‘The Defenders Saga’ Reportedly May Not Be Fully Canon and Referenced Accordingly in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

Marvel’s ‘Echo’ project has officially integrated several Marvel-based shows into the MCU continuity and timeline, including The Defenders Saga. Initially released on Netflix, The Defenders Saga, also known as Street-Level Heroes and Marvel Knights, focuses on New York City vigilantes within the MCU, beginning with ‘Daredevil’ season one and concluding with ‘Jessica Jones’ season three.

The inclusion of details from ‘Daredevil’ in ‘Echo’ suggests Marvel Studios’ willingness to recognize these projects as part of the MCU canon despite previous events being disregarded in mainline movies and series. Fans had speculated about the canonical status of the first three seasons of ‘Daredevil’ in ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’ However, with the recent announcement that ‘Born Again’ will be a reboot featuring a new creative team and significant rewriting, the current status of the show remains uncertain – whether it will be a reboot or a continuation.

Following the release of ‘Echo,’ D’Onofrio’s comments about ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ being directly tied to Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ might have been premature, as suggested by Cosmic Circus’ latest podcast.

According to Alex Perez, The Defenders Saga is deemed “canon but isolated,” signifying its events are part of the official Marvel universe. However, Marvel may opt for character recasting and different story adaptations in the future. The canonical status of certain storylines in ‘Jessica Jones,’ ‘Luke Cage,’ and ‘Iron Fist’ may not continue, even if characters return.

Marvel aims to preserve ‘Daredevil’ the most, with potential omissions or readaptations in other series. The details of how the Defenders series will be canonically treated are still under consideration by Marvel. Foggy and Karen’s roles in the ‘Born Again’ storyline were initially planned to be less significant, but recent changes suggest increased involvement.

‘Born Again’ is less a traditional Season 4 and more Marvel crafting its path based on established Marvel Television content. Future developments will spotlight the criminal underworld, with Fisk, as Mayor, facing scrutiny and having to relinquish assets, seized by unrevealed factions. One of these factions will introduce a villain in ‘Spider-Man 4,’ not previously adapted into live-action.

The complexities of The Defenders’ status seem only to scratch the surface. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments below!