Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Krysten Ritter has beaten out Teresa Palmer (the human lead in “Warm Bodies”), Jessica De Gouw (The Huntress on “Arrow”) and Alexandra Daddario (Woody Harrelson’s first lust interest in “True Detective”) for the role of Jessica Jones, the superhero turned private detective.
Deadline also reports that actor Mike Colter, who played Will Smith’s dad in “Men in Black 3” and Mike in “Zero Dark Thirty,” is “believed to be” Marvel’s choice to play Jones’ love interest, fellow private-sector superhero Luke Cage.
Ritter will appear as Jones in at least three 13-hour Marvel Universe series to be streamed by Netflix: “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “The Defenders.”
Melissa Rosenberg, who wrote all five “Twilight” movies, will script the "Jessica Jones" series.
In the comics, Jones gains super-strength and the ability to fly when an auto mishap exposes her to radioactive chemicals. After escaping a supervillain who controlled her mind for months, she elected to quit the superhero business and launched her own detective agency.
Jones eventually gave birth to the daughter of Luke Cage.
Rosenberg, who recently masterminded ABC’s short-lived “Red Widow” series, has a long resume as a TV writer, having penned scripts for “Dark Skies,” “Party of Five,” “The O.C.” and “Dexter.”
She is not new to writing superhero TV, having scripted at least three episodes of “Birds of Prey,” the 2002 WB series that teamed Batman’s daughter with the former Batgirl and the Black Canary.
A few years ago Rosenberg was also apparently involved in developing an aborted ABC series focusing on the Jones character titled “AKA Jessica Jones.”
Thirteen months ago Netflix announced it would stream to subscribers five new hourlong series based on the Marvel characters Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders and Daredevil. The Daredevil series will be the first to air, followed by the Jones series, then the one featuring Cage. Jones, Cage and Daredevil will team with Iron Fist for the Defenders series.
Jones made her first comic book appearance in the 2001 first issue of Marvel's "Alias."
Ritter had a memorable role as Jesse Pinkman’s addict girlfriend in “Breaking Bad” before she moved on to the title role in the short-lived ABC sitcom “Don’t Trust The Bitch.” On the big screen she’s appeared in “27 Dresses,” “She’s Out Of My League,” “Veronica Mars” and the upcoming Tim Burton feature “Big Eyes.”
Ritter’s Jones will occupy the same onscreen universe that houses Phil Coulson, Peggy Carter, Nick Fury, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark, Matt Murdoch, Thor, Drax, Quicksilver, etc. etc. etc.
