The Defenders probably isn’t getting a second season, Jessica Jones actor says

It looks like Marvel and Netflix’s The Defenders might be a one-and-done deal.

Krysten Ritter spoke to Vulture ahead of Jessica Jones’ season two premiere, and touched on Netflix’s superhero team that brought Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Daredevil together. Ritter said Marvel and Netflix always planned for the series to be a one-time event, adding that the negative critical reception the show received didn’t play a part in the supposed decision to only run a total of eight episodes.

“Y’know, I had a great time doing The Defenders and honestly, it was such a good experience that I would even do it again,” Ritter said. “I don’t think we are doing it again. It was never intentioned to do it again, but, you know, if I was given another opportunity, I would. My heart is with my show because of the subject matter and because of the great drama that we get to do and the personal issues that we explore. My heart is in Jessica Jones, but I did have a great time doing The Defenders with the guys. We had a good time. It is what it is.”

Ritter said she was happy that her role in the series as Jessica Jones was well received by critics and viewers, but didn’t speak about the show at large. Ritter said that, “People were excited to see her again, so that made us happy because Jessica is the next up.”

It didn’t take long for The Defenders’ lack of success to be noticed by reporters, despite Netflix and Marvel’s attempt to hype it up over the past couple of years. The Defenders had the least-watched premiere from any original Marvel Netflix project in the United States, according to Variety.

We weren’t particularly taken by The Defenders, either. We said in our review that you couldn’t be blamed for scrolling through Twitter on your phone instead of watching the series when you see “Danny Rand chasing someone through a sewer.” The Defenders, which directly followed Netflix and Marvel’s poorly-received Iron Fist, is regarded as Netflix and Marvel’s biggest failure by most critics.

There’s still hope for Marvel and Netflix’s original series, though. Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Daredevil still receive above average reviews, and the dedicated fanbase each superhero has doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Jessica Jones’ highly anticipated second season is available to stream on Netflix now. Polygon has reached out to Netflix for comment.