For years, Marvel fans have been debating whether the Netflix Defenders shows are part of the MCU canon. Given that the projects don't have the oversight of Marvel Studios, there were presumptions that they were set in their own universe.
However, when Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin were reintroduced in the MCU projects, the debate ignited again and some fans saw it as a sign that they are now recognizing the Netflix shows as part of the MCU canon.
Echo producer Brad Winderbaum also revealed in a recent interview that he considers them part of the MCU's Sacred Timeline. Clips from Netflix's Daredevil were also used in one of the trailers of the new series.
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Marvel and Disney+ Canonize the Netflix Defenders Shows Into the MCU Timeline
At the same time as the release of Echo on Disney+ last night, the streamer officially added the six Netflix Defenders shows as part of the official MCU timeline.
Daredevil and Jessica Jones were placed before Avengers: Age of Ultron in the chronological order of the MCU timeline while Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders were set between Ant-Man and Captain America: Civil War.
Meanwhile, The Punisher was delegated after Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming.
As for Echo, which has Cox's Daredevil and D'Onofrio's Kingpin, it is revealed to be set between Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Now that their MCU canon status has been made official, it is curious to see whether it will also be an indication that they will reintroduce more characters from the Defenders shows such as Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Elektra in future projects.
Jon Bernthal is already confirmed to be returning as The Punisher in the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again.
We also know from a recent interview with Winderbaum that Kingpin is being set up as the Thanos of street-level corner of the MCU which suggests that they have bigger plans for the heroes that are part of this arena.
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