When And How To Watch ‘Marvel’s The Defenders’ On Netflix

Marvel fans have been excited about Netflix’s superhero series before, but the anticipation for “Marvel’s The Defenders” might be greater than it was for any of the other dramas. The heroes of New York are finally coming together, and diehard fans will want to watch the second the miniseries is released.

Those who want to be first to see the series will need to get some caffeine. All eight episodes of “The Defenders” will be released at 3 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 18. West coasters won’t need quite as much coffee. They’ll be able to see it at the same time, 12 a.m. PDT.

Much like “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist,” “The Defenders” can only be watched on Netflix. If you somehow managed to avoid the streaming platform for this long, it’s easy to get started. Simply choose one of the subscription plans, which start from $7.99 a month, and watch either on Netflix’s website or app. New users get a month free, which will be plenty of time to watch all eight episodes of the superhero season. Those planning to watch all five of the Marvel/Netflix series during the 30-day trial will want to plan their binge-watching more carefully.

“The Defenders” was announced in 2013 when Marvel first revealed they’d be teaming up with the streaming service for several television shows. Daredevil debuted in 2015, and a new season of a superhero shows has premiered every spring and fall since then on Netflix.

While Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) already met, it’ll be the first time the rest of the group learn of each other’s existence. Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) round out the band of superheroes. They’ll all come together after discovering that a new evil, led by the mysterious Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver), is threatening New York.

In typical Marvel fashion, not much has been revealed about “The Defenders.” While Alexandra is definitely the one the Defenders are fighting, it isn’t clear what exactly she’s doing. Sneak peeks have made it seem like she is above Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), who runs the Hand, and Marvel revealed that she is going to bring back Elektra (Elodie Yung) from the dead. That indicates she’s pretty powerful.

Weaver has given some vague descriptions of her character. “To me, Alexandra has a lot of wisdom because she’s been doing what she does for a long time and she has a lot of empathy,” Weaver told the Guardian. “She’s a very complex character and I felt delighted to be a part of that. There’s also a lot of comedy, action and a lot of great character work, plus a lot of surprises in the show.”

Luckily, there are a lot of heroes to fight the complicated antagonist. “The Defenders” isn’t just bringing together the four leads. Their supporting characters are coming along for the ride too. Of course, Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) will be there to unite the heroes. Joining her will be Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), Misty Knight (Simone Missick), Jessica Henwick (Colleen Wing), Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Stick (Scott Glenn) and Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss). Watch “The Defenders” to find out how they all fit into the mystery.