David Tennant took to the BAFTA red carpet last weekend, where he was asked about an unforgettable character he played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But as much as I love David Tennant, maybe it’s okay if that character stays in the archives?
Note: this article contains spoilers for season 1 of the Netflix series Jessica Jones.
Earlier this year, Tennant revived the 10th Doctor for the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials. In that spirit, he was asked what other characters he might want to bring back.
“Say Kilgrave,” one interviewer interjected, referring to the mind-controlling villain from Marvel’s Netflix series Jessica Jones.
“Oh, I’d love to do Kilgrave, yeah!” Tennant responded. “Kilgrave would be great! That’d be good, wouldn’t it?”
Of course, bringing back Kilgrave would be tricky. “I mean, he did very much get his neck broken,” Tennant said. “He was very dead. But never say never in the Marvel universe!”
He’s right, of course. A Marvel villain who ends up very dead from a broken neck, yet experiences a miraculous recovery? That sounds familiar!
In Jessica Jones, Kilgrave is a villain with the power to control people’s minds. Jessica herself has a history with him, having lived under his power for a period of time, and she’s forced to find him and take him out when he starts controlling other people around the city. The series earned praise for its realistic and unflinching look at PTSD, and Krysten Ritter nailed the role of Jessica.
Jessica Jones is a particularly dark take on the mind control trope. Kilgrave forces people to abandon their children, commit murder, and take their own lives. He tortures people by making them perform acts of self-harm. He uses his power on children, enslaving an entire family when he decides to move into their apartment. The series is extremely well done, and Kilgrave is a morbidly fascinating character, but overall, it can be pretty upsetting to watch.
Do I really want more Kilgrave in the MCU? I’m sure other fans do, and that’s great! But as much as I love David Tennant, I’m not sure I could take more of such a dark character. Punisher? I love him! Wilson Fisk? Hell yeah! Kilgrave? No thank you, I’ll be cowering in the other room.
In any case, there’s no evidence quite yet that Marvel has plans to bring back Kilgrave. Now, Jessica Jones herself—that’s a character I’d love to see more of in the MCU.
(featured image: Disney+)
