Marvel fans have been increasingly more excited for The Defenders with each and every Marvel Netflix series that has launched so far. With Iron Fist being the final puzzle piece (debuting on March 17, 2017), The Defenders is poised to sweep in as Marvel’s next great onscreen super team and the culmination of everything the Netflix corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building towards. This is a street-level team of heroes made up (in the TV incarnation) of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist - all of whom will have starred (or will shortly star) in their own eponymous series.

Production on Defenders is well under way and photos have been coming off the set for a while, but we are now getting some official promo images - including accompanying behind-the-scenes snapshots, like Finn Jones’ Danny Rand petting a dog! Perhaps the most memorable of all the snapshots are two featuring Charlie Cox (Daredevil), and Mike Colter (Luke Cage), riding around set on a scooter.

These photos were taken for EW - you may have seen their comic book inspired cover that debuted earlier this week - and provide a compelling look at what life is like for the cast of The Defenders both on and off set. They highlight the cast of characters as individuals as well as a fully functioning team. Check them out, in the gallery below:

-

[vn_gallery name=“Marvel’s The Defenders: EW’s Behind the Scenes Photos” id=“879394”]

Several individual members of The Defenders have crossed over in their respective series in the past, including Rosario Dawson (Claire Temple), who was not featured in any of these photos (although, Simone Missick’s Misty Knight was) but has appeared in every Marvel Netflix series to date. Fans of the shows will remember that Luke Cage was an important supporting player in Jessica Jones, mirroring their close romantic relationship from Marvel Comics’ continuity. Additionally, there have been mentions of Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz, Nelson & Murdock and Alias Investigations outside of their respective Netflix shows. The writing staff behind these shows have done a great job seeding continuity and it will finally payoff in The Defenders.

These The Defenders photos also confirm that Luke Cage’s storyline will pick up directly where it left off with Luke in prison; that Jessica is still hitting the street as an investigator; that Danny is on his own in New York City; and that Matt Murdock is now more solitary than ever, once again, where he was left at the end of Daredevil season 2. The joy that can be spotted in the behind-the-scenes snaps speak to a bond between the castmates here and that could translate to the screen in a very exciting way.

In spite of this, the photos don’t give a ton of insight into some of the more specific story elements of The Defenders. As mentioned above, Claire Temple is nowhere to be seen, and Sigourney Weaver’s villainess character is suspiciously absent from any of the promotional images. And, without Iron Fist having aired yet, the Danny Rand pictures seem the most plain of them all.

Daredevil season 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, and Luke Cage season 1 are now available on Netflix. Iron Fist will premiere on March 17, 2017. The Defenders and The Punisher will arrive in 2017. Premiere dates for the newest seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been announced.

Source: EW