Daredevil: Born Again is looking to up the stakes with its sophomore season, according to most of its cast. This includes Krysten Ritter, who’ll reprise her role of Jessica Jones in upcoming episodes. During an interview with Collider’s Tania Hussain in support of Dexter: Resurrection premiering July 11 on Showtime, Ritter recently dropped a hint as to what the superpowered private eye will be up to when Daredevil: Born Again returns:
“I would love to [share more], but I can’t, but I will say that it’s very exciting. There’s a lot of layers to play. The stunts are fabulous. Jessica’s kicking ass, she’s back in a big way. I think fans are going to be excited. I’ve been having a blast, and it’s epic. I feel so grateful to play Lady Vengeance and Jessica Jones in the same year, it’s just wild.”
Ritter’s comments sound perfectly in line with Jessica’s temperament; this is the same woman who literally put a client through her office door for getting violent, then quipped, “And then there’s the matter of your bill.” But it’s also a reminder that there are so many more Jessica Jones comics that feature her in hardboiled, badass detective mode. One of those comics is Jessica Jones: Blind Spot by Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis, and it’s the perfect story to adapt.
‘Jessica Jones: Blind Spot’ Pits Jessica Jones Against the Mystical Threats of the Marvel Universe
Jessica Jones: Blind Spot opens with a rather disturbing scene, as Jessica discovers a dead woman’s body in her office. What’s even more shocking is that the dead woman, Dia, came to Jessica for help a few years ago. Her investigation into the murder leads to her encountering other mystical figures, including monster hunter Elsa Bloodstone and Doctor Strange. Blind Spot is far grittier than the usual Marvel comic book, as Jessica’s investigation leads her to help Elsa slay a pack of lizard men, and during her visit to a club, she ends up punching a drunk customer who gets far too handsy with her. This, combined with a massive twist surrounding the killer, is ripe for exploration. Ironheart proved you could tell a street-level story and introduce mystical elements, so it could work for Jessica.
Blind Spot also deals with the same themes as the Jessica Jones show, even featuring a villain who kills female victims and tries to exert power (both literal and metaphorical) over them. A disturbing example is how the villain, after knocking out Jessica, dresses her in Carol Danvers’ original costume and chains her to a chair. Thankfully, Jessica breaks free and kicks the crap out of him, but the victims he targets, and the reason for using his powers, is a chilling metaphor for dangers that women face in real life.
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Kelly Thompson expertly balances the superheroic elements with the noir vibe that underlined the original Jessica Jones comics by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos. Bendis even personally reached out to Thompson to ask her to write Jessica, and reading through Blind Spot, it’s clear that she was the right choice.
Other Jessica Jones Comics Brought Back One of Her Oldest Enemies & Saw Her Fight Herself (Literally)
Jessica Jones: Blind Spot isn’t the only comic that could inspire more Jessica Jones stories on screen. Two more miniseries did an excellent job of exploring Jessica’s lingering PTSD and showcasing her detective skills. Jessica Jones: Return of the Purple Man reunited Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, and, as its title suggests, it brought the mind-controlling Zebadiah Killgrave, aka the Purple Man, back into Jessica’s life. This time, the stakes were higher since Jessica now had her husband Luke Cage and her daughter Danielle to worry about. The Variants by Gail Simone and Phil Noto is essentially “Jessica Jones in the Multiverse of Madness”, as Jessica comes face to face with and even fights different versions of herself.
Could those comics influence Jessica Jones’ future in Daredevil: Born Again or the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It’s hard to say; while Born Again effectively folds the events of the original Daredevil into the MCU, it still kept the grounded tone of that series. But with hints to Skrulls and mystical amulets, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see David Tennant coming back to life or Krysten Ritter getting the chance to play different versions of Jessica. If Born Again wants her to kick ass and dig deeper into the MCU, there are plenty of options available.
Daredevil: Born Again is available to stream on Disney+ with Jessica Jones.