Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
When news ripped across the internet that living legend Sigourney Weaver would be playing the big bad villain in Marvel’s The Defenders, everyone found themselves asking the same question: “Who is she?” No, no, no, we know who Sigourney Weaver is. But who is Alexandra? Who is this character in the grand scheme of the Marvel Universe? Was Alexandra a code name for a villain we already knew? Was she a wholly original character? Would she be connected to anyone we’ve already met? WHO IS SHE?
The official line from showrunner Marco Ramirez was this: “Her character is a very powerful force in New York City. She’s everything Sigourney is: sophisticated, intellectual, dangerous.”
Now that the day is here and all eight episodes of Marvel’s The Defenders have dropped, we can give you a few more spoiler-filled answers. Since it’s still early in the day – and we’ve only managed to binge halfway through the series — we’re giving you all the details we know from the first four episodes. We’ll update the post later in the day if any huge twists emerge in the back half of Marvel’s The Defenders episode.
***HUGE SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST FOUR EPISODES OF MARVEL’S THE DEFENDERS***
Okay…you ready?
So as of the end of The Defenders, Episode 4, it appears that Alexandra is indeed an original character, but she has close ties with the Hand. You know the Hand, right? The bad guys in both Daredevil and Iron Fist.
Anyway, as Stick explains, the Hand was formed when five specific warriors defected from the teachings of K’un Lun and returned to their home countries to create havoc. The five warriors wanted to use their knowledge and training to cheat death — and, oh, have they! As Jessica uncovers via some pretty intense card catalogue searching, Alexandra is just the latest name that Weaver’s character has used over the ages.
Alexandra, Madame Gao, Bakuto, and two new characters named Sowande and Murakami were the original five members of the Hand. Now they are putting a complex plan into place that includes sending an earthquake-like shock through New York City, building a high-rise tower at Midland Circle, and unleashing the Black Sky (aka the resurrected Elektra) upon their enemies. The plan has been rushed, though, because Alexandra has learned she is dying. The implication being that this current death may be a bigger deal than previous ones.
Coincidentally, Alexandra is also an obscenely wealthy woman and a powerful warrior, herself. Even the slippery Madame Gao seems intimidated by her. Alexandra, in turn, seems captivated by the potential power of the Black Sky. She’s also open to turning Iron Fist to her cause. However, she’s also a bit concerned about the fact that the Defenders are teaming up, as is evident by the fact that she confronts them in an effort to push them apart. Will she succeed? Or will the Defenders prevail? Check back here for all things Defenders-related.
All eight episodes of Marvel’s The Defenders are now streaming.
