It’s largely accepted by now that Iron Fist is Marvel’s weakest Netflix series, given the widespread critical opinion that it’s a boring, often offensive mess. But with The Defenders on its way, the show is still an integral piece of the superhero crossover puzzle. Danny Rand and his glowing fist aren’t going away anytime soon, and Marvel can’t sweep either of them under the rug. So what’s the best way to charge through this mess? Have some fun with it.
In a tweet sent by Netflix’s official account for Jessica Jones, the snarky super-detective ribs Iron Fist for looking mildly ridiculous in the Defenders trailer:
Calling someone “Captain Jazz Hands” isn’t exactly the burn of the century, but the genius is in the details. The original tweet was clearly written to comment on how lame Iron Fist seems not only in the above scene, but throughout his solo series. It’s no secret that Finn Jones isn’t the most convincing kung-fu warrior. Jessica Jones (or, rather, the social media manager behind the account) quoting that tweet is a subtle endorsement of that criticism.
Jessica Jones probably thinks Iron Fist is the worst, too
Making the situation even sweeter is the fact that Jessica making fun of Danny is completely in keeping with what fans might expect from her as a character. Danny Rand is an annoying little shit, and cynical, hard-drinking Jessica Jones is absolutely the first person I’d expect to take issue with him. Knowing that, it’s easy to imagine that same character watching Iron Fist and wondering what the hell she’s watching, right along with the rest of us.
This all amounts to a kind of engagement with fans that actually builds anticipation for The Defenders. Marvel, as a corporate entity, will never admit that Iron Fist was a bad show. But Jessica Jones, as a fictional character from what’s arguably the best Netflix series the studio has mounted to date, can hint that she agrees with us. It means we can look forward to her rolling her eyes at Danny. And if he can endear himself to her, maybe he can endear himself to disappointed fans. Maybe.
I’m excited for more burns like this in the future. The Defenders premieres on August 18th.