Now that Netflix’s Marvel series is being incorporated into the main MCU timeline, you’re probably wondering what order should you watch the Marvel Netflix shows?
But first, a little backstory. We’re calling these shows the “Marvel Netflix shows” because they were originally aired on Netflix. However, they are moving to Disney+ on March 16, 2022 as Disney takes over all of the Marvel franchise. These shows include:
- Daredevil
- Jessica Jones
- Luke Cage
- Iron Fist
- The Punisher
- The Defenders
If you saw Spider-Man: No Way Home, or the Hawkeye series, you’ll know that key characters from the Netflix Marvel series made an appearance. This is really exciting for fans to learn that we’ll get to see more of our favorite characters in the MCU!
If you’re ready to watch the “Marvel Netflix series,” here’s the best order to guide you, as well as which shows you could skip if you are really short on time. I’ve also got a full list of the correct order to watch the Marvel movies and series!
Daredevil, Season 1
First up in the Marvel Netflix series of shows is Daredevil. Matt Murdock, played by Charlie Cox, is a blind lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen with super ninja fighting skills and heightened senses (especially hearing). A practicing attorney by day and vigilante by night, Matt tries to keep his two lives separate.
Dark, edgy, and fully captivating, Daredevil has a nice mix of villains, vigilantism, and vengeance. The hero is an engaging character with an alter-ego that you can’t help rooting for.
I most enjoy the depth of Daredevil’s story line. It’s villain, Wilson Fisk, played superbly by Vincent D’Onorfio, is connected to a more deeply-rooted evil that develops through the seasons and into Defenders.
And there are other villains, who maybe aren’t villains, that provide a wonderful complexity to the characters and plot.
Jessica Jones, Season 1
Jessica Jones is my favorite of the six Marvel Netflix series. Her story is riveting, the villain is outstanding, and the show features several characters that are well-developed and compelling.
Unlike some of the other Marvel Netflix shows, I was never once tempted to pick up my phone and scroll through Facebook during any episode of Jessica Jones.
Jessica, played by Krysten Ritter, is a self-destructive private investigator who’s had more than her fair share of tragedies in life. Her super power is strength, but she also has the ability to fly (or jump really hard and far).
I love Jessica’s sarcasm, dry wit, and strength of character. And her show definitely has the best villain in the Netflix Marvel universe – Kilgrave, played by David Tennant of Doctor Who fame. It was so suspenseful to watch Kilgrave’s powers and wonder how Jessica would escape them and save the world from his brand of evil. You even think she might save him.
The supporting characters in Jessica Jones, including her friend Trish, neighbor Malcom, and Luke Cage, are all given a lot of room for development and integrated really well into the series.
Daredevil, Season 2
I really enjoyed the realistic relationship progression between Matt and Karen, and Matt and Foggy, in season two of Daredevil. We also get to meet Matt’s ex-lover Elektra. Elektra’s a bad-ass in her own right and plays a crucial part in The Defenders.
Season two of Daredevil is better than season one simply because of the addition of Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal. The Punisher is truly fantastic and if you don’t have time to watch all the Marvel Netflix series, I’d advising going right to The Punisher after Daredevil.
The other series don’t contribute much to The Punisher’s story, so go ahead and skip them if you don’t have time. You can always go back. And The Punisher is so worth it.
Luke Cage, Season 1
Luke Cage, played by Mike Colter, has impenetrable skin. He’s bullet-proof, he can’t be stabbed, and he’s super strong. He wants to live a quiet life and keep to himself, but trouble – and heroism – seems to find him. Such is the problem all superheroes face.
A good villain is important in any series. Luke gets mixed up in a Harlem crime lord ring and finds himself face to face with an enemy from his past. There’s also the element of political corruption. This makes Luke’s story more relatable than fighting, say, super ninjas.
Luke is like a big teddy bear, if you ask me – humble and lovable. But beneath his sexy/tough exterior is a broken man struggling with a tragic past.
He develops a relationship with Claire Temple, played by Rosario Dawson, a nurse who seems attracted to people with “abilities.” Claire appears in both Daredevil and Jessica Jones, but she plays a bigger part in Luke Cage.
Iron Fist, Season 1
Iron Fist is my least favorite of the Marvel Netflix series and I happen to think you could completely skip it and really not miss much. You’ll lose a little context in The Defenders, but I couldn’t even finish Iron Fist and I had no problem.
Danny Rand (aka Iron Fist) died at age 10 with his parents in a plane crash over the Himalayas… except that he didn’t. He was actually rescued and raised by monks who taught him to focus his chi into an all-powerful fist. And now he is the chosen one to defeat the evil organization known as The Hand.
My main issue with this show is that I simply don’t love the Danny Rand character. I don’t find him believable, empathetic, or even particularly likable.
Watching Iron Fist feels like watching a cartoon at times. It wants to be dark and gritty like its contemporaries, but ultimately it is disjointed and even silly at times. And after Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, the “reluctant hero” narrative is getting a little bit tired to me.
A lot of people had issues with the casting of Finn Jones as Iron Fist, but I don’t have a big problem with the actor. I think he played the character as he was supposed to. I just don’t think people want to see a naive, whiny, often clueless, and sometimes annoying superhero.
Check out these 13 shows to watch on Netflix with your teen!
Defenders, Season 1
We’ve learned the back stories of Matt, Jessica, Luke and Danny. We’ve met their friends, lovers, sidekicks and nemeses. And now they’ve come together to fight an evil organization called The Hand.
Meh. It’s fun seeing these characters interact and play off one another, but this series is slow to get going. The second half picks up, but it’s still not the best of the Marvel Netflix series by far.
I wanted it to be good. I was looking forward to the excitement of finally seeing Netflix’s four Marvel superheroes come together in The Defenders! But the story moves too slow. And the four heroes continue to struggle with their respective personal issues, when it seems like they really should be getting over them by now.
There were a some high points in The Defenders though. Everyone has to admit that watching the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen fight the Iron Fist was super awesome.
And I loved the interaction between our heroes. Jessica and Luke’s banter, Daredevil and Iron Fist’s fight scenes, and Jessica’s constant eye-rolling kept me entertained. They play off each other with lots of dry sarcasm – which is a delight in such a dark series.
Besides our heroes, my favorite character in The Defenders is Elektra, played by Elodie Yung. Her character, her fight scenes and her struggle are believable and sympathetic. And I love seeing her cape fly around while she battles the Iron Fist.
The Punisher, Season 1
Did I say that Jessica Jones was my favorite Marvel Netflix series? That was before I saw The Punisher. I love Jon Bernthal (who played Shane in The Walking Dead), and this character is complex, intense, and brutally emotional.
Former US Marine Frank Castle had seen a lot of death and corruption. One day, his knowledge of said corruption leads to his family being gunned down. Tormented by the death of his wife and kids, Frank becomes The Punisher and sets out for revenge.
The thing is, Frank is really a good guy. We are treated to several fleeting moments that show his endearing side, while watching him brutally beat people the next moment. It’s a roller coaster of a show as we watch Frank’s layers peel away like an onion.
As I mentioned above, you do get a bit of an introduction to The Punisher in season two of Daredevil. But if you only want to watch one of these show, and you love a gritty, emotional series, watch The Punisher.
Jessica Jones, Season 2
The second season of Jessica Jones was not quite as good as the first. This season finds Jessica reunited with someone from her past and we get quite a bit of backstory. I thought season two lacked a good villain – I really miss Kilgrave. But we still get plenty of classic Jessica sarcasm and cynicism.
Meanwhile, Trish is on a quest to become her own superhero, which results in some shocking events. Malcolm is still around (and he’s a doll!) and Jessica gets a new, hot love interest.
But the most intriguing secondary story line is Jeri Hogarth’s, played by the awesome Carrie-Anne Moss. Hogarth’s arc in season two is both powerful and heartbreaking.
Luke Cage, Season 2
Season two of Luke Cage was a lot like season one. I felt it was more of the same and a tad boring at times. While Luke’s character does some developing – and takes an interesting turn at the end of the season – I would really like to see more of a character arc for Luke.
And, once again, not nearly enough Claire! (Netflix should give Claire her own spinoff, in my opinion.)
I hate the villain in this season of Luke Cage. Bushmaster is annoying, hard to look at, and harder to understand with his thick Jamaican accent. We get a lot of backstory on Mariah in this season, and there’s a pretty decent arc for Shades, probably my favorite character in this show!
Iron Fist, Season 2
I can’t comment on season two of Iron Fist because I didn’t watch it. And they have canceled further seasons of this series.
Daredevil, Season 3
Wilson Fisk, who is one of my favorite characters of all the Marvel Netflix shows, returns and this season is darker than ever! I think I loved it more than season 2.
Daredevil has been canceled by Netflix, but this season wraps up nicely and provides good closure for the series.
The Punisher, Season 2
Frank Castle is back and trying to live a lay-low kinda life. But trouble keeps finding him. In this season, he helps a young girl who is being hunted by an assassin.
But it was the secondary plots of Agent Dinah Madani, Billy Russo, and his odd relationship with his therapist, that interested me the most.
The Punisher season 2 was less thoughtful than season one, but it made up for that with some serious ass-kicking. It’s chock-full of incredible action and intense violence.
Jon Bernthal is just incredible in this role and I will really miss this show. Hopefully we’ll see him again in the MCU!
Jessica Jones, Season 3
The third season of Jessica Jones dives deep into Trish’s character and story line. I liked this season better than season 2, but not as much as season 1.
Can you watch any of these shows on their own? Sure. I know it’s tough to fit in all this binge-watching time, so here are a couple short-cuts I recommend for watching the Marvel Netflix series:
- Don’t watch The Defenders without watching at least 3 of the 4 series first. You won’t fully get it.
- You can watch The Punisher a la carte, but it’s a bit better if you watch the first two seasons of Daredevil first.
- Jessica Jones is also ok a la carte, but I advise going back to Daredevil when you have time.
- Don’t bother with Iron Fist. Seriously, don’t waste your time.
- You should watch Jessica Jones before Luke Cage.
If you just want to watch the best Marvel Netflix shows, I suggest you stick with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher. And remember – these “Netflix” shows are now moving to Disney+!
If you want to discuss any of these shows, join my Movie & TV Discussion group on Facebook.
Here’s the full run-down of what order to watch the Marvel Netflix shows:
- Daredevil, S1
- Jessica Jones, S1
- Daredevil, S2
- Luke Cage, S1
- Iron Fist, S1
- Defenders, S1
- The Punisher, S1
- Jessica Jones, S2
- Luke Cage, S2
- Iron Fist, S2
- Daredevil, S3
- The Punisher, S2
- Jessica Jones, S3
And then you need to watch Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home to see where some of these characters are fitting in to the MCU.
Correct Order to Watch the Marvel Movies
What about the Marvel movies? My order below is not exactly how the movies were released chronologically. It’s my own recommendation of watch order to maximize your understanding of the Avengers story.
- Captain America: The First Avenger (Introduces the concept of superheroes and takes place decades before any other movie. Watch it first.)
- Captain Marvel (Just came out in 2019, but takes place early in the Marvel timeline.)
- Read on for my list of the correct order to watch the Marvel movies.
Aysu says
“The defenders” would be difficult to understand without watching “Iron Fist”. I would not recommend to miss it. Rather “Luke Cage” can be missed. Just watch a recap of it, then you are good to start “The defenders”
Fernando Poo says
I loved Luke Cage (and, frankly, from all I read about it I expected to hate it). Iron Fist was “meh”. I didn’t finish it. I have skipped Punisher thus far. Also, I disagree with this order. Start with Jessica Jones, as it was also the first released. Then Luke Cage, Then DareDevil 1.
Aysu says
Jessica Jones was released in November, 2015. Daredevil was released in April, 2015. So, it was the first one. Luke Cage was released in 2016. The chronological order is correct in this article.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan says
Jessica Jones Seaon 2 is horrendous, watched every other season within 2/3 days, this took me about 3 weeks as it is so sh*t.
Terrible acting, plots with no definitive “bad” guy.
Had to endure it as wanted to have watched the whole Marvel universe.
Beast says
Exactly the same thoughts I had!!!
Mathias says
I love how Claire keeps pushing some characters to get Matt Murdock as a lawyer. I can’t remember which seasons or episodes, I just remember her saying,” I have a good lawyer friend that could help you.” Or something like that.
I personally like Daredevil the best but I can’t rank the others because I like them all a lot. It was Daredevil that I loved because of the action and great characters. Punisher was also great. The other are great and I can’t really rank them.
PJ says
As I thought David Tennant was horrid in this role (and I loved him as the Doctor and actually enjoyed Casanova and Broadchurch) I found even season 1 of Jones to be flat. Frankly I wonder how anyone can stand the whiny voice she puts on sometimes— its reminiscent of her role in Veronica Mars.
Reggie says
I thought this was a credible post until reading the entire article it just seems like the opinion of a feminist if you ask me There was absolutely nothing wrong with the Villian in Season 2 of Luke Cage and I thoroughly enjoyed the season so I’ll give the censored version of how I feel about this post
Leonardo Pérez says
“The opinion of a feminist”, what’s that supposed to mean?
Yo Mama says
You can tell a white woman wrote this article. Jessica Jones was crap all the way through. Luke Cage was actually pretty decent.
Yo Daddy says
You can tell a black guy wrote this comment
pínis says
xDDD
PJ says
Im a white guy and I agree…. and my white wife still years later wont even start JJ Season 2 based on how bad, especially Ritter and Tennats acting was.
Karma says
No it was your mama.
Jeremy Smith Mba says
Don’t skip any of the shows they all connect at some point with references and interactions constantly occurring in all of them.
Priscilla C Holland says
I love all of the beautifully said jeremy smith mba
William A Kirk says
Everyone season, Every episode built character, not a single one worh missing, those that feel they “stomached it or skipped” are the same idiots that skip major plot in video games and then don’t know what’s going on. The detail on the why both emotionally and otherwise are in all the ones you skipped.
PJ says
Stomached it to get to a point is a legitimate opinion on the weakness of writing or actors of specific series.
Frankly, there’s been not great MCU movies and series. I stand by my analysis of JJ being just not enjoyable, but Defenders would not make a lot of sense without seeing all the series. Thor Dark World is necessary to understand aspects of the Infinity War, but damn it’s another instance of a lame use of a former awesome Doctor actor.
James Choate says
Well…Par for the course, I saw Jessica Jones season 1 and 2 then the defenders. Only because I liked Jessica so much I wanted to see what her deal was in The defenders. Then The Daredevil S1 & 2
Lucky it made sense backwards except for a few WTF was that, it worked out ok….
I’ll watch luke and then rewatch the defenders to work out the kinks I still have with that.
Wish I knew this before I started watching though.
Peter Alphonso says
you gonna watch Iron Fist?
Matthew Martin says
Done; now what?
Shannon Entin says
Have you seen Marvel’s Runaways or The Gifted? Both on Hulu. I enjoyed them both. They don’t “fit in” this universe exactly, but they are related. The Gifted is in the X-Men/mutant universe.
Peter Alphonso says
I like the Gifted. I haven’t seen runaways. Love Agents of Shield…
BRAD says
Watch both Gifted and Runaways.
Ana says
The marvel movies starting with Captain America the first avenger
Frank Castle says
Bro frank was not a former fbi agent if that was your favorite show. Bruh he was a former marine Elite Scout. Please change that comment
Shannon Entin says
Thanks – fixing that detail right now!
Fatima Marie Smith says
I watched half of season 1 of daredevil I just couldnt really get I to it I watched Jessica jones then Luke cage then the iron fist now I’m watching the defenders
Jeffrey Dean Morgan says
Jessica Jones Seaon 2 is horrendous, watched every other season within 2/3 days, this took me about 3 weeks as it is so sh*t.
Terrible acting, plots with no definitive “bad” guy.
Had to endure it as wanted to have watched the whole Marvel universe.
Jeff says
Just finished watching Iron First, your analysis was dead on, it’s not the acting, it’s the character I never could connect with. Still, will start watching Defenders tonight, because I have to know.
Jason says
Iron Fist wasnt good because of thr characters. It was good because of the action sequences and fight choreography, which crapped all over the fight scenes in every other marvel show. That alone made it more entertaining than every other show bar Punisher. Every character is absolute garbage spouting idealistic self important do do gooder nonsense except for Jessica Jones and Punisher.
PJ says
Some heroes can actually be aspirational. Broken isn’t the only real. Its just the realistic we use to justify our own lack of goodness and willingness to work on our brokenness.
DD was a good example of that, especially in the final episodes with the temptation to cross the line. IF is mostly just misunderstood by those too broken to want to do or be good.
Roderick Tracy Long says
“I happen to think you could completely skip [Iron Fist] and really not miss much.”
You’d miss a lot of Madame Gao. That’s surely not good.
James McCartney says
At least iron fist was interesting i fell asleap most nights half way through a daredevil episodes
Shelby says
I definitely have to disagree about Iron Fist. Because of this I thought I would hate it, and I was completely surpised to find that Iron Fist was soo soo soo amazing! Its unique! Its different from the others! A very interesting storyline that keeps you guessing whats next. It is great, and you do need to see it especially if you would like to know more about The Hand.
Shannon Entin says
Thanks for sharing your comment, Shelby! I’m happy to have some good reviews of Iron Fist shared here. It wasn’t for me, but some people did like it!
Jesvi Medrano says
I’m seriously glad to find a positive comment about Iron Fist. I personally loved it, so much good action and a decent plot. Admittedly I didn’t find the first season great but it’s not as bad as everyone says it is.
Stephen says
I liked Iron Fist too. JJ and Luke Cage are my least favorite
PJ says
Im actually rewatching IF right now. Really hope with Matthew Murdock in Spiderman No Way Home and Kingpin in Hawkeye that we see Iron Fist appear again.
Steve says
Ok this was the order I watched.
Daredevil-both seasons
Punisher
Jessica Jones
Luke Cage
Iron Fist
The Defenders is next
They worked out perfectly for me
Daredevil-Punisher came out, watched it next, explains why he killed the people he killed
Punisher-don’t remember who came out
Jessica Jones-Luke Cage came out
Luke Cage-Iron Fist makes an appearance
Iron Fist- the nurse Claire comes out and talks about who all she has treated
So I’m my opinion, this was the perfect order!
Owen says
I completely disagree about iron fist in my opinion it out ranks every other show explains the main character of defenders and has an interesting story so don’t skip it if anything don’t skip at all just power through even if it gets boring like daredevil does at points skip anything and you miss out. Iron fist has an interesting plot and the hand ? get some insight so don’t miss it
Luis Ramos says
DON’T SKIP IRON FIST!! It’s really important in defenders, you just don’t “lose a bit of context” you lose a lot.
Edward Dobson says
I’m only on season 1 of Daredevil, Fisk is the main reason to watch in fact pretty much every other character is more interesting than DD! Anyway I was going to skip both Iron Fist and The Defenders, now I’m not sure. One thing I am sure of is 13 episodes a season is too long 10 would of been better.
Rome says
“…Kilgrave, played by David Tennant of Dr. Who fame.”
It’s Doctor Who. His name isn’t Who, he’s the Doctor.
But I do agree that Kilgrave is the best villain. It was weird to see Ten as a monster, but David did it SO well. Kingpin is a very close second.
Shannon Entin says
Thanks Rome. Fixed this detail in the post. (You can tell I’m not up on my Doctor Who!)
Adz says
It IS actually “Dr. Who” I should know, as I’#m English and in my mid-50’s; I grew up watchging Dr. Who as a kid, back when it was actually a really good show, beforte it went all gay and glitzy!
Ken Washburnst says
I just watch them in order
David Burnett says
This order is wrong! Defenders comes before Iron Fist!
Edward says
No, it doesn’t. .. Iron fist is before defenders… why would you say that, except to try to start an argument! ?!
Ural says
This article was sorta shit except for the shoe order and first of all you can’t skip any of the shows or you will get out of the loop of the show you will and Madame Gow was a big part in the defenders you would miss a lot of information on her you probably didn’t pay much attention if you hot through Defenders easily with out understanding anything from Iron fist
Yurienaka says
It’s Madam Gao, and seeing more of her would be my only reason to watch Iron Fist now that I have seen all but Daredevil S3.
Anonymous says
Warning Spoiler Alert (maybe):
I feel that the author of this article hates whiny and cringy characters (and I agree, since it rarely happens that we get a character who has a really strong supernatural power [check the comics] but is childish both in heart and mind [I am looking at you Netflix]). But it is not recommended to skip Iron Fist just because of that.
Still watching the rest of the marvel series, not skipping one (Yes, even Iron Fist). True that the Iron Fist season 1 is bad since he is mostly whining and is cringy to the point where you’ll want to skip it, but without watching it, you WILL have a difficult time understanding THE DEFENDERS (if that is your goal), and besides, they said it GETs better by SEASON 2 (?) (Not that I have watched it yet), to the point where, albeit, cancelled on S3, was still enough for people to complain that they stopped it with a cliffhanger. Same goes for Luke Cage, who is far better than Iron Fist, but is, on most part, boring (sorry, but you know its true).
Also, the defenders were not slow at the start. Heroes (or whatever you call them) don’t immediately team up just because they know one person (Claire) or they have a common enemy, who knows what might be running on their heads.
My recommendation:
DON’T SKIP ANYTHING, unless you don’t care about the plot and just want some violence and action, then skip to The Defenders and Punisher and/or maybe Daredevil (just browse where the actions is).
Shannon Entin says
Hi Anonymous. You make a good point. If you’re really in it for the whole plot and story, watch Iron Fist. I personally didn’t feel that I missed out on too much by skipping Iron Fist – I felt that the details were mostly filled in during Defenders. But I totally agree that if you just want action – go straight to Punisher or just watch Daredevil. They are the best in my opinion anyway! Thanks for your comment!
JD says
I watched a 4-5 minute recap on Iron Fist S1 and don’t feel lost with Defenders. I also have watched DD S1-2, JJ S1, LC S1 before Defenders. I’m 1/2 way through it now and haven’t been confused a bit.
Jessica says
Wow totally opposite to my favorites! I liked seasons 1 & 3 of Daredevil, s1 of Iron Fist, and the Defenders most. J. Jones and Punisher were too dark & gritty for the sake of being dark & gritty, I couldn’t get into them. Luke Cage was missing a hook for me. I hated their take on Elektra in both DD and Defenders she almost felt Mary Sueish to me. To each his own ?
JD says
Not an Elektra fan either
GHOSTDOG413 says
Pull ur pull ups up and muscle through them! WATCH THEM ALL IN THE ORDER SAID HERE! SO U GET THE PLOT, SUPPORT THE MARVEL UNIVERSE SERIES, UNLESS UR NOT A TRUE FAN!
GHOSTDOG413 says
But i dont remember iron fist having GOLDEN GUNS to fight carnage in MCU COMICS! stick to fist Netflix
Harley Meagley says
For one, don’t make an article if you didn’t watch all seasons of all shows.
For two, Jessica jones was the worst show in my opinion but I forced myself to watch it for the experience of everything.
For three, if they canceled every show but iron fist is still be a happy camper. I hope they make a third season.
For four, I didn’t read all of your article bc your options less than favorable.
Yurienaka says
You castigate someone for offering an opinion you find to be under-informed, while offering yours after being unable to finish reading a short article? How quaint.
Michael James Morrison says
Jessica Jones is terrible. Nothing like watching another duct lipped idiot. So tired of what women are doing to their faces. Every time I see her on the screen all I see is those stupid lips. Oh yeah that and the show completely sucks
Yurienaka says
Well…. definitely not a case of toxic, fragile masculinity here, and I’m certain this ‘trifecta’ name attached to this misanthropic little note doesn’t sound AT ALL serial killerish.
About as certain as me not being sarcastic.. like, at all.
MCGOINGS says
I loved Jessica Jones. I think l just love Kristen Ritter and her portrayal of Jessica Jones. A little Skinny pale woman kicking ass. As for my list of my favs would start with
1) The Punisher
2) Dare Devil
3) Jessica Jones
4) Luke Cage
5) The Defenders
6) Iron Fist
Dare Devil had the best villain with Wilson Fisk. Then Jessica Jones
with Kilgrave. The Punisher fighting his his inner demons to get to the truth. Luke Cage need another season to get everything out of that story arc. I watch Iron Fist and the Hand and Madam Gao where good, just didn’t like Danny Rand. All together Netflix did a good job with the shows. I hope that Disney+ can pick them back up after the 2 years and continue where Netflix left off.(hopefully with t hff e same actors). I might have to divorce my wife to marry Kristen Ritter…. Love Me Some Jessica Jones
Yurienaka says
I love to watch all things in sequence, and hate missing out on context of series or movies.. and even I am glad I skipped Iron Fist. Despite my curiosity about a few characters in Defenders, I didn’t feel left out. It doesn’t take a genius to follow along, and Defenders does a fine job of filling in little details and background of each character quite well; precisely why it takes so long to gain momentum.
I have to say the villains from Iron Fist S1 featured in Defenders, didn’t stand too well on their own two feet in that story line, leaving little desire to go back and watch Iron Fist retroactively just for the sake of slight curiosity.
I thought I wasn’t going to like Jessica Jones, but enjoyed it thoroughly. Watched S1 twice and S2 once. DD twice so far, and about to start S3. As much as Elektra is meaningful there as well as in Defenders, I couldn’t help but feel the second time around that I was mostly annoyed at her part of the plot line of DD S2. I felt it dragged on way too long with little pay off until the end of her arc in that season. While Punisher’s arc in DD S2 was well done, at times he felt like a minor player… thankfully Karen Paige made sure not only shine a light on Frank Castle, but also was a light for the entire series, as a stand out character who really carried the show.
Punisher was a must watch for me, and even if not for my experience in Marine Recon, any former military member with a clear sense of identity not marred by overtures of superiority or fantasy would cringe at the often funky and weird portrayals in the Punisher series. Of course Punisher isn’t alone there, as movies and tv botch that up all the time. While I love the job that Jon Bernthal did with that character, he was one or two loud hulking grunts and heavy breaths away from making me laugh at him sometimes. I do love the show, one of my favorites, so I feel just fine laughing at it or pointing out weird stuff.
Luke Cage grew on me a little more the second time around, even though I liked it just fine the first time around. I love how each episode is named after songs by Gangstarr, and in S2 Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Luke Cage brings something to the table that the other series don’t, that the episode titles epitomize; the music. Harlem’s Paradise features some iconic musicians, and the soundtrack in general is amazing! That alone is enough to lament Netflix’s decision to cancel it. It was said by another commenter that Luke Cage never had the “hook” for them, and I am not surprised. The author’s own admittance that Bushmaster in S2 is “hard to look at” raises an eyebrow, but it’s not surprising at all. I’m certain many non POC viewers would find it unrelatable, or simply too black. Something the show itself knows, “a bulletproof black man in a hoodie”, and I find that fact too delicious not to enjoy!
Netflix does offer closed captioning Jamaican accent impaired, and I think Bushmaster is great to look at! He’s emotive, carries the depth of his character well and plays off of Cage much better than Diamondback, who I found a bit too vaudevillian for my taste.
Great list order, great shows. I have certainly binged with pleasure.
Yurienaka says
Jessica Jones kicks ass by the way, didn’t mean to gloss over it the way I did. Kilgrave was an awesome villain, and I dig the thematic Purple Man hints in both seasons. About the only thing I hate about JJ is Trish’s mom.
Shannon Entin says
Thanks for your insightful comment, Yurienaka! I agree with everything you said. Oh, and I am definitely “Jamaican accent impaired.” :-D
Adz says
Yurienaka, I’m 100% behind your Luke Cage paragraph!
The music in both season’s was proper top notch! :)
As for Bushmaster, to look at, he reminded me of a black Lee Marvin, full of brooding menace….but I guess at 54, I’m much older than many of the poster’s on here and anyone under 50, probably won’t have a scooby who Lee Marvin was?
The Jamaican patois can be difficult to understand, so maybe Shannon needs to listen to some proper old skool roots reggae albums? :D
Jerome says
You’re awesome Shannon. Thank you for the article!!!
Zack_GLC says
WATCH IRON FIST EVERYONE!! DON’T LISTEN TO THE MORON THAT WROTE THIS ARTICLE!
Leonardo Pérez says
How insulting honestly.
HENRY says
I’m new to the Marvel universe. I have a question. Who came first, Daredevil or Punisher? Also, I finished watching The Punisher and am now on Season 2 of Daredevil. Are the events in season 2 Daredevil AFTER season 2 of Punisher?
Shannon Entin says
Daredevil came first. Season 2 of Daredevil is actually before Season ONE of Punisher.
ADR says
Iron Fist I actually found to be anything but whiny or reluctant in any regard but I’m easy to please on shows unless they’re really boring. Daredevil has got to be my favorite. Good mix of action and drama.
anya says
Sounds like you just didn’t want to understand bushmaster, I understood him just fine and i’m not jamaican.
Lance says
I really love Daredevil season 1 and 2, but I never watched any of the other Marvel Netflix shows. Do I have to watch them to understand Daredevil season 3?
Shannon Entin says
Hi Lance. Actually, you might be a bit confused at the opening of Daredevil S3 if you don’t watch Defenders. But you could also just read some spoilers online if you want to catch up on what happened to Matt between S2 and S3.
Ashley Goodrich says
I am currently going thru the list and just finished The Defenders. I am loving all of them so far. I feel like all of them move kinda slow and the supporting characters are what makes each show. Really hope there is more Madame Gao because she is my favorite so far, with Hogarth. Misty and Colleen are my least favorite. Hate there is a gap before Daredevil season 3 because I want to find out what happened to Matty but want to stay in order. About to start the Punisher.
Matt says
I hated Iron Fist season 1 and was heavily disappointed in The Defenders. Iron Fist season 2 is really good, though. Honestly all 3 Daredevil seasons are the top 3 of all the series for me. Luke Cage season 1, and Jessica Jones season 1 are right below them. But Iron Fist season 2 is excellent and definitely near the top of the list. I’d choke down season 1 just to be ready for season 2, and then go at it from an open mind, and be incredibly pleasantly surprised.
Chris says
Agreed, Matt. Iron Fist S2 takes it up a notch, makes S1 worth it even though I liked it anyway and makes a third season desirable. Don’t recommend skipping Iron Fist. I met Madam GAO and Nobu at Pensacon 2018 and it was a great experience. I met Officer Simpson (Wil Traval) this year and again great experience.
Jonny says
Doesn’t season 1 of Luke Cage take place before season 2 of DareDevil? In S2E3 of Daredevil nurse Claire seems to make reference to Luke Cage. That would make me think we should watch Luke Cage season 1 before season 2 of Daredevil
Ryan says
That’s a reference to Luke from Jessica Jones. So you should watch season 1 of Jessica Jones before Daredevil season 2. But Luke cage is after both of those.
Exdemon says
So you got the order of release right. But really you can’t skip anything before defenders at least and have it make sense and not miss out on major plot details.
Also I have watched them multiple times. And honestly the weakest show is Punisher. It actually can be skipped since it is after Defenders and he has nothing to do with it. that show lacked any decent character development. It was boring. And didn’t even have good fight scenes to make up for it. just the occasional shoot out between really bad acting. and a lot of fake blood packs exploding.
Meanwhile Daredevil has the worst re-watchability. First time thru it’s ok. You aren’t sure completely how it’s all going to go down. Second time for instance watching will a friend who hasn’t scene it and damn you end up bored. Season 2 is only slightly better. And I didn’t even bother rewatching season 3.
Jessica had the best villian which is probably the only other thing you got right. And damn it is still good rewatching it. He stays creepy. And she stays damaged but kick-ass like she is meant to be.
Luke was great. Rewatching is ok. Better than Daredevil. And nothing is worse then the Punisher. Honestly I hate they leave you hanging at the end. I want to see more. Especially if Tilda gets to really become nightshade. But sadly unless that comes up in the last season of Jessica it won’t happen. But I do hope Luke will make another appearance on Jessica. Since they are one of the awesome couples of Marvel.
As for Iron Fist calling it crap when you admit you really haven’t watched it is pretty weak. Also of the shows it actually had the best re-watchability. Don’t get me wrong over all Jessica is the best show. But Iron Fist brought the majority of the mythos to the shows especially about the hand. And he brings a bit of Hope and brightness to an otherwise very dark set of shows. Also Colleen is a bad ass. Plus it took a previously minor character and turned him into a powerful bad ass who was helping to run the hand. And started off by making him somewhat likeable before the reveal. And again if you don’t watch iron fist you miss out on all of that before defenders. It is actually the most important one to watch before defenders as it completely sets up the coming story. Sure there were hints in the others but it laid out the coming conflict. Especially since it was the last one before defenders. If you skip it you might as well not watch defenders at all. You ruined the story. Also on the second watch thru it actually got better than the first. Because you catch alot more of the more subtle hints and clues. Honestly I haven’t clue why people want to bitch about one of the best shows Netflix did for marvel. It is way better then Punisher. Better than Daredevil. It ties with Luke which honestly is how it should be for the heroes for hire. And only show better then Luke and Iron Fist was Jessica.
Maybe next time watch all the shows before you try to post a review. Cause you can’t review what you haven’t seen.
Jason says
I find it ironic you talk about lack of character development in Punisher, than say how good Luke Cage is. Cage literally has zero character development and his personality is paper thin. Just a boring stereotypical self righteous goodytooshoes. Very disappointed in his show as I was looking forward to it due to all the reviews. Punisher might be the opposite of Cage, but it’s refreshing in the superhero genre, where everyone is like Luke Cage or Daredevil or Iron Fist. Jones and Punisher are the only characters with relatable personalities because they actually have deep flaws even if they are a bit cookie cutter and caricatured, they aren’t full of themselves in their self righteous moral code b.s like the others. Oh and they were just straight up entertaining (I did enjoy Iron Fist for that reason despite caring nothing for the Iron Fist character, great choreographed fight scenes). Which is the main reason to watch any comic book adaptation.
Casey says
If you’re a fan of Kung Fu movies, Iron Fist has some great references to movies like Tom Yum Goong, Oldboy, Drunken Master, and others that pretty much everybody else won’t get. That’s what made it a fun show to watch for me.
DJR says
By no means is “Iron Fist” amazing in comparison to the rest, but it’s seriously not that bad…and season two is better than season one. Watch every single one of these.
And agreed, for “Defenders,” you will be more lost by skipping “Iron First” than “Luke Cage.”
MSgamer says
Iron fist is suppose to be zen, philosophical at peace within himself. Instead they made him whiny biatch. That completely ruined the series for me no matter how good the story or the other character are.
Neil says
I am really sorry that Disney cancelled these shows. I really liked S3 of Daredevil with the introduction of Bullseye (Poindexter) and was waiting for Melvin to become the Gladiator (I am sure I saw some spinning blades when he was attacked in his workshop).
Killgrave wasn’t purple enough for me though. They should have had him only wear purple suits.
Adz says
Ok, well here’s my tuppence worth:
I actually watched Jessica Jones s01 & 02 ages back and enjoyed them. Then I watched The Punisher s01 and really enjoyed it. By this time I just didn’t know/realise that there were several Marvel series on the go and that they may tie-in with each other….silly me :D
I was disappointed with JJ s03 and only watched the first 2 episodes. However, I thoroughly enjoyed The Punisher s02.
Then, for reason’s too long to explain here, I stumbled across Luke Cage; I liked his charater in JJ s01 (bizarrely, at the time I though to myself, ‘They ought to do a series on this guy!’); one of the things that I really, really liked about Luke Cage, was the live music in each episode! Hell, it’s worth watching just for that! Must be some real cloth-ears out there, for slating this show! :D
Anyway, I got half way through s02 of Luke Cage when the penny finally dropped and I realised that there are deffo links with JJ (and possibly The Punisher) so that’s how I ended up on this website page, via a Google search to find the best order to watch all the various series in.
I’m now half way through DD s01 and will go back through all those series that i previously watched, so as to view the whole kit n caboodle, in the correct order!
Mista Boombastick says
I hated Iron Fist the first time I watched it because of Finn and his acting (I’m re-watching ALL the Marvel series). Now the second time around I love it because of Finn and his acting.
I grew up with Iron Fist comic books, as well as Luke Cage and Heroes for Hire as my favorites (not talking bout the heavy hitters Spidey, Hulk, FF, etc). I still love Collen Wing, and the weirdo Meachum fam. But that winey little punk is perfect as Danny Rand growing into the Iron Fist
#makeminemarvel #excelsior #nuffsaid
Rola says
I watched all three season of daredevil then s1 of iron fist and i fell in love with it.. Then the defenders and i relised i made a mistaken now idk what to watch first…. Should i just rewatch everything.. But in that order??
Shannon Entin says
I’d say go back and follow the order, but no need to re-watch what you’ve watched. So try this:
Jessica Jones S1
Luke Cage S1
Punisher S1
JJ S2
Luke Cage S2
Iron Fist S2
Punisher S2
JJ S3
V says
Jessica Jones season 1 was really good. Season 2? Not so much. I mean fr Jessica Jones mother was the only reason I enjoyed second season. Jessica needs to notch it down abit and get off her high horse she ain’t no Saint. She’s a whole lot like her mother. She a killer too. Trish? She needs to die she’s another that needs to get off her high horse as well. They should have let the mother live. She, the punisher and elektra are my favourite characters
Brian says
I watched The Punisher first before I knew they were connected, then went back to watch in the order listed above. IMO The Punisher is the best. Followed by Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, then Jessica Jones. I will hold off on ranking the Defenders as I just started it. The one one I felt like I struggled to get through was Jessica Jones. I just am not able to like the character which is too bad because I love a kick ass woman.
Mary says
Wow! Fun post and fun reading the comments and different views.
That said. I watched Jessica Jones, then Luke Cage, then Iron Fist, now Daredevil. I haven’t seen Defenders or Punisher, but plan on watching both. I liked all seasons of JJ, and liked Luke Cage (though found his story dragged a little in the middle). I thought Iron Fist sucked all around. I’m watching Daredevil right now and like it so far, and will watch Defenders. So far, the only one I dislike is Iron Fist.
maku paku says
i thought iron fist was really good he was my fav comic character but they made his abilities a bit to op
Psuedonym says
Slightly late to the party, BUT how do the series relate to the movies & where does Agents of SHIELD come in timelinewise? (I know it’s not Netflix, but Marvel is Marvel, regardless of the platform).
I wasn’t a comic reader as a child & am too old now, so just need a quick paragraph or 2 to catch me up
Shannon Entin says
The Netflix shows take place in the same MCU, roughly in the time after the first Avengers movie. The invasion of the Chitauri in that movie is referred to as “the Battle of NY” or “the incident” in the Netflix shows. There are other minor references, but the basic idea is that the Netflix heroes are “small time” and our Avengers would have never heard of them. Agents of SHIELD is also happening at the same time, though that show has jumped around A LOT in the MCU timeline.
Kiki says
honnestly im not much of a fan of iron fist until i watched the season 2. it improved so much compared to season 1. the story is better, almost everything improved especially the fighting scene/choreography.