Marvel’s latest series Jessica Jones arrived on Netflix today, but had the stars aligned differently the Alias adaptation would have joined Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as part of ABC’s Marvel slate – and would also have featured Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel.
“Back when it was at ABC Network, I did use Carol Danvers,” showrunner Melissa Rosenberg tells IGN. “But between then and when it ended up on Netflix, you know, the MCU shifted, and it also shifted away from the universe in the [comic] book. So in the book, the powers are very out in the open and the themes of that are about ‘the other,’ and in the cinematic universe that’s not the mythology. So there was a lot that I had to move away from, just in terms of sheer plot, and Carol Danvers got her own movie.”
With Captain Marvel now set to headline her own film in 2019, Rosenberg was forced to find an alternative to Carol, which led to the inclusion of Patsy Walker/Hellcat:
“But as it turned out, Patsy Walker ended up being an incredibly—a much more appropriate fit with Jessica. It was better that her best friend was not someone with powers. It actually ends up being a really great mirror for her.”
Originally published November 20, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
