After several weeks of promos and teasers, Netflix has finally revealed the official full-length trailer for Jessica Jones. Starring Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad) as Jessica Jones, the series follows the private detective as she attempts to rebuild her life after suffering from a traumatic event that brought an end to her career as a superhero. Angry, bitter and content to drown herself in alcohol, Jones is disturbed to learn that the man who destroyed her life years ago has returned to New York City with the intention of finding her, and hurting as many people as possible along the way.
Like Netflix’s Daredevil before it, Jessica Jones appears to be immersing itself in the darker, more mature elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though only a trailer, Ritter appears to be thoroughly dedicated to her role as the damaged former superhero, sarcastically referencing her obvious alcoholism and paranoia. We also get to see Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Jones’ longtime comic book love interest, and Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker, also known in the comics as the superhero Hellcat.
Other than Ritter herself, probably the most compelling thing about the trailer is David Tennant (Dr. Who) as the mind-manipulating psychotic, Zebadiah Kilgrave a.k.a The Purple Man. For those unfamiliar with the character, he was originally introduced as a Daredevil villain in the early 1960s. Able to control the minds of his victims through pheromones, Kilgrave is probably best known among comic readers for being the main antagonist to Jessica Jones throughout the comic series Alias. As the trailer clearly showcases, Kilgrave makes use of his powers quite often, taking immense pleasure in concocting torturous scenarios.
Though I’m extremely excited to see Tennant’s portrayal of Kilgrave, I can’t shake my feeling of trepidation. While Tennant is a talented and charismatic actor, and is more than capable of delivering a fine performance, no one can deny that Marvel’s greatest weakness has been their villains. With the exception of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, the majority of Marvel film villains have been consistently underwritten and disappointing. It has been a problem that has plagued the MCU since its inception with 2008’s Iron Man, and has only continued to get worse over time. I’m hopeful that Jessica Jones will take the time; much like Daredevil did with the Kingpin, to thoroughly develop Kilgrave into a compelling and interesting character worth following.
The first season of Jessica Jones will hit Netflix on November 20, 2015.
