The Defenders: An Overview Before It Hits Netflix Aug. 18

Philadelphia (CW Philly) -- Netflix's long-awaited superhero gathering of "The Defenders" will be released this month.
On Aug. 18, Marvel and Netflix bring us the mega mashup of their four Marvel properties on Netflix – "Daredevil," "Jessica Jones," "Luke Cage," and "Iron Fist" -- to bring the ruckus.

The seeds for this union of these four heroes have been firmly planted throughout the series' runs on Netflix. Both heroes and characters have played some part in each show. From Luke Cage being a major part of the first season of "Jessica Jones" to Jeri Hogarth, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, being a part of both "Jessica Jones" and "Iron Fist" to Claire Temple, Rosario Dawson's character, playing an integral part in every one of the series thus far. Marvel and Netflix have combined to build this world where this foursome has banded together for one major mission: to stop the criminal organization known as The Hand.

All the major characters have shown their individual encounters with The Hand. In some way, shape, or form, they've all dealt with this organization in some capacity. Eventually, the shows went on to preview how our heroes' path will cross each other, giving them one common enemy.

Marvel had officially announced that "The Defenders" would be hitting Netflix in 2017 during Comic-Con 2016, but it had been made in November 2013 that their plan with the four superhero series was to lead up to "The Defenders," which they describe as a series that "reimagines a dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters."

"The Defenders," compared to their Marvel counter parts the Avengers, is more about like-minded individuals attacking a problem head-on without needing to define exactly what their distinction was. In the comics, The Defenders would jokingly refer to themselves as being a "non-team," which is a vibe that echoes in the Netflix series itself.

Similar to the Avengers, "The Defenders" has been a much anticipated event for fans of the Marvel Universe. Netflix has a done a great job with the shows so far and we're hopeful that this high-profiled meeting of superheroes follows suit as the individual shows before it.