Marvel courted yet another former “Doctor Who” actor to play a villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previously, the 9th “Doctor Who” actor Christopher Eccleston was courted to play Malekith, the main antagonist in Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World”.
This time around, Marvel has locked down the 10th “Doctor Who” actor David Tennant to play another iconic villainous role through an upcoming Netflix series, “A.K.A. Jessica Jones“. While he is working hard to establish himself as an actor outside of the “Doctor Who” franchise, the Scottish actor is set to play the creepy mind-controlling supervillain, Purple Man.
David Tennant is the latest cast member to join Marvel’s “A.K.A Jessica Jones”. The series is one of Netflix’s multi-show deal with Marvel and “Breaking Bad” actress Krysten Ritter is set to play the female lead. It has recently been announced that “The Good Wife” star Mike Colter is set to star in the film as Luke Cage.
The synopsis of “A.K.A Jessica Jones” is as follows:
After a tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.
Tennant’s Purple Man (real name: Zebediah Killgrave) first made his appearance in the 1st volume of the 1964 “Daredevil” comics series. He is a former spy gifted with the mind-control abilities after an accidental exposure to a chemical that turned his hair and skin purple. He is able to verbally control the actions of others with the pheromones produced from his body. However, Daredevil is able to resist his verbal commands because being blind allows him to focus on his concentration.
In a media statement released by Marvel, Kilgrave (spelled “Killgrave” in the comic series) has been linked to the history of Jessica Jones and his reappearance will “send shockwaves through the former super hero’s world”. As detailed in the comic book series “Alias”, it was revealed that Kilgrave used his power to control Jewel (Jessica’s former superhero role), forced her to live with him, and psychologically tortured her for several moments. The villain even sends her off to kill Daredevil. After recovering from a coma, the incident leaves her so traumatised that she decides to become a private investigator instead.
The series was developed by Executive Producer/Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg. Regarding Tennant’s role as the Purple Man, she said:
I’m so honoured and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character. He can deliver the most heart-wrenching moment to the driest of lines, and all points in between. He’ll make Kilgrave a truly original villain.
“Anyone familiar with David’s work knows he brings an incredible level of dedication to any role he inhabits, a level we knew we would need from the man playing Kilgrave,” said Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television. “While most know him for his roles as a hero, we can’t wait to unleash a whole new side of this talented actor.”
Best known for his role as the 10th Doctor in the BBC hit series “Doctor Who”, Tennant most recently starred in “Broadchurch” and its American adaptation, “Gracepoint”.
Produced by Marvel Television, Marvel’s “A.K.A. Jessica Jones” is a 13-episode series that will be distributed by Netflix in 2015 but it is not known how many episodes Mike Colter has signed to appear in.
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