Can the Defenders retain credibility after Avengers: Infinity War?

Does Avengers: Infinity War threaten Marvel’s compartmentalized universe?

Marvel, in its unprecedented quest to dominate cinema and television, has redefined brand ambition. While they may not have invented the concept of a shared universe of intellectual properties across various platforms and mediums, no one has been as bold, as fearless, or as successful in creating a connected narrative. For a lesson in the difficulty of pulling off such a feat, one only has to look at the struggles DC has encountered in putting their own (equally well-built and well-funded) catalog of stories and characters into a simultaneous rotation.

Universal’s so-called Dark Universe, lead by the disappointing remake of The Mummy, which stumbled out of the gate despite having nearly a centuries worth of pre-generated interest and loyalty, paints an even starker picture as to the challenges facing any usurper who would attempt to dethrone Marvel as the king of shared stories.

Yet, even Marvel, which brags a stable of highly successful shows to go along with their collection of ridiculously successful movies, has had difficulty bringing all of their stories together. For the most part, aside from quips about guys with shields and angry green men, the biggest two revenue avenues for the one-time comic book company have remained surprisingly distinct apart from Agents of Shield–a show that, from inception, was created as a bridge of sorts between big and small screen with two-way threat Agent Phil Coulson (played by the endlessly lovable Clark Gregg) serving as chief liaison.

But even that show has distanced itself in recent seasons after some complained that its reliance on and subjugation to the greater MCU left it predictable and stilted, and the show, by most accounts, has improved as a result. The trouble with bring the movies and shows together, according to Marvel Studios Kevin Feige is mostly logistics.

"“It’s about finding the right way to do that. And the honest answer is, movies are developed so far in advance that a lot of those things [Inhumans, Hydra monsters, etc.] weren’t done when we started to film [Captain America: Civil War]. Or, if we were to do something in a film that absolutely handcuffs what the team can do in season 2 of whatever show, they don’t want to be handcuffed. They shouldn’t be handcuffed. It’s just finding the right time and right place to do it.”–Marvel Studios Keven Feige speaking to io9 about why the Marvel TV shows and movies may never cross over."

The other shows, featuring the “street-level heroes” of the Marvel universe–Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and the Punisher–have thus far managed to get by with winks and nods to a greater world of super-powered people fighting life-altering battles that far outstrip their own quaint (by comparison) turf wars in terms of importance and relevance.

This has long required some suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer, something that comes easy to long-time comic book fans who learned years ago to accept scenarios where the fate of superhero-filled cities like New York depended on the actions of “lesser” heroes, when we logically knew that The Sorcerer Supreme or the full might of the X-Men waited just down the road, seemingly busy because … reasons.

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To believe in a world where Daredevil continues to walk into the courtroom and Luke Cage fights for Harlem with little more than a skyward glance or an off-hand comment in regards to an event that threatens existence on a cosmic level seems like a hard pill to swallow, even in an implausible world. No Jessica Jones one-liner, no matter how biting or clever, will be able to deflect implied apathy of that magnitude.

Sure, there was the Chitauri invasion, that troubling incident with the dark elves, and even the superhero Civil War (quiet as it was compared to its comic equivalent), but those pale in comparison to Thanos and the unstoppable power of his infamous gauntlet.

Marvel has spent the better part of a decade telling us that this is the big one. Bigger than Magneto. Bigger than Galactus. And if we’re being honest, bigger than Batman, bigger than Superman. This is the biggest. That’s been its entire point, the goal to which all of this was leading.

Marvel has done nothing short of promise us that nothing will ever be the same again after Infinity War.

Amazingly, they actually look set to deliver on that promise. At least as far as their movie characters are concerned.

The television characters, however, seem to be a different story.

And, for as much as I am blown away by what Marvel has done, at the sheer scope and size of the undertaking they are about to complete, there is a part of me that can’t help picturing Jessica Jones, sitting at home, drinking whiskey in her rundown apartment, watching reruns while existence burns. Maybe she can call Frank Castle, or Matt Murdock. Perhaps she can text message Luke and Danny, invite them over for board games.

Next: 50 greatest super heroes in comic book history

They all seem to be free that night.

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