The Defenders (film)

The Defenders is a 2015 superhero film set in the Marvel Media Franchise, the twenty-eighth film in the universe. It is also a sequel to Daredevil, Daredevil v. The Punisher, and Captain America: Civil War. The film stars Joe Manganiello, Lynn Collins, Dwayne Johnson, Dan Stevens, Rose Byrne, Jing Tian, Ewan McGregor, Matt Damon, and Frank Grillo and was released worldwide on February 27, 2015. The film ran 141 minutes and grossed $325.2 million on a $108 million budget.

Plot
2 years ago, Matt Murdock/Daredevil fought alongside Captain America and his Secret Avengers. Now, the team have been fighting the battles that the Mighty Avengers are not allowed to. Matt, however, realizes he wants to return to his normal life and leaves the team. Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, knowing Matt's identity, claim that Matt died in Daredevil's battle with the Punisher three months before the Secret Avengers. Foggy is angry over Matt leaving them, especially after they thought he had died. Matt returns to New York City and reunites with Karen and Foggy. Matt, however, realizes that though the Secret Avengers are stopping international and terrorist threats, no one is stopping obvious street crime in New York. Matt decides to put together his own team of super-powered people to stop the growing threat of Kingpin, who has been released from prison.

In Harlem, Jessica Jones is a private investigator who has super-strength, durability, regenerative healing, and flight. She is married to bartender Luke Cage, who has incredible strength and invulnerability. The two help out citizens of Long Island without alternate personas, they let the public know who they are. Matt recruits them and they reluctantly join. Danny Rand/Iron Fist is an immortal ninja warrior who is a skilled martial artist who works with Colleen Wing, a martial artist who works for the Chaste, a ninja group bent on stopping The Hand, an organization bent on world control. Rand and Wing are also asked to join Matt's group and the two agree. The team names themselves the Defenders. The Defenders make their first public appearance by attacking Kingpin and his goons. The team almost manages to stop the crime boss, though he manages to escape.

The Defenders learn that the CIA has sent Agent Everett Ross to find them and ask them to register, discluding Daredevil, who he will arrest. The team and Karen manage to escape to the underground, though Foggy stays behind, not wanting to be on the run. The team and Karen find the Chaste, where Matt reunites with an old friend, Stick. However, the Defenders and Karen are sold out by Foggy, who ratted them out to Ross. Colleen, Jessica, and Matt are caught and arrested. Karen, Luke, and Danny escape and find Kingpin. Luke gets into a fight with him and Danny helps him. Kingpin is nearly killed, though Karen stops them. Matt and Jessica escape their cells and rescue Colleen. The three then leave the prison, incapacitating Ross in the process. Foggy reveals he has been offered a job at the CIA. Matt and Foggy get into a fight, which leads to Ross accidentally killing Foggy. Matt, Jessica, and Colleen escape and find Karen, Luke, and Danny with Kingpin.

The team argues over whether to turn in Kingpin to the authorities or to S.T.R.I.K.E. Karen and Danny want to follow the rules, while Matt, Jessica, Luke, and Colleen trust Kingpin with S.T.R.I.K.E. more than the corrupt CIA or S.H.I.E.L.D. However, Ross infiltrates their hideout and the Defenders are forced to flee. However, Karen's relation to the team is exposed, forcing her to go into hiding, along with Jessica and Luke, whose identities have been exposed. Matt, Danny, and Colleen return to their normal careers, as they were not exposed, though Karen and the others continue to fight as the Defenders when the public needs it. In a mid-credits scene, Kingpin refuses to give information on Daredevil and the other heroes, forcing Ross to kill him. In a post-credits scene, Matt reveals to his allies that he hasn't been entirely truthful about where he was in the three months between his fight with Punisher and the Secret Avengers.

Cast

 * Joe Manganiello​ as Matt Murdock/Daredevil
 * Lynn Collins as Jessica Jones
 * Dwayne Johnson as Luke Cage
 * Dan Stevens as Danny Rand/Iron Fist
 * Rose Byrne as Karen Page
 * Jing Tian as Colleen Wing
 * Ewan McGregor as Foggy Nelson
 * Matt Damon as Everett Ross
 * Frank Grillo as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin

Production
After the successes of both The Avengers and Daredevil, Marvel decides to begin development on a film centering on a team of non-Avenger heroes. Joe Manganiello had signed a five-film contract before appearing in Daredevil, with two films on his contract by the time he appeared in this film. Manganiello officially confirmed he would star as Daredevil in June 2011. Marvel set a release date of February 27, 2015. Later, Byrne and Ewan McGregor revealed they would be reprising their roles as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson from Daredevil in the film. Marvel announced in February 2012 that the film would center around and be titled, The Defenders. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist were announced to be the other members on the team. Casting for the team began in May 2012. Frank Grillo revealed in June that he was in talks to reprise his role as Kingpin for the main villain in the film. By August, Matt Damon revealed he would like to appear as Everett Ross in another Marvel film, with The Defenders being his top choice. Guillermo del Toro was in talks to direct the film in November. By December, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein were also in talks to direct. In February 2013, Lynn Collins and Dwayne Johnson were revealed to have been cast as Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Marvel revealed in April, after the release of Captain America: Civil War, that the film would center around what happened to Daredevil while he was in the Catholic church healing. In May, Matt Damon and Frank Grillo officially signed on to reprise their roles as Everett Ross and Kingpin, the latter in the villainous role. Dan Stevens was cast in July as Iron Fist, along with Jing Tian in an undisclosed role. Guillermo del Toro officially signed on to direct in August 2013. A screenplay was written by Joss and Jed Whedon. Filming began on March 4, 2014 and concluded on June 1. Tian was revealed to be portraying Colleen Wing in August.

Release
Controversy surrounded the deleted storyline of Matt and what happened in the Catholic church. Del Toro revealed that Kingpin was always meant to be the main villain of the film, and finding a way to include the storyline was difficult, so he saved it for a sequel.

Box office
The Defenders grossed $162.9 million in North America and $162.1 million in other territories for a total gross of $325.1 million worldwide, against a budget of $108 million, tripling it's budget.

Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored an approval rating of 80% based on 201 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The site's critical consensus read, "The Defenders won't win over many viewers who aren't fans of Daredevil, but for the converted, it's another great, gritty burst of bloody fun." On Metacritic, the film scored of 62 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". According to CinemaScore, audiences gave the film a grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.