones date Ant-Man (yes, that really happened). Now, with the character of Jessica Jones being quite influential in the lives of many famous Marvel characters, including Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Scott Lang, and Matt Murdock as well, it begs the question: When do these guys all meet? With the MCU growing more expansive with every new film, and the chances to collide the big- and small-screens slim, the questions still remain unanswered, our speculations still floating in the geeky air. For now, all we can expect to see is a possible meeting between Daredevil and Jones, as the two are the budding members of the anticipated team-up of the superpowered street fighters. 

Well, that concludes my thoughts on what you should look forward to in the upcoming Jessica Jones Netflix series. What are your thoughts on the series, are you excited about it or could you care less? Are you a fan of Jessica Jones? Whatever your preference, let me know in the comment section below, and remember to come back soon for a full review of the series sometime around Thanksgiving.