Story Pitch: Marvel's Spider-Man and the Defenders

Source (Just add Spider-Man, and you now have the five main characters of the film.)
Do you want to see Spider-Man interact with more characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do you want to see all four of the heroes of Netflix finally join forces with one logical choice from a wide catalog? Do you want to see a movie that is not strictly just fan-service, but one that actually has a story and an underlying message to the audiences? Do you want to see a film that mixes both the humor and charm of the movies, and (some of) the grittiness and maturity of the Netflix shows? You want it? You got it! We have the flick just for you. See as everyone's favorite, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and four other superheroes, dealing with an enemy from another corner of the globe, and the cold, dark reality that haunts their beloved city.

That was the short version of our latest story pitch, and as always, if you're still interested, read on! Welcome back to Dateline Movies, and this is our official pitch for Marvel's Spider-Man and the Defenders!


Much like our previous movie pitch, this one is more or less just an outline of various ideas that I have, so this may or may not be a short one. Also, major spoilers for all Netflix shows, since we will be talking about the protagonists themselves.


Source (R.I.P. Stan Lee)
But before anything else, we were not able to address it here in our website before. We just wanted to express our heartfelt loss at the passing of the one, the only Stan Lee, the man who has helped in making some of the most iconic superheroes in the industry, including four in this very movie post. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mr. Lee's family, and his friends. And being comicbook readers, Dad and I would just want to give a huge thank you to Stan Lee. I thank him for inspiring me to always write something unique, and always do something extraordinary in our lives. Excelsior, Stan Lee. You have made Dad and I true believers.



Source (Defending the streets of New York!)
Setting and placement in the MCU timeline



This film will be set during the fourth phase of the franchise, once the currently upcoming Avengers: Endgame wraps-up the whole Thanos arc. All of the story events that occurred for all of the Netflix shows are cannon, and only key moments are referenced or mentioned. Although major status quo shifts occurred for Luke Cage, wherein he became a crime boss in order to control the criminal element in Harlem, and Danny Rand went on a trip to Japan to uncover more truths about his powers at the end of their respective shows' second seasons, this flick would not explore any aspect of those, since it would take more than one movie to completely explain what happened, and I am pretty sure that non-fans would even bother watching how each story would play-out. The only season finales that are touched upon is that of the second and third season endings for Iron Fist and Daredevil, respectively, which we will explain, and spoil, later.



It is summer vacation, and as all of his friends depart from the city, Peter Parker goes about his regular superhero duties as Spider-Man. Realizing that he has not been giving enough attention to major crimes taking place on the streets because of his involvement with the Avengers, Peter attempts to help the police department out, only for most of them to state that "this ain't a place for an Avenger". Things become more complicated with the passing of a new agreement that all Avengers are not allowed to fight in the city, and the only people authorized to do so are the police, and other law-enforcement group. 

The decision to place the film in summer, and to have almost all of Peter's classmates away was a means to have the story focus solely on Spider-Man and the Defenders. This also applies for each of the Netflix heroes' own supporting casts. In case you are asking, Doctor Strange is not present at all in this story either, even though he is based in New York City.




Source (What really made Daredevil: Season 3 a crowning achievement!)

After Wilson Fisk is once again arrested for his more recent crimes, and his wife, Vanessa Marianna Fisk takes it upon herself to continue her husband's nefarious work, despite the fact that everyone already knows at this point that she is clearly working on something devious behind-the-scenes. She has invested most of her earnings in putting-up various chemical plants all across New York City, and has re-purposed numerous abandoned slums in order to fulfill this end. This major financial move brought a mild and quiet end to a power struggle between numerous splinter groups from Fisk's original operations.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Defenders are living calm and pleasant lives, although Vanessa Fisk's recent action do give them a reason to be on alert. Matt Murdock, now finding balance between his heroic and personal life, manage to become one of the richest attorneys in the city, with the financial aid of his best friend and co-attorney-at-law Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, and Foggy's fiancee Marci Stahl. Jessica Jones' private investigations service "Alias Investigations" is beginning to fade away due to an excess in competition, forcing her to work for the New York Bulletin as a superhero insider and journalist. Luke Cage ditches the burdens of a just crime boss to become the city's only super-powered police officer. Danny Rand, after reclaiming his powers from his ex-girlfriend Colleen Wing, after the latter discovered that only a chosen few can get and survive while bearing the Iron Fist, resumes his role as a superhero, but with a costume now.



Source (They don't look like "public enemies" to me.)
Story Outline:


Basic Premise:

The entire movie takes place over a span of 12 hours, beginning at 5 pm., at a summer Saturday afternoon, and ending at 4 am. the following dusk. When an army of paramilitary soldiers launched an all-out assault on Vanessa Fisk's chemical enterprise, under the orders of a mysterious figure, Wilson Fisk, Vanessa's husband, recruits local vigilantes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist to protect Vanessa. Part-time Avenger Spider-Man joins also after noting the extreme street-level violence, despite having his proposition to join declined by the four more experienced heroes.

Surrounded by the forces of one "Silver Sable" in Fisk's newly established corporate tower in New York City, all five heroes have to work their way to escape the building, and put an end to Silver Sable's war against Fisk. At the center of the conflict is the enigmatic weapon of mass destruction known only as "The Inferno", which is located somewhere in the tower. 

Key Moments and Internal Conflicts:

The very fight scene that unites all five heroes would be, at first, one long truck chase scene, with the heroes escorting the trucks to safety. This would then lead to a pretty brief fight scene at Central Park, where the trucks manage to escape, but the five have to sort-out some enemies.

After this, all five gather around the main office of the Fisk Tower, where they meet with Vanessa Fisk, and even Wilson Fisk through a tablet connected to a camera in prison, and they all discuss the situation at hand. Their meeting is interrupted as violence erupts at the streets below, where members of the Wild Pack cause chaos on three distinct locations that are close to the tower. Impulsively, Iron Fist flies into action, but they realize too late that this was all a distraction.

With the power to the building shut down, the entire facility goes into full lock-down, and the team are forced to split-up. Spider-Man and Jessica Jones make their way to the rooftop to reactivate the power, so as Vanessa can be escorted safely by Daredevil and Luke Cage, with the Inferno, while Iron Fist works his way to enter the building again, with the aid of Wilson Fisk's personal guards. 

Eventually, Vanessa is escorted safely, but the heroes have to fight Sable and the rest of the Wild Pack in an abandoned train yard. After the battle, Sable is pardoned due to diplomatic immunity, and the Fisks manage to reclaim the Inferno, under some legal loopholes that stated that the weapon was theirs to begin with. As every hero return to their normal lives, Spider-Man notes to the Defenders that if something goes wrong in the city, the Avengers are just a few blocks away.

Some internal conflicts are presented throughout the film. Spider-Man seeks to regain public trust after general consensus has now shifted in favor of the more street-based heroes, despite the fact that he has been helping the city as much the rest. Daredevil feels unsure with himself, due to the fact that he is the only one among the heroes who does not have enhanced strength or healing factor. Jessica Jones becomes terrified at the thought that her now normal life could be destroyed by her return to superhero duty. Luke Cage struggles with maintaining public trust, after many years of hiding from the public. Lastly, Iron Fist slowly begins to finally accept that he is the one true "Immortal Iron Fist".


Source (The streets are safer, knowing that they're here.)
Main Antagonist and Plot Device:

Silver Sable, real name Silver Sablinova, is the prime minister of the war-torn nation of Symkaria, which is adjacent to Sokovia, and she leads a private army of soldiers known as the "Wild Pack" that also works as an international mercenary group. Due to various super-powered incidents happening worldwide, and due to national issues constantly growing, such as uprising and mutinies, Sable is forced to allow weapons-manufacturing to be her nation's ultimate source of economy, which causes some to not trust her and her country.

Much of the plot revolves around Sable and the Wild Pack attempting to assassinate Vanessa Fisk for stealing the Inferno from them, in addition to reclaiming it. The Inferno is a chemical weapon of mass destruction capable of disintegrating everything that it touches, and it is twice as strong as two atomic bombs. Fisk, who wanted to sell the device to the highest bidders, was replicating the weapon in her newly constructed chemical plants. Upon learning this later on, the five heroes refuse to let either Fisk or Sable to get it. Even though the five reasoned that the weapon will fall into the wrong hands either way, Sable begs to differ that the Symkarians would never allow to have their weapons be used for nefarious means, even if their own nation is experiencing the worst of times.

In other words ...

"We deal with our own problems. We neither interfere with your affairs, nor do we allow ours to overlap with yours. If it makes our way to us, then it is our problem." - Silver Sablinova / Silver Sable

Source (Group shots. Group shots everywhere.)
Sources of Inspiration and Tone:

Picture the tone of Avengers: Infinity War, and staple it to a much more street-based setting. There is always a constant sense of dread, even though it does not match the same amount of grit that the Netflix series are notable for. That is the tone for this film. A perfect balance of realism, and comicbook inspired oddity. In addition to the previously mentioned film, Marvel's Spider-Man and the Defenders would be taking cues from other crime films such as Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) and Serpico, and considering that this would be bigger than the shows, I picture the film having a similar action choreography as that of Mission: Impossible - Fallout, while still maintaining the same intense and carefully planned-out choreography from the series.

Underlying Themes:

This film tackles the theme of responsibility, specifically the varying degrees of it, and the many moral falls that one will endure in order to fulfill their respective duties. In addition, this explores the concepts of privilege and class differences, and how each of our distinct experiences affect the world around us. The theme of privilege was inspired by a video by Nando v. Movies.

On the matter of responsibility, every single character carries one. Aside from Spider-Man, who as we all know holds the motto of "with great power, comes great responsibility", each of the Defenders believe that they have the obligation to always think for the greater good, much like Spider-Man does. However, Silver Sable, the main antagonist, also has the responsibility to take care of her country. Even though her methods of leadership, from allowing weapon manufacturing to become her nations' staple, to actually resorting to violence instead of peaceful means to resolve a crisis, Sable only believes that she is doing the right thing. Vanessa Fisk, of all people, also believes that she has one, in that she believes that she is obligated to take weapons from people who seem like they "don't know what they're doing" to people she believes can. Wilson Fisk also has one, and that, in addition to having Daredevil accept a deal to keep Vanessa safe, he must always keep a watchful eye on his beloved wife.

One privilege, Spider-Man personifies this, in that, unlike the four grounded Defenders, he has access to the rest of the superhero community, in addition to advanced technology. This causes a strife between the heroes, as some of the Defenders believe that their experiences with much more dangerous criminals give them a benefit of a doubt with regards to Spider-Man's superhero status. Silver Sable also experienced this issue, as her country of Symkaria suffered from numerous real-world problems such as war and crime, and they did not have access to other sorts of technology. Vanessa Fisk's privilege of living a more or less financially stable life also distorted her view on the world.


Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5Source 6Source 7Source 8 (New York's Finest ... and Worst)
Cast of major characters:

Below are the main characters for the film:
  • Peter Parker / Spider-Man
  • A teenager granted spider-like abilities, and enhanced strength and agility after being bitten by a genetically-modified spider. He is previously portrayed by Tom Holland (The Lost City of Z) in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War.
  • Silver Sablinova / Silver Sable
  • A trained assassin and marksman, and the prime minister of the war-torn nation of Symkaria, who leads a private army of technologically advanced soldiers known as the "Wild Pack". She is a new character introduced in the film, and she plots to reclaim the Inferno from the wrong hands.
  • Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin
  • A corrupt and manipulative, yet insecure businessman arrested for being the most sinister crime boss in New York City, who is obsessed with making the city a better place. He is previously portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) in all three seasons of Daredevil.
  • Vanessa Fisk 'nee Marianna
  • A former art dealer turned crime boss and mayoral candidate, who secretly transformed her husband's criminal operation into a weapons-distribution project. She is previously portrayed by Ayelet Zurer (Ben-Hur Remake) in the first and third seasons of Daredevil.
  • Matthew "Matt" Murdock / Daredevil
  • A blind attorney-at-law, who gains heightened senses after his eyes were hit by a radioactive substance. He is previously portrayed by Charlie Cox (The Theory of Everything) in all three seasons of Daredevil, and in  one season of The Defenders.
  • Jessica Jones
  • A private investigator turned newspaper contributor, who received enhanced strength after being experimented on. She is previously portrayed by Krysten Ritter (Big Eyes) in all two seasons of Jessica Jones, and in one season of The Defenders.
  • Carl Lucas / Luke Cage
  • A former convict turned public hero, who received bulletproof skin from experiments conducted on him in prison. He is previously played by Mike Colter (Men in Black 3) in the first season of Jessica Jones, in one season of The Defenders, and all two seasons of Luke Cage.
  • Daniel "Danny" Rand / Iron Fist
  • A Buddhist billionaire and martial artist, who received the powers of the "Iron Fist" after being lost in "Ku'n Lu'n". He is previously portrayed by Finn Jones (Game of Thrones) in all two seasons of Iron Fist, in one season of The Defenders, and the second season of Luke Cage.
Source (You wanna know what would be cool? If Disney+ would continue these shows.)
And thus comes the conclusion of our latest movie pitch. As always, we leave a little something at the end of our posts. Because I know you might have been confused at all of the references to other shows, and I know that you might just be aching to binge-watch all of those episodes, but you just don't have the time. Never fear. We have The Warp Zone's Recap Rap for all the shows, at least before The Defenders, for you.

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