Gummy bears and Oasis help The Defenders bond
In yet another expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), solitary superheroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist come together as The Defenders to fight evil and save New York City.
They already have their own shows on Netflix, which they will return to once the detour with this new eight-episode mini-series ends. Indeed, The Defenders, premiering on Aug 18, picks up from their individual season finales.
Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), is mourning the loss of Elektra (Elodie Yung) and has hung up his Daredevil suit, spending his time as a pro bono lawyer.
Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder despite the success of her business, Alias Investigations, turning down work and drinking instead.
Luke Cage (Mike Colter) is released from his voluntary stint in prison and is trying to pick up the pieces of his life in Harlem.
Billionaire Danny Rand, or Iron Fist (Finn Jones), returns to New York, craving a normal life and trying to overcome his adolescent behaviour.
Burdened with their individual personal challenges, the characters realise they just might be stronger together.
There is an original Marvel Comics superhero team called the Defenders, made up of Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, Namor and the Hulk.
At last month's Comic-Con in San Diego, California, the new quartet and Sigourney Weaver, who plays the new villain, sat down at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel - steps away from the gigantic Convention Center, where thousands of fans had gathered - to talk about their collaboration.
The cast said they all got on like gangbusters from the start.
US actor Colter, 40, said: "We all found great ways to pass the time (on set). There were games we played.
"That really helped the camaraderie, because although our characters are sort of slowly getting to know each other and we are kind of reluctant to be a team, we actors were very ready for it. We all like gummy bears, we all like (British rock group) Oasis."
English actor Jones, 29, added: "Kind of like a Scooby Gang."
Yeah, but a little cooler than that - we are like a rock band. Krysten Ritter, responding to Defenders co-star Finn Jones when he described their camaraderie as that of the Scooby Gang
'COOLER'
US actress Ritter, 35, said: "Yeah, but a little cooler than that - we are like a rock band."
Weaver plays the mysterious and wealthy Alexandra, who may or may not be the leader of The Hand, a secret society of evil mystical ninjas who can resurrect the dead.
She is definitely bad, but also sort of funny and dying, so maybe we can sympathise - she is definitely the one to watch.
Weaver appreciated these superheroes as adversaries worthy of her unusual character.
The 67-year-old US actress said: "What I love about them as superheroes is, it is super with a small 's', so you do not have them in capes and boots and flying around apocalyptic situations.
"Alexandra sees how talented they are, and the whole time she is thinking, 'How can I co-opt their passion into working on my side?' I think I could have done it if I had each one by themselves long enough.
"I have more to do with Finn than anyone else, because he seems to be perhaps more vulnerable at that point."
Jones said: "I actually never say anything to Sigourney, but there was one scene we were in the same room, and I will forever remind people that I worked with Sigourney Weaver, thank you very much."
Produced by Marvel Television, The Defenders is set in the MCU, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise and is the culmination of a series of interconnected shows from Marvel and Netflix.
Not really caught up on the MCU, English actor Cox, 34, said he had a pet peeve about a particular interview question.
He said: "From when I was cast in Daredevil in 2014, the question I get asked most in almost every interview is, 'Are you going to be in The Avengers?' Why does that question come up over and over and over?
"But when the scripts (for The Defenders) came in, I started to get chills. I got really excited about those relationships, those dynamics.
"I started to understand why the fans, why the press and why people get so excited about this world."
Ritter had her own take, saying: "Reading the scripts, they are firecracker fun. You are in Jessica Jones' world, she meets Matt Murdock, she is having a scene with Misty Knight from the Luke Cage world and everybody is coming together.
"It definitely adds a bigger element. It is almost like with the cast of (US TV series) Friends - you want all six people in the room."
It actually takes until Episode 3 for that to happen.
The four of them are separately pursuing bad guys before coming to the realisation that they are after the same ones once they meet - in a fight scene.
'NOT ALONE'
Colter said: "What is great is discovering that you are not the only person, you are not alone. That was a big part of our relationship - there were other things that kept us apart, but we were bonding because we are not alone in our situation and circumstances."
Jones mentioned that his Danny Rand did not even know what a superhero was in his first season of Iron Fist.
He said: "For Danny's arc into a superhero, it is kind of imperative that he meets the other three. Coming into contact with them and seeing how they are using these abilities with responsibility and purpose, that really drives and inspires Danny to grow up."
Comic-Con has been another reunion for them, as they arrived on what Ritter calls "the party plane".
Jones added: "We have not actually all been together since filming back in March or April ended, and it is so nice for us to all just hang out, because we had such a great time on set working together. So to be here at Comic-Con, it is great fun."
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