Marvel and Netflix announced Monday that David Tennant will star as the villainous Kilgrave in Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones, an all-new 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015 following Marvel’s Daredevil.
After a tragic ending to her short-lived superhero stint, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City. An enigmatic figure from Jessica’s past, Kilgrave reappears, sending shockwaves through the former superhero’s world.
Tennant will star opposite Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter, who will play Jessica Jones and Luke Cage in Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones. The series was developed by Executive Producer/Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg.
“I’m so honored and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character,” said Rosenberg. “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.”
A character called “Kilgrave” appears in Marvel comics canon, Zebediah Kilgrave is known as the Purple Man, an international spy-turned-criminal who was originally introduced to menace Daredevil before becoming an antagonist for Jessica Jones. Ther’s no word on whether Tennant will make an appearance in Netflix’s Daredevil series (set to premiere on April 10).
Tennant rose to international fame as the Tenth Doctor in the BBC hit series Doctor Who, and most recently starred in Broadchurch and its American adaptation, Gracepoint.
Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.
