David Tennant Joins AKA Jessica Jones—He's Going to Make Trouble!

From Doctor Who to Marvel villain: Get the scoop on his new role!

By Chris Harnick Jan 26, 2015 7:02 PMTags
David Tennant, Jessica Jones, MarvelGetty Images, Marvel

David Tennant is going to cause trouble in Marvel's new Netflix series. The Broadchurch and Doctor Who veteran will play Kilgrave in AKA Jessica Jones, the upcoming Netflix series starring Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter.

 "I'm so honored and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character," Melissa Rosenberg, showrunner and executive producer of AKA Jessica Jones, said in a statement. "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."

Kilgrave, aka The Purple Man in the comic book series, is described as "an enigmatic figure from Jessica's past" and his reappearance "will send shockwaves through the former superhero's world."

Ritter's Jessica Jones is a former superhero who gives it all up after a tragedy. She then begins a new life as a private detective, but gets pulled into cases in the superhero world in New York City.

"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," Jeph Loeb, executive producer on the series and Marvel's head of television, said in a statement. "While most know him for his roles as a hero, we can't wait to unleash a whole new side of this talented actor."

Tennant played the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who and played the lead in Broadchurch and its American adaptation, Gracepoint.

AKA Jessica Jones is slated to premiere sometime in 2015.