We’re more used to thinking of David Tennant as a perky, occasionally conflicted Time Lord or a world-weary police officer working in a small town. But Marvel has decided to channel his villainous side, casting the actor as The Purple Man in Netflix series A.K.A. Jessica Jones.
The series, which will star Krysten Ritter, finds Jones still picking up the pieces after a short-lived stint as a superhero. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after using her powers, she decides to leave the life behind. But she doesn’t entirely forsake her past: she opens up a detective agency, which tackles cases for both ordinary people and superheroes.
Tennant is playing Yugoslavian-born Zebediah Kilgrave (spelled "Killgrave" in the comics, but with just the one 'L' in the show), who becomes The Purple Man in the comics when he’s accidentally exposed to an experimental nerve gas. He survives, but his hair and skin are left permanently dyed purple. Kilgrave also walks away with newfound powers, able to use mind control. His story intertwines with Jessica’s when he’s able to turn her into his puppet for a while, and the experience is partly why she gives up her heroic mission. How much of the backstory will transfer to the series remains to be seen – like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company’s TV incarnations have a habit of tweaking concepts. But we’d wager Tennant will have to spend some time being sprayed purple...
A.K.A. Jessica Jones, which is the second of the series to be developed by Marvel and Netflix, will follow Daredevil into production and is planned to hit the streaming series later this year. Daredevil arrives on April 10.