In the first few episodes, the production uses colored light to great effect to separate out each individual Defender story. Each scene involving Daredevil has a hint of red. Jessica Jones is lit with purple. Iron Fist with green and Luke Cage is lit in shades of yellow. As the series progresses and the Defenders become aligned, the four colors eventually turn into more neutral whites and blues.
In this series, the founding members of the Defenders are Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. In the comics, the Defenders were formed by The Incredible Hulk, Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, and Namor the Sub-Mariner.
When Matt and Jessica are leaving the police station, a photo of Stan Lee can be seen on a wall in the background.
The IP address hidden in the first teaser trailer leads to a site with information about The Defenders.
In the Marvel Comics, the Defenders have a constantly shifting roster. As of 2025, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has 28 characters who have appeared in the Defenders:
- Dr. Strange, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, Falcon, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and Loki (who have their own film/TV series)
- Betty Ross (debuting in the MCU in Der unglaubliche Hulk (2008), though the film is an unofficial prequel to Hulk (2003))
- James Rhodes (War Machine) (debuting in Iron Man (2008))
- Deathlok (debuting in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013))
- Yondu, Drax the Destroyer, and Howard the Duck (debuting in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014))
- Scarlet Witch and the Vision (debuting in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015))
- Hank Pym and Scott Lang (Ant-Man) (debuting in Ant-Man (2015)) and Janet van Dyne (Wasp) (debuting in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018))
- Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist (who all got their own series)
- Patsy Walker (Hellcat) (appearing in Marvel's Jessica Jones (2015))
- Valkyrie (debuting in Thor: Tag der Entscheidung (2017))
- John Walker (US Agent) (debuting in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021))
- Dane Whitman (Black Knight) (debuting in Eternals (2021))
- She-Hulk (debuting in She-Hulk: Die Anwältin (2022)).
- Hercules (debuting in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022))
- Clea and America Chavez (debuting in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022))
- Elsa Bloodstone (debuting in Werewolf by Night (2022))
- Namor the Sub-Mariner (debuting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022))
- Deadpool and Wolverine (debuting in the MCU in Deadpool & Wolverine (2024))
- The Silver Surfer (debuting in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)).