The Marvel Cinematic Universe first launched on the big screen in 2008, and kicked off Phase 3 last year with Captain America: Civil War - which will culminate in Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4. On the small screen, Marvel Studios launched a mini universe within the MCU starting with Netflix's Daredevil in 2015. The streaming service later introduced more of Marvel's street-level heroes in Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, with the final major character set to lead the upcoming Iron Fist series. Later this year, the four titular heroes will team up for Netflix's The Defenders miniseries.

Matt Murdock aka Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Danny Rand aka Iron Fist (Finn Jones) will need to team up to face off against a new villain plaguing the streets of New York City - Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver). The Defenders began filming late in 2016 and set photos from the production have surfaced ever since, offering glimpses of the various partnerships that will occur in the series. Now, new set photos see three of the four Defenders unite.

Photographer Steve Sands uploaded a new batch of Defenders set photos to Getty - this time depicting Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and an out-of-costume Daredevil riding the New York City subway. Both Luke and Jessica are sporting outfits typical of their characters - Luke with his yellow-lined hoodie and Jessica with her leather jacket and gray scarf. Matt, however, is wearing an NYPD T-shirt, atypical from his usual everyday garb.

Click Here for The Defenders Set Photos

In addition to the four main heroes, The Defenders will feature a number of supporting characters from each of Marvel's Netflix series: Daredevil's Elektra (Élodie Yung), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), and Stick (Scott Glenn); Jessica Jones' Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), Malcolm Ducasse (Eka Darville), and Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss); Luke Cage's Misty Knight (Simone Missick); and Iron Fist's Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick). Additionally, Marvel's Netflix mainstay Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) - who has appeared across all four series - will return in The Defenders.

Of course, while these new photos from the set of The Defenders don't offer much in the way of insight to the series' plot, they continue to tease the team-up aspect of Marvel's Netflix miniseries. Each of the heroes' individual show has been well received by critics, Marvel fans, and casual TV viewers alike. Marvel's street-level heroes have built up their own following despite being separate from the larger MCU. As such, fans will undoubtedly be looking forward to The Defenders if only for the chance to see Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil, and Jessica Jones join forces in fighting evil.

That said, Marvel's Netflix series have received so much critical acclaim because they have been well-crafted stories. While it remains to be seen whether the final Defender's solo series, Iron Fist, will be as well received as the other Marvel series, The Defenders looks to be constructing a fun and exciting superhero adventure. Of course, fans will get to see both Iron Fist and The Defenders soon enough with the former arriving next month and the latter this summer.

Next: How Iron Fist Brings Marvel’s The Defenders Together

Daredevil Season 1 and 2, Jessica Jones Season 1, and Luke Cage Season 1 are now available on Netflix. Iron Fist will premiere on March 17, 2017. The Defenders will arrive this summer with The Punisher coming later in the year. Premiere dates for the newest seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been announced.

Source: Steve Sands/Getty