The Defenders; What Makes A Hero?

  

 

 

If I were to ask you who your favourite superhero was, I bet you would answer by telling me that it was one of The Avengers or one of The X-Men. You'll probably continue by telling me that the hero you chose is your favourite because they are cool, kickass, have awesome abilities, a sexy costume and the like. The truth is, your favourite hero is most probably a Marvel character and most likely to be from one of the biggest Marvel films to date and one that has just recently conquered the cinemas. The thing about superheroes is that you are most likely to choose one who has strong abilities, is one of the most popular and has defeated an evil mastermind and saved the world from ruin.

The one superhero or superheroes who are least likely to come to your mind when I ask the question regarding your favourite, is the small group of heroes who don't all wear capes, are less likely to be known by the population that they vow to save, and who are pretty much ordinary in every sense. They don't hold themselves up high on a pedestal, put their lives on hold, or lack individual weaknesses. They are much more human than we think...That's right people!!! I am talking about The Defenders!

 

The thing about The Defenders - which includes a private investigator with super strength (Jessica Jones), a man with unbreakable skin (Luke Cage), a billionaire with a glowing fist (Danny Rand aka Iron Fist) and a blind lawyer with heightened senses (Matt Murdock aka Daredevil), is that each of them are still completely and utterly human.

These group of people are just ordinary humans with incredible abilities, who just want to make a difference to the city of New York. I love that Jessica Jones has super strength yet still battles with the pain and horror that she went through because of Kilgrave in Jessica Jones season 1. That pain and the loss of her parents at a young age may have sent her down a self-destructive path, where the only thing that numbs her pain is alcohol, yet Jessica still manages to pick herself up and protect those that she loves.

Matt Murdock is also an incredible character. The blind lawyer has battled through the loss of both his Father and the loss of his eyesight. He fights for people using the law and his smarts during the day, and physically fights for those he loves and the city that he adores during the night. I love how Matt has battled with his Catholic faith during the two seasons of Daredevil and has always come up on top; not losing himself or his morals and not relishing in the dark desire of murder. Personally, if you were to ask me who my favourite hero was, I would answer by telling you that my favourite hero was Matt Murdock/Daredevil. The reason would be a simple one...because Matt Murdock is a man who knows who he is, what he wants and he fights for it every single day. He may wear a red devil costume whilst doing so, but he doesn't fight for himself or the glory, but for the people and his city. I love how he is an ordinary man with an ordinary job and an ordinary belief system, yet he has a past and a weakness like any one of us.   

 

 

Each of the characters in The Defenders are so much more 3-dimensional than those of The Avengers and X-Men. Sure Wolverine and Iron Man and everyone else within the two teams have a past that has moulded them into being the heroes that they are, but I just love how The Defenders not only focuses on the one shared goal to save the city of New York, but also focuses on the individual lives of each character. The fact that each hero has their own mini-series on Netflix really helps us get a feel of who they are not just as a hero but as a person, which makes the characters so much more easier to emotionally connect with, love and maybe even relate to.

 

Knowing that each character has their own individual lives, I feel that rooting for each one during an epic fight scene is much more easier than during other Marvel films. Sure, I loved the fight scenes in The Avengers, but knowing that each of the heroes involved have their own special abilities that make them much more powerful than The Defenders - I knew that the chance of one of them getting killed or hurt was an all time low.

The fight scenes within The Defenders, however, are much more simple and mostly involve flips, kicks and fists, as quoted by Jessica Jones, the fight scenes are more like a "Kung-Fu party." With each character having their own individual fighting styles, I loved seeing these four morally-strong and kickass individuals working together as a team.

 

In the final episode, I love how Daredevil fought for the woman he loved right up until the end. The solo fight between Matt and Elektra was powerful and visually-pleasing as well as heart achingly sad. Out of all The Defenders, Matt Murdock has the biggest heart out of them all, and this aspect of his character really shone through in the final scenes. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice himself for his city and the woman he loves, is the one thing that makes him a true hero. It isn't his ability to fight nor his heightened senses that make him so, but the willingness to sacrifice his life for somebody else's. That is the definition of a hero and why The Defenders are the ultimate team. (I'm excited to see how Matt will progress throughout Daredevil season 3).   

 

These four awesome characters show us that ordinary and street level individuals can make a difference to the lives of others, if we just carefully think and consider our actions and how they will impact the lives of others.

Choosing between what is morally right and what is morally wrong is the one thing that makes an ordinary person brave and a true hero.       

 

 

 

The Defenders is available on Netflix now.