Marvel announces showrunners for 'The Defenders'

Marvel’s next Netflix series Luke Cage, is out Sept. 30 — with Iron Fist hot on its tail. Of course, every fan knows the real prize on the horizon: The Defenders, the show which will unite those two heroes with Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) for the Hell’s Kitchen equivalent of the Avengers. Although there’s still a ways to go before The Defenders arrives on the streaming service (no premiere date is in play yet), Marvel got one step closer on Friday by officially announcing the program’s showrunners.

Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez, fresh off running Daredevil season 2, will take the reins on The Defenders. Drew Goddard (The Martian, The Cabin in the Woods) is also on-board as an executive producer. Goddard served as consultant for both seasons of Daredevil, and helped kickstart the Marvel Television Universe the way his frequent collaborator Joss Whedon did for the big-screen version.

“They write and produce not only great action and adventure, but also the heart and touch of humor that’s makes us Marvel. With the inclusion of Drew Goddard, we’ve got a team that’s as formidable as the Defenders themselves,” head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb said in a statement.

Aside from cross-show cameos by the likes of Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) and Jeri Hogarth (Carrie Anne-Moss), the unifying threads between the Netflix shows are not quite apparent yet. Cox even told EW in March that Matt Murdock is still figuring out how to ask other people for help … something he’ll probably have to work on before joining forces with other heroes.