Marvel has been busy as of late, casting a number of actors for their highly anticipated series, A.K.A. Jessica Jones. After the casting of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones and Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Marvel was proud to announce that David Tennant has been cast as the villainous Zebediah Killgrave, also known to comic readers as the Purple Man.
Born in Rijeka, Yugoslavia, Dr. Zebediah Killgrave was a physician turned spy tasked with investigating and infiltrating a chemical refinery. After being doused in numerous chemicals, Killgrave learned that his skin and hair had turned purple and that he was capable of releasing pheromones that manipulated the minds and emotions of anyone he came in contact with. Calling himself “The Purple Man,” Killgrave began a criminal career and was initially introduced as a Daredevil villain in the early 1960s. After falling into obscurity, the character was brought back as an antagonist to Jessica Jones in the series Alias, where he played a significant role in ending Jones’ superhero career.
Tennant has built an insane amount of clout among television viewers, specifically for his performance as Dr. Who in the series of the same name. His turn as the Doctor is considered to be the best among many fans, and his longtime appreciation for the series and numerous geek properties has made him well loved among comic readers. His most recent series, Broadchurch, in which he stars as Detective Alec Hardy, further showcased his capabilities as a dramatic actor.
A.K.A. Jessica Jones Executive Producer and Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg praised Tennant as an actor, highlighting his delivery of dialogue.
“I’m so honored and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character,” said Rosenberg. “He can deliver the most heart-wrenching moment to the driest of lines, and all points in between. He’ll make Killgrave a truly original villain.”
In all honesty, the Purple Man is considered to be one of Marvel’s lesser known D-List villains. The character has often scrapped with street-level heroes like Daredevil and Luke Cage, getting his ass handed to him each and every time he’s come across them. His appearance in A.K.A Jessica Jones makes sense, but Tennant’s impeccable abilities as an actor would suit him better to play someone like Bullseye, or even a version of the criminally underrated 1980s Marvel villain, The Rose. However, Tennant has been cast as the Purple Man, and while the character is often looked at as a footnote in the Marvel Universe, Tennant will most likely provide an interesting take on the villain.
Currently, the synopsis of A.K.A Jessica Jones reads:
“After a tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City. An enigmatic figure from Jessica’s past, Killgrave’s reappearance will send shockwaves through the former super hero’s world.”
Source: Marvel
What do you think reader? Happy to hear about Tennant’s casting in the Neflix series? Were you hoping he would play a different comic book character? Let us know in the comments below!
Interested in picking up some of the titles mentioned in the article? Please use our Amazon links to do so!
