A MARVELLOUS ACT ft. NETFLIX
The month’s ending and so is our ‘Superhero November’. We had a blast curating the month for you, and we hope you too had just as much fun reading about it. In the concluding piece, we’re leaving you with a list of must-watch Marvel superhero TV shows that will hopefully satisfy your need to binge-watch over lazy weekends. So here goes.
DAREDEVIL
While Ben Afleck failed to engage us in his version of this blind superhero, Charlie Cox not only gives us something to root for, but also gives us insight. Marvel’s got its TV game right, while DC continues to catch up. While Arrow and Gotham are good picks from the DC world, Marvel has an impressive line-up, headlined by Daredevil. The first season of Daredevil is somewhat like Nolan’s Dark Knight – one with an antagonist as intriguing as the Joker himself. Wilson Fisk, played masterfully by Vincent D'Onofrio is the bad guy you root for. Troubled, meticulous, noble, visionary and yet deliciously cunning. In this battle of blind faith and a visionary, we, the audience, are the true winners. Set in the Hell’s Kitchen, New York, this is one tasty dish deserving of a weekend binge. (Even the second season is intriguing) Tightly scripted, wonderfully paced and smartly written, we suggest, don’t turn a blind eye towards this one.
JESSICA JONES
She’s an alcoholic. A private detective. And freakishly strong. But what makes Jessica Jones shine is the nonchalant badass played by Krysten Ritter and the mind-controlling Kilgrave played with bone-chilling precsision by David Tennant. Marvel was getting its super villains right, and by extension its superheroes too. Jessica Jones is like the Will Smith of Hancock, but while he seems defeated and disinterested, Jessica seems to be hellbent on kicking ass. Considered to be a fan favourite, and rightfully so, we are making a strong case for Jessica Jones.
LUKE CAGE
The beautiful thing about any story coming out of Harlem is its history. It’s almost like circumstance has built the city, and every character is born with a backstory. Each more intriguing than the other. If you get writers who understand this nuance and weave a narrative around it, more often than not, you’d find a winner. Luke Cage, for most part of it is thoroughly enjoyable because of these homegrown details. Who is Luke Cage? The bulletproof beef of Harlem played earnestly by Mike Colter. One who wants to dedicate his life serving and protecting the neighbourhood. But the show–stealer in this show is ‘Cottonmouth’ by Mahershala Ali – he’s a menacing pianist, a cold-blooded killer and a jazz enthusiast as well. Luke Cage has immense power, just like some of its performances.
THE PUNISHER
Jon Bernthal has had phenomenal success over the last few years. From The Walking Dead to working with some of the best directors in Hollywood, and now a lead as arguably the most impactful comic book character in popular culture - The Punisher. While he can literally power through the performance, what the show badly needed was an antagonist worth punishing. What we get instead is a caricature available dime a dozen in any summer blockbuster. Almost like they looked at the punisher as a butcher without brains, so instead of giving us a character with layers or an antagonist that’s at least a worthy of putting up a challenge, we get a soppy backstory, and a soppy side-track. This wasn’t as disappointing as the Iron Fist or Defenders, but it was punishing to say the least.
IRON FIST
Iron Fist, ironically it’s the weakest hand played so far by Marvel. And it’s disappointing on two levels. Not only did it partly ruin Daredevil, but it turned ‘Defenders’ – from the epic it could have been to the disaster it became. Iron Fist, though hailing from a far-away land had the simplest of premises, but it classically transformed into that meme – YOU HAD ONE JOB. Danny Rand aka Iron Fist played by Finn Jones seems like he and the audience are demonstrating the same fact – Are you sure he’s the right guy to play Iron Fist? The antagonist in Iron Fist played a small role in Daredevil, and she with a limp too walks all over Iron Fist. This one’s not worth defending. This one’s not worthy of The Defenders.
The supporting characters in a few of these have been wonderfully cast and played. Look out for Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Henwick and Deborah Ann Woll amongst the lot. Also, a special note about the title sequence – they are one of the best you’d see around these days. Superhero November may have come to a close, but we’re sure these will continue to play on your Netflix in the coming months as well. After all, these are superheroes, and they’re here to stay.