Every Netflix Marvel TV Series, Ranked
In a time when the superhero genre has become largely oversaturated with reboots, spin-offs, prequels, sequels, crossovers, and revivals, Netflix’s brief foray into the Marvel universe only continues to age like a fine wine.
Spanning six mostly terrific TV series, each entry in Netflix’s Defenders continuity has proven itself every bit as exceptional as the numerous Disney+ shows released in the years since.
With Marvel recently looking back to The Defenders for their latest programming (including, most obviously, Daredevil: Born Again), we decided to take a look back at each Netflix-produced Marvel series of the late 2010s. From hyper-violent crime dramas to sleek martial arts extravaganzas, here is every one of Marvel’s Netflix TV series, ranked in order from worst to best.
6. Iron Fist
Often touted as the most disappointing Netflix series in The Defenders’ universe, Iron Fist simply never embraced its more unique qualities, possessing far too many similarities to earlier, far superior superhero narratives that came before it. Weaving together a half-baked plot from underlying elements of Arrow, Batman Begins, and its sister series Daredevil, Iron Fist had all the potential to succeed as a gripping study of Finn Jones’ titular martial artists. Instead, audiences witnessed a surprisingly dull two-season series centered around Jones’ unremarkable main character: a protagonist that no amount of stylish martial arts sequences could help pop off the screen.
5. The Defenders
Netflix may have been building its way towards The Defenders from the on-set of Daredevil, but sadly, the finished product didn’t exactly measure up to everyone’s larger-than-life expectations. With little in the way of story and even less for consistent pacing, The Defenders moved at a stop-and-go speed severe enough to leave most viewers with whiplash. Yet even then, The Defenders succeeded first and foremost in balancing out its exceptional ensemble cast, exploring the distinct pasts, personalities, and fractured alter egos of its lead characters with meticulous ease and heartfelt dedication.
4. The Punisher
After making his debut in Daredevil’s acclaimed second season, Jon Bernthal’s misanthropic vigilante Frank Castle found his way into a full-fledged spin-off with 2017’s The Punisher. While it might not fully reinvent the wheel when it comes to comic book-inspired narratives, The Punisher’s explosive action, persistent violence, and sobering portrayal of its lead character make it a series unlike any other in the larger MCU. Eloquently capturing the down-and-dirty atmosphere of Garth Ennis’s celebrated Punisher MAX series, it’s a decent if slightly messy superhero epic in its own right (not wholly unlike Bernthal’s cynical anti-hero).
3. Luke Cage
The reception to its second season might have proven a tad shaky, but in its inception, Luke Cage excelled as a new kind of Marvel project: a socially relevant superhero series that dealt with worldly themes and timely issues. Confronting little-discussed topics like race, identity, and Harlem’s turbulent past and increasingly promising future, Luke Cage provided a gripping breakdown of its lead protagonist, including his constant attempts to use his powers for the sake of his family, friends, and the surrounding community at large.
2. Jessica Jones
A superhero series unafraid to take risks, Jessica Jones uses its basis in the comic book genre to explore surprisingly topical subject matters. Through the eyes of its jaded lead character Jessica Jones, viewers learn the tremendous hardships Jones has experienced over her traumatic career – something further exasperated by her relationship to David Tennant’s shadowy antagonist, Kilgrave. Dark, disturbing, and frequently thought-provoking in its disquieting themes, Jessica Jones seldom shied away from the more harrowing aspects of its characters’ backstories, allowing viewers to form their own thoughts and interpretations around each individuals’ past actions and seemingly uncertain futures.
1. Daredevil
The series that kick-started Netflix’s Defenders universe, Daredevil had the momentous task of establishing itself as a worthwhile tie-in to the MCU. Redeeming the title character following the disastrous 2003 Ben Affleck film, Daredevil also managed to revitalize Charlie Cox’s hard-boiled crime-fighter with a tense, noirish twist. Looking to the pages of Frank Miller’s Daredevil comics for inspiration, Netflix’s Daredevil provides a fittingly stylish take on Marvel’s Man Without Fear, complete with prominent appearances from such established Daredevil foes as Kingpin, Elektra, and Bullseye. Quite possibly the greatest superhero TV show of the last 20 years, it’s a wildly entertaining crime drama that viewers simply need to see to believe.
