We live in a world that's woefully lacking in feminist superheroes, so I couldn't be happier to see the first full trailer for Marvel's Jessica Jones , coming to Netflix on Nov. 20. The series stars Krysten Ritter as the titular Jones, a former superhero trying to set up a detective agency and put her former self behind her after a tragedy. But I think we all know by now that "retired superhero" isn't really a thing, because something always comes up to pull you back in, and that's exactly what happens to Jones. The premise alone is enough to reel me in, and Netflix's record with Daredevil only made me want to tune in more. But even if you put all of those attributes aside, the Jessica Jones trailer proves just how feminist the series will be, leaving me counting down the days until it finally premieres.
Usually, no matter how intrigued I am by a female superhero character, I get left with a bad taste in my mouth as soon as I see her outfit. Even if she's a whip-smart, sarcastic, intellectual in her personal life, her costume is usually very over-sexualized, and not very sensible for someone who has to, you know, constantly save the world. No matter her other traits, a female superhero's sexuality is often elevated as the only one that matters, while the rest of her personality isn't given much depth. This trend has left me wondering if we'd ever get a layered, complex superhero, who also happens to be a woman.
And as it turns out, I need wonder no more, because Jessica Jones is that hero. She dresses like a regular person, she talks like anyone else would, and she has realistic regrets and flaws. The trailer also features the beginnings of a sex scene, showing that Jessica's sexuality is an important part of her personality too — it's just not the only part. The character even has post-traumatic stress disorder, which adds an entirely new dimension to her. Take a look at all of the darkness we are exposed to in this first trailer alone.
I. Am. So. Excited. Usually it's only the male characters that get to start off with a backstory that heavy, and women who are simpler and less complicated. But in this case, we see Jones being represented as the only person who can save the day, because of her history with the villain, Kilgrave, and that she needs to work with another woman (!!!) in order to pull it off. There's just so much richness here, and depth, and I couldn't be more thrilled that we're giving a female superhero the opportunity to land on the spectrum somewhere between light and dark, good and bad. There's a gray area in there that the men have had a monopoly on for a while now, but I'm hoping this is a sign that that's all about to change.
Jessica Jones will be hitting Netflix on Nov. 20, and you better believe I'll be tuning in.
Image: Netflix
