David Farnor | On 09, Oct 2016

The Defenders have found themselves a villain: Sigourney Weaver.

A veteran of the sci-fi genre, the legendary actress needs no introduction – and, sure enough, Jeph Loeb, Head of Marvel TV, didn’t give her much of one at the New York Comic Con this weekend.

Speaking at a Marvel panel, he confirmed that Netflix’s show now had a bad guy.

“We’ve not told you who the villain of The Defenders is,” he told fans. “The reason is for that is because we needed to find somebody who could take on all these guys.”

Weaver joined the rest of the superhero cast on stage, with Mike Colter, Finn Jones, Krysten Ritter and Charlie Cox all present. The Defenders, of course, will see all four of them – Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and Daredevil – team up, Avengers-style for a limited crossover series.

“Marvel is honored to have an actress of her caliber and status join what is already our biggest show ever! She is by definition a class act,” added Loeb.

“Sigourney Weaver, what more is there to say,” commented Cindy Holland, Vice President of original content at Netflix. “She’s a formidable actress and we are thrilled to have her join our remarkable cast alongside Charlie, Krysten, Mike and Finn.”

The show will premiere in 2017, following the arrival of Iron Fist, the final of the four superhero solo outings.

Weaver’s unveiling may have put the kibosh on rumours that Mephisto was set to be the villain of The Defenders, although it’s by no means ruled out.

What is clear, though, is that Krysten Ritter is just as excited about Sigourney Weaver as the rest of us:

Ha yeah I have no chill https://t.co/LJzHNvHbvF

— krysten ritter (@Krystenritter) October 9, 2016

The announcement arrives just as Luke Cage’s solo series lands on Netflix. Read our reviews of the series here.

Add to Watchlist