With the premiere of The Defenders, the original Marvel/Netflix plan has come to a close as Phase 2 of the street-level corner of the MCU prepares to start. But while the model used for the series closely resembles that employed by the films, there's no guarantee that a second season of The Defenders will arrive in a few years time. In fact, we've heard multiple times that this was a one-off show. Still, it was also a big hit for Netflix and still bears the Marvel name. As such, it's not hard to imagine the upcoming season of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and even The Punisher eventually feeding into a new season of The Defenders.Like with this season, it will likely take a big threat to pull together so many disparate heroes who dislike teamwork. We could once again see villains and plots from each show come together for a new supergroup, but there's also plenty of new teams of villains that could be brought over from the comics. There's even every possibility that the story of season 1 of The Defenders will echo across Phase 2 of each show before presenting a new challenge to the assembled heroes. Regardless of what will happen, we have a few strong candidates for villains for The Defenders to face if they receive a second season.
Thunderbolts
These days, the Thunderbolts in Marvel Comics is a group of reformed criminals usually corralled by a hero or two. Like DC's Suicide Squad, they run black ops government missions to gain their freedom. But they didn't start out that way.
Debuting in 1997's The Incredible Hulk #449, the Thunderbolts would go on to have their own solo title later in the same year. Presented as a new group of superheroes, it was eventually revealed that the team was in fact a bunch of disguised villains led by Baron Zemo. As part of a plan to fill the gap left by a number of vanished/killed heroes, Zemo's team stepped in to save the day and worm their way into the superhero community.
Once the scheme was uncovered, however, many of the criminals realized they preferred being on the side of good. This led to the modern incarnation of the team, as an attempt to reform supervillains. Many of the original members, like Songbird (fka Screamin' Mimi) and Mach-X (fka the Beetle) have continued to serve as heroes over the years and assist the new Thunderbolts.
Not only is the idea of the Thunderbolts perfect for a Netflix show, but season 2 of The Defenders would be a great place to see a version of their original story told. From there, an amalgamation of their different comic book incarnations could appear in a standalone series, with Luke Cage leading Punisher, Elektra, Ghost Rider, and more.
Yandroth
Who better for The Defenders to fight in a new season than the first villain the team ever battled in the comics. Of course, they had a much different lineup back then. When The Defenders first formed in the pages of 1971's Marvel Feature #1, the team consisted of Doctor Strange, the Hulk, and Namor. Soon, Silver Surfer joined as well. Given their combined power level, it makes sense that their enemy was more than a bunch of ninjas and immortal entrepreneurs.
The team first battled Yandroth, an alien with the title Scientist Supreme who over time began incorporating magic with is tech. While fantastical, it's not hard to see a variation on the character introduced as a threat. He could even ally himself with other mystical threats the comic book Defenders have faced, such as Umar and the Nameless One. Combined, they could make for a magical and demonic supervillain syndicate that would be perfect for The Defenders if they bring in heroes such as Ghost Rider and Moon Knight. And though all the sorcery may seem at odds with the aesthetic of the Marvel Netflix shows, it's actually par for the course.
In the movies, Marvel has only just begun touching on the mystical. The supposedly grounded Netflix shows, however, have been unabashedly weaving in magic for the past two years. While Doctor Strange's abilities, everything to do with Asgard, and the lore around Ghost Rider have all been presented as advanced science, no one has attempted to rationalize the Iron Fist's world or the supernatural enemies Daredevil has faced.
From Danny's powers to the reanimation of the Hand to the existence of dragons, The Defenders once again presented multiple magical elements at face value. With that in mind, it's not hard to imagine Yandroth, Umar, and other magical and demonic threats clashing with The Defenders in the future.
The Wrecking Crew
Though the Wrecking Crew is most know as a team that battles Thor, the construction-themed villains first faced the Defenders in issue #17 of their 1974 self-titled comic. The Wrecking Crew has a pretty fantastical backstory that would need to be grounded and streamlined, but they'd still make some fun villains for The Defenders to face. And while we can't see them as the main foe for the heroes, they could serve as minions of someone more powerful.
The general story of the Wrecking Crew is that they form while in prison under the guidance of Dr. Eliot Franklin. The not-so-good doctor asks fellow inmate Wrecker to steal a gamma bomb for him, and brings in two more thugs for the job. Thanks to the Wrecker having a magical crowbar that was enchanted by the Asgardian Norn Queen (seriously), Franklin has each of the men clasp the weapon as a lightning bolt surges through it. As a result, they all become super strong and durable (still serious). Again, they'd need to undergo a radical transformation to work on screen, but it would be a blast to see an MCU version of the Wrecking Crew go up against the Defenders.
Shadowland
Shadowland isn't a villain, but the story arc would be a fantastic plot to adapt for season 2 of The Defenders. Not only does it involve many of the heroes and villains we've already met, but Daredevil essentially becomes the antagonist. By basing the story around this idea, The Defenders could go beyond a simple battle of good versus evil and dive into something deeper.
Released in 2010 and written by Andy Diggle, Shadowland and its various tie-in comics see Daredevil take control of the Hand and establish a new headquarters in Hell's Kitchen. The massive building serves both as a prison for enemies and temple to Daredevil and the Hand. The story features Daredevil growing ever darker, even killing his archenemy Bullseye. Along the way, Spider-Man, Elektra, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Kingpin, the Punisher, and Ghost Rider all feature.
Aside from Spider-Man, the TV side of the MCU already has each of these characters. The story would also serve as the perfect opportunity to bring the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider into the Netflix world. Moon Knight and White Tiger also play key roles, two characters fans have been dying to see get their own series.
With season 3 of Daredevil focusing on Born Again and likely introducing Bullseye, we could see the next few years build to him creating Shadowland and killing the rogue. From there, his friends and enemies could join forces to stop him, introducing new characters the MCU and setting up Phase 3 of the Netflix universe.
Kingpin and The Hand
The immediate fallout of Shadowland sees Kingpin taking control of the facility and the Hand itself. By combining the ruthless businessman with the mystical ninjas, Daredevil and the various street-level heroes of New York are given a terrifying new threat. If Marvel decides to skip or condense Shadowland as an arc, we could easily see Phase 2 building towards Kingpin taking control of the Hand by some means.
By doing so, two of Daredevil's biggest villains would be brought together. The Hand as the villain for season 2 of The Defenders might feel a little repetitive, but under Kingpin's leadership we could see an exciting variation on the familiar story. It would also allow characters like Lady Bullseye and Typhoid Mary to enter the fray (more on the latter next). If nothing else, Fisk's tenure as the leader of the Hand could follow a Shadowland-themed season 2 of The Defenders and serve as Daredevil's main enemy in Phase 3 of his show.
Phase 2 Cabal
While there are a number of villainous teams and dark plots from the comics that season 2 of The Defenders could focus on, there's a strong chance they'll just create a whole new threat. Though the Hand and Elektra are straight from the comics, the Five Fingers was essentially invented for the show. And while Madame Gao shares similarities with the Crane Mother, Alexandra and her ilk are new inventions. Because of that, there's no way to guess which villains might be invented for season 2 of The Defenders. That said, a similar device could be used to bring together the upcoming threats each hero will face.
As mentioned before, there's a good chance Bullseye will be coming to season 3 of Daredevil. Meanwhile, season 2 of Iron Fist will likely up the threat of Danny's former friend Davos. In the comics, he's the villainous Steel Serpent, and he'll probably be taking up that mantle soon. We've also heard rumors that Jessica Jones will face Typhoid Mary next year and Luke Cage will square off against Bushmaster.
Along with plenty of side villains and minions, it's not hard to imagine the various rogues of each Marvel Netflix show coming together to form another sinister cabal that threatens New York City. And while season 2 of The Defenders isn't guaranteed, it's only a matter of time before Marvel's street-level heroes have to team up again.