Parents' Guide to

Marvel's The Defenders

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Dark, modern superhero tale has heroics, adult themes.

TV Netflix Drama 2017
Marvel's The Defenders Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 11 parent reviews

HelloThere9085
HelloThere9085 Adult
July 16, 2021
age 15+

Pretty Good!

I love this show! There is only one sex scene in the whole show which is in the first episode. The Violence is pretty gory, but it’s not over the top like any of the other Netflix superhero shows. I recommend this show!

This title has:

Too much violence
Ethan R.
Ethan R. Adult
April 28, 2021
age 17+

Cool Marvel show have violence

This show was cool, and had more comedy than Daredevil. It was cool to see a team of superheroes get together and try to work together, in a way different than the Avengers. The show contains a lot of violence and many fights use swords and they get bloody. It has about as much violence and blood as Daredevil. There is also some language usually s-word, and would be a PG-13 rating. The main problem is the violence. Only one sex scene in episode one that I skipped, like 1 minute, no other scenes in the rest of the show. Great for older teens.

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 11 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In New York City, a Big Bad is brewing. Somebody's making the ground shake and buildings fall, and has plans for even greater destruction. Could it be The Hand, the shadowy organization that's haunted many of the superheroes who come together in MARVEL'S THE DEFENDERS to fight? Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), Daredevil (Charlie Cox), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) are all lost in their own troubles as this series begins. Luke, just out of jail, is wrestling with the damage his powerful enemies did to his beloved Harlem; Iron Fist worries he's abandoned his loved ones threatened by The Hand; Jessica is still grappling with her abusive past and complicated present as a reluctant superhero; and Daredevil, now going by his real name Matt Murdock, has left heroics behind and is satisfying his urge to help and protect by doing pro bono legal work. But when a mysterious villainous presence, seemingly directed by secretive and powerful Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), starts threatening the city itself, they're called together to defend the innocent lives under siege.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (11 ):
Kids say (13 ):

Dark and gripping, this superhero series will appeal to fans who love big bad villains with big bad plans, and the complex heroes who oppose them despite their many limitations. Like the four series that star each individual hero, this isn't a simple superhero tale that can be wrapped up in an hour. Instead, bad guys and good guys (who are, to this series' credit, not always male) alike are complicated: Jessica drinks to escape her memories, Luke is alternately protective of and frustrated with the fallible characters who inhabit his neighborhood. Even the woman who emerges as the force attempting to bring about NYC's destruction, poised and cold Alexandra (gifted greatly with Sigourney Weaver's usual gravitas), has her secrets -- it's not even clear what she's up to, or why.

All of that remains to be slowly teased out by our quartet of superheroes, who begin the series still immersed in the storylines you'll recognize if you watched each series. Just how each characters' quirks and past will be integrated into one cohesive drama remains to be seen, but given the success of their big-screen counterparts The Avengers, uniting their worlds seems natural. How might their justice league differ from The Avengers? The Defenders is superheroics for adults: complicated, sexy, sometimes morally ambivalent, and if you liked any or all of the individual shows these characters inhabited, you'll like this, too.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Defenders' superheroes measure up as role models. What are their virtues? What are their vices? Why do we root for them in spite of their flaws?

  • Families can also talk about why superhero stories typically take place in large cities real or mythical: New York City, as is stated in the first few moments of this series, Batman's Gotham, Superman's Metropolis. What possibilities do cities offer for storylines that rural or suburban areas don't?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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