*SPOILERS* BE WARNED THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS FULL SPOILERS FROM DAREDEVIL, JESSICA JONES AND LUKE CAGE. *SPOILERS*
Yesterday, Marvel Television revealed at their New York Comic-Con panel that Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver (Aliens, Ghostbusters, Cabin In The Woods, Avatar) will be playing the big bad of The Defenders in an undisclosed role.
There are likely dozens of potential characters she could be playing, but we think Madame Hydra and Typhoid Mary might be the top contenders for Weaver.
There are plenty of unresolved things from Daredevil season two that could likely see that Defenders will deal with Shadowland and the Chaste-Hand War.
If this is the case, then Elektra will be another villain and the leader of the undead ninja clan, up to some sketching things digging that giant hole.
One key Hand member and Daredevil villain has been rumored since season one, but has yet to make an official appearance in the series.
That would be the super-villain Typhoid Mary, the only problem is that Mary in the comics is just a hired assassin and not someone with a rank within the Hand. Then again, that could change with some creative writing, allowing her to have more of a commanding role.
We’ve seen plenty of creative alterations of other characters in the shows, anything is possible.
Mary could end up a Hand surrogate looking to take over criminal operations from Wilson Fisk to return stability to the underworld in New York City.
Weaver’s role might also not be directly connected to the Defenders at first glance. Marvel Television is not afraid to use well known female Marvel villains for their television shows that are from rogues galleries of other characters.
Agent Carter used villains that weren’t originally attached to that character in the comics. The biggest example is using Iron Man villain Whitney Frost aka Madame Masque as the big bad of season two. The show used plenty of other character’s villains, this could be the same for Sigourney’s Defenders role as well.
Ophelia Sarkissian aka Viper/Madame Hydra seems like a top contender too and we might see The Serpent Society be used for television instead of a Captain America sequel (as teased by Marvel Studios).
In the comics, she was second command to HYDRA’s leader Baron Strucker. Marvel Studios essentially killed-off both HYDRA and Strucker possibly axing that option for Ophelia’s feature film introduction.
A version of her was reworked for The Wolverine‘s Dr. Green, but was played as a mutant and not a human terrorist. Marvel established the rights to the real version of her is with them, as she showed up in the Captain America: The First Avenger tie-in video game Captain America: Super Soldier alongside Strucker and Zola.
Her other comic book villain group The Serpent Society was recently teased by Marvel with the fake-out title card for Captain America 3 at a Marvel event, which was later revealed to be Captain America: Civil War.
Sigourney Weaver is a notable film star and playing a villain role on Netflix could easily see her character make a jump to the films if Kevin Fiege felt the need to.
Ophelia has tackled with both Captain America and The Avengers, so it could happen.
Another reason why Serpent Society makes sense, they’re a group of “villains for hire” and would honestly be an interesting juxtapose to The Defenders, who are basically Heroes For Hire.
Luke Cage might have been the first hint to Ophelia and The Serpent Society joining the Netflix universe.
How come?
Well, both villains Diamondback and Cottonmouth are the names of members of The Serpent Society in the comics (their Diamondback being a lady though).
Members of Serpent Society use snake code-names, which could see a couple of other characters not directly connected in the comics join their ranks too.
Luke Cage isn’t the only series that could have ties to The Serpent Society or Madame Hydra.
Iron Fist villain Davos aka Steel Serpent worked for HYDRA in The Immortal Iron Fist comics. A jump into the ranks of Serpent Society wouldn’t be shocking for the villain.
Davos was teased in Daredevil and there is rumors that he’ll be making his debut in Iron Fist.
Ophelia just happens to control the fictional Marvel island nation of Madripoor, a pirate and smuggler haven. This location could be were Madame Goa gets her heroin supply and why she marks it with the Steel Serpent symbol.
Of course, if the location name conflicts with the X-Men rights a new name could replace it in a second.
Serpent Society could have been the ones that helped the real Mandarin brake into Seagate Prison in All Hail The King to confront Trevor.
The short already helped teased Luke Cage’s origin, it’s not a big leap to make that the Mandarin could be connected somehow to The Defenders.
Funny enough, the Mandarin could have ties to Serpent Society if Marvel Television is allowed to the use the character. His villain name could easily be referring to the Mandarin Rat Snake. The villain would also be an excellent replacement for Sidewinder, Serpent Society’s obscure leader.
Marvel Studios seem uneasy using the character, which might make him more suitable for Defenders and possibly the rumored Shang-Chi series as a replacement for his father Dr. Fu Manchu.
Mandarin just happens to have ties to The Hand, giving enough reason to see Serpent Society and The Hand join forces, or one and the same.
He could have easily got control of Justin Hammer’s arms company while Hammer was in Seagate Prison, during Mandarin’s possible takeover of the prison.
This might be how Stryker was able to have an unlimited arsenal at his finger tips to sell to Cottonmouth and why he had access to that Hammer super suit at the end of the series.
They could have also been behind the experiments at the prison, along with The Purple Man‘s childhood treatment as a lab rat in the UK. Attempting to make their version of the super-soldier program.
This would explain Kilgrave’s connection to Reva and why he wanted that USB with all that information on their experiments.
The Serpent Society prison experiments could also explain, why that prison doctor got a hold of Diamondback (possible Serpent member) at the end of Luke Cage to likely give him a similar treatment knowing that Cage’s brother could survive it.
Serpent Society could have finger prints all over the Netflix shows if Marvel wanted.
Do you think Sigourney Weaver will be apart of The Hand or Serpent Society in Defenders?