Krysten Ritter is so ready to get her superhero on. The Breaking Bad and Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 star is gearing up to be Marvel's newest hero in the Netflix series AKA Jessica Jones, based on the comic book character created by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos.
"I am excited for many reasons. I am excited to be in the Marvel Universe and work for a network that is so cutting edge and doing television that I enjoy as a viewer and an audience member," she told us at Monday's premiere of her new flick, Tim Burton's Big Eyes. "And playing a rad female character and a female showrunner it's really a perfect combination. It's really just a dream!"
AKA Jessica Jones follows Jessica Jones, a short-lived superhero who ends her heroic career after tragedy. She gives up the tights and becomes a private detective, working with other super-powered people. In the comic series, Jessica—who has the ability to fly, some invulnerability and super strength—was held prisoner and abused by a pheremone-controling villain. The 13-episode Netflix series is executive produced by Melissa Rosenberg and is expected to debut in 2015 after Daredevil.
"Krysten brings both the hard edge and the vulnerability the role demands," showrunner Rosenberg said in a statement when Ritter's casting was announced. "We can't wait for fans to see her in action, coming to Netflix in 2015."
Marvel's Daredevil stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, a blind lawyer who gains heightened senses after an accident and uses his powers to protect Hell's Kitchen in New York City. Daredevil also stars Rosario Dawson, Vincent D'Onofrio and Deborah Ann Woll. The two shows will later be joined by a series following characters Luke Cage, Iron Fist and a teamup show called The Defenders. All are set in the same universe as the Marvel movies and TV shows Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Krysten Ritter has the type of range, spanning the comic to the tragic, that makes for the stuff of the best Marvel heroes," Jeph Loeb, executive producer and Marvel's head of television, said in a statement. "As Jessica Jones, Krysten will bring one of the most beloved new characters of the past decade to life in a way we know will delight her longtime fans and introduce her to many more."
—Reporting by Jennifer Cooper