TV Shows

I'm in the middle of re-watching and catching up on all the MCU stuff that's currently canon before the new Spider-Man and Doomsday come out. I'm currently stalled out on the Netflix era Defenders shows. I really enjoyed Jessica Jones but finding Daredevil to be a bit of a chore. I'm currently two episodes away from finishing season two.

My current thought is to focus on the movies at least I get to the Disney+ era. I know that several Disney+ shows do reference the Netflix characters. How much am I going to be missing if I skip the Netflix stuff post DD Season 2?

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Commentaires

Void_Warden2026-02-02 13:43

The Disney+ shows and MCU movies barely reference the Defenders and other Netflix shows for the most part.

Spiderman NWH has a single cameo.

**However**, if you intend to watch DD : Born Again, while it's entirely watchable on its own, 90% of the characters are introduced in the DD show.

And if you want to watch the upcoming Punisher special, odds are you should watch the Punisher show and the DD season where he appears.

But DD starts off a bit slow since the whole first season is about him essentially becoming Daredevil. However, it's high-quality and definitely picks up the pace afterwards.

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 14:06

I think I actually preferred the first season to the second. I really don't care much for the Hand's super ninjas. Both feel like they really drag and could have been a lot shorter.

How much of DD should I watch to appreciate Born Again (at least the first season)? Is season 1 and 2 going to be enough or do I need to watch 3? And do I need to watch Luke Cage, Iron Fist and/or the Defenders to get DD season 3 (>! I already know Matt dies at the end of Defenders !<)

Void_Warden2026-02-02 14:10

DD3 introduces a character that returns in Born Again (and who seems slated to appear in the second season as well).

You do NOT need to watch Luke Cage, Iron Fist to watch DD3.

If you already know how Defenders ends, you don't need anything else to watch DD3.

But while Iron Fist isn't worth the watch, Luke Cage remains one of my favorite shows.

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 14:23

I'll probably give Luke Cage a watch since I really enjoyed Mike Colter in Jessica Jones and I do like the character in the comics.

And while I know what happens in Defenders, I don't know how it happens. My thought is that I'll probably stop after DD season 2 and come back to the Defenders-verse after I catch up with everything but Born Again.

Does Echo tie into the Defender's show at all?

Where does >! Wilson Fisk becoming mayor !< happen?

Void_Warden2026-02-02 14:25

Echo doesn't tie to the Defenders at all.

It does however explain why Fisk wants to become mayor (although that's sort-of explained/implied in DDBA).

Fisk becoming mayor happens during the first half of DDBA.

BiddyKing2026-02-02 14:57

Echo was introduced in MCU’s Hawkeye and her show carries on from there including the rift with her uncle Wilson Fisk. So that’s full MCU territory at that point. It’s somewhat skippable but it does inform why Fisk is ‘trying to be a better man’ in Born Again, and adds an extra layer of “is he actually trying or is he just faking it?” that might be lost without the Echo stuff

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 15:01

If I know where Fisk ends up at the end of DD season 2 is that enough to get where his story picks up in Hawkeye or do I need to watch DD season 3?

BiddyKing2026-02-02 15:09

I mean MCU Daredevil does a good enough job setting up a new status quo so you’d be fine regardless. But Daredevil s3 introduced Bullseye who’s one of Daredevil’s main villains, who’s an important factor in Born Again. So for that I’d recommend it.

And also because I think Daredevil s3 is the best Marvel Netflix season of them all, Jessica Jones s1 being the second best season

Academic_Stock_4642026-02-02 13:55

From best to worst, pre-MCU, IMO:

Daredevil,
Jessica Jones,
Luke Cage,
Defenders,
Iron Fist.

I'd be fine watching DD again.

ilovecraftbeer052026-02-02 14:17

Out of curiosity, where would Punisher fall on this list?

Academic_Stock_4642026-02-02 14:19

Ah, I'd forgotten about that actually. That would probably go second.

ilovecraftbeer052026-02-02 14:23

Good call. This is exactly my list as well. I see you are a person of taste.

GreasyExamination2026-02-02 14:23

Daredevil season 1 and 3 are amazing

No-Today-24592026-02-02 13:57

The original run of Daredevil on Netflix had pacing issues for sure. They shouldn't have forced them to do 13 episodes per season. 8-10 would've been better.

BiddyKing2026-02-02 14:17

I agree except I think Daredevil s3 is the exception and the best season overall of all Netflix Marvel, feels like they finally worked it out there

No-Today-24592026-02-02 14:41

you're right that season was great and didn't have the same pacing issues

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 14:19

I feel like episode length is a bigger issue than number of episodes.

The ideal for a TV drama is really 45 minutes IMO especially since so much of Daredevil is just him punching and kicking people in dimly lit rooms. Not that there aren't some great fights (the hallway in season 1 and the stairwell in season 2) but it really starts to grate when it feels like a third of every episode is a fight scene. The fact that basic goons give Matt so much trouble also doesn't make him feel like one of the best hand to hand fighters in the MCU as he should.

Jessica Jones works a little better as it feels more like a procedural and more of the screen time is given to character interactions.

OldManTechno2026-02-02 15:19

Also, probably the most vile and chilling Marvel villain in the entire comic book TV and film history. David Tennant as Purple Man is an apex big bad.

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 17:45

Watching >!Jessica snap Kilgrave's neck!< was so satisfying my laughter made my wife stop what she was doing 😅

On the downside, I'm pretty sure that show has ruined Doctor Who for me.

OldManTechno2026-02-02 17:47

I'm glad that the Netflix stuff isn't canon, so that we might see his return.

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 17:55

Pretty sure that the Netflix stuff was re-canonized after being removed when Feige was given full control over Marvel productions for both film and TV.

Sycosocial202026-02-02 14:01

If you made it that far through The Defenders you're just about through the worst. The only good parts of season 2 are the scenes with The Punisher in them. Season 2 of Daredevil is the worst. Season 3 is better. Luke Cage is watchable. Jessica Jones is great. Season 1 of Iron Fist is about the same as DD season 2. Season 2 of IF is a little better. All of The Punisher is amazing.

Sunshine1452026-02-02 14:10

Just skip every character you dont give a fuck about tbh. I've only watched like 6 movies and 5 series since the Infinity Saga.

BiddyKing2026-02-02 14:18

Netflix Daredevil s3 is super good though. I think most the Netflix shows had pacing issues including DD s1 and s2, but s3 worked it out

Emergency_News_47902026-02-02 14:26

I've seen all of punisher and Luke cage, half of daredevil and nothing else. I don't feel like any of the netflix shows are needed knowledge. You could watch a 5 minute clip on YouTube and get caught up with all relevant information I'd imagine. Especially for the new marvel movies yet to be released.

N8CCRG2026-02-02 15:08

The non Punisher half of DD Season 2 is notoriously a slog. The whole Hand/Stick/Elektra storyline just doesn't click.

But I would agree, focus on the movies. I recently did a rewatch of all of the Defenders shows and, while enjoyable, it's taxing as well.

gusefalito2026-02-02 15:13

So far, the only Netflix era series that are important are Daredevil S1, Daredevil S2, The Defenders and Daredevil S3 in that order.

I suspect The Punisher S1 and The Punisher S2 will be important for the Special Presentation coming out later this year but for now, Daredevil and The Defenders is all the context you need.

Upper_Cantaloupe76442026-02-02 15:47

just stick with it it’s all worth it

FewWatermelonlesson02026-02-02 16:36

It’s actually astonishing how uninteresting the Hand were and yet Marvel thought making them the main villains of 3 separate TV shows was a smart move.

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 17:41

I think the MCU does a really bad job overall of making villain organizations interesting. The Hand. Hydra. AIM. They're all a lot more interesting in the comics. It feels worse in the shows though because while Cap takes out Hydra pretty easily and the AIM goons have the excuse of Extremis for being a threat watching DD take at least five to ten minutes of every episode to beat up a handful of ninjas gets old really quick.

Grayx_28872026-02-02 18:00

Well, you only got the Defenders miniseries that is literally set after season two of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, respectively, and season one of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Daredevil (Season Three) is set after the Defenders.

hatarixd2026-02-02 18:13

I totally feel you! The MCU can be a lot to keep up with, especially with the Netflix shows mixed in. I get why Jessica Jones was more enjoyable—her story is so gripping and raw, but Daredevil? Yeah, I can see how it might start feeling like a bit of a slog, especially after a while. I remember pushing through some of those episodes just to get to the good stuff!

As for skipping the Netflix shows, if you’re planning to dive into the Disney+ era, you’re not going to miss *too* much, especially since a lot of the newer shows have their own storyline that stands alone. That said, there are a few key references and character moments in the Disney+ stuff (like *The Falcon and the Winter Soldier* or *Hawkeye*) that nod to the Netflix characters. So, if you’re invested in those, it might be worth powering through the last couple of episodes of Daredevil.

But honestly, if you’re getting burned out on Daredevil, it’s probably fine to skip ahead to the movies and Disney+ shows. The MCU is pretty good at making things accessible even if you miss a bit of the background. You’re still in a solid place to pick up on the references later!

Fickle-Aardvark69072026-02-02 18:53

What's the Netflix reference in Falcon and the Winter Soldier? I watched that last year before Thunderbolts* and I didn't catch one (which I guess kind of goes to prove your point but I'm still curious).