The actress explains how [SPOILER] makes JJ “bigger and badder.”

Krysten Ritter on her Daredevil: Born Again return, ‘some talk’ of a season 1 debut, and Jessica Jones’ life off screen

The actress explains how [SPOILER] makes JJ "bigger and badder."

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in Vanity Fair, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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April 22, 2026 8:00 a.m. ET

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Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones on 'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2. Credit:

Jojo Whilden/Marvel

- Krysten Ritter discusses her *Daredevil: Born Again* return as Jessica Jones and channeling that "mamma bear" side of her.

- The actress says there was "some talk" of coming aboard for season 1: "It's like two-and-a-half years ago that we first started hearing a whiff about it."

- Ritter dodges questions about those spoiler-y season 3 set photos.

**Warning: This article contains spoilers from *Daredevil: Born Again* season 2, episode 6, "Requiem."**

Jessica Jones is officially back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and lot has happened to the boozehound brawler of Hell's Kitchen.

Krysten Ritter arrives as the fan-favorite private investigator with super strength in the sixth episode of *Daredevil: Born Again* season 2. In the years since the actress' run as the character on the original Netflix dramas, Jessica had a daughter with Luke Cage named Danielle, whose birth left her powers glitchy. They drop out seemingly at random, often in moments of need — like when she's bashing in Fisk's task force agents at a warehouse.

With Cage off somewhere on a mission for Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard) and an attack on her home that leaves her child open to peril, the strongwoman joins her old pal Daredevil (Charlie Cox) in the fight against Mayor Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio).

Ritter speaks with ** about it all, including how there was "some talk" about a season 1 appearance before she joined the season 2 cast.

Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones on 'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2.

Jojo Whilden/Marvel

**: Are you still in production [on season 3] or are you on a break?**

**KRYSTEN RITTER:** Um...I don't know if I'm allowed to say that.

**Fair. Well, then let's go back to the start of this *Born Again* process for you. You said in the past that this has been in the works for a long time. Do you remember about when you were first approached?**

There was some talk about me appearing in the first season. I think it's like two-and-a-half years ago that we first started hearing a whiff about it. So I was so excited. They were bringing back a lot of characters and I was like, *I wonder if I could bring back Jessica. I have everything ready. I'll be ready.* And then, lucky for me, they did bring Jessica back and I'm so thrilled. I kept the secret for a long time. I was asked about it constantly, and I just had to come up with new excuses and, I don't know, cute responses.

Then when I knew I was coming back for season 2, I was also filming *Dexter*[*: Resurrection*] at the same time. So that was a fun little diversion because when I got to New York, everybody assumed I was doing *Daredevil* and it really was a great way to throw everybody off the track. Little did they know I'd be going straight from *Dexter* to *Daredevil*.

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**It also must be a unique experience to have every single one of your Instagrams scrutinized. Like, "Is she secretly teasing Jessica Jones with this gym selfie?"**

I know, but I was never, ever, ever teasing anything, but it is crazy. Anything I post is like, "There's a deeper meaning behind it." I'm just staying in rockstar shape, but I do train a little harder when we're getting ready for superhero stuff, obviously.

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) on 'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2.

Jojo Whilden/Marvel

**How would you describe the limbo period between the end of the Netflix shows and when you found out that you were coming back as Jessica Jones? Was there a moment when you thought this wouldn't happen, that Marvel had completely moved on? Did you all secretly hold out hope that you could be back as the characters one day?**

I feel like I did always feel like there would be another opportunity to reprise the role because the character is so great and so loved that the fans were really clamoring for her to come back. I always felt like there was more story to tell. The character is so rich, there's so much backstory, there's so much to pull from, there's so much in the comics that we didn't explore.

**And you said you still have Jessica's leather jacket from the Netflix show, right?**

Oh yeah. I was ready to rock! I had the jacket and the gloves and the boots. They were hanging in my closet, just ready and waiting — and maybe working their magic from the back of my closet. When we were gearing up to start, I sent everything to Emily Gunshor, the costume designer, so we could rebuild everything and update it.

**How much did you think about or even actively discuss with Dario [Scardapane, showrunner] and everybody that history with Jessica that happened off screen before the events of *Born Again* season 2?**

When I first had my initial comeback meeting with Marvel, we sat at the big table and they asked me, What did I want to explore? What about the character really inspires me to wanna come back? I always thought the fact that she has a kid is a really interesting, exciting character development. As a mom myself, I just thought what an amazing opportunity for Jessica to have, just even more layers and more to play. For someone like Jessica who doesn't have a family and she's a loner in the world, to give her the gift of a child and what a healing experience and transformative experience that could be for her was very, very exciting to me.

**How would you describe that particular layer that you get to explore with this character now that Danielle is in the picture?**

It allows Jessica to really step into her fierceness and her strength, in a way, and give her a real solid grounding in the world. Jessica was always kind of reluctant and has a lot of conflicting feelings about her powers and a contempt for them. She never wanted to punch people. She didn't want to use her powers because of how she got them. I think when you give her a child, there's a fierceness, a mama bear that comes out and gives her real strength and power. That's the coolest part for me, as a mom myself. To be bigger and badder than ever as a result of having a child is really exciting.

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) on 'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2.

Courtesy of Marvel Television

**We also have this added detail about how Jessica's power will drop out randomly. A lot of the time she would just run into battle because she didn't really have any fear in that regard. So was that added detail a big touchstone for you in wrapping your head around where Jessica is now?**

Yeah. After you have a kid, a lot changes. You go through so much. It's like a caterpillar experience. Having the metaphor of her powers going in and out, like, "Who am I? Where is this going?" and then ultimately feeling bigger and badder than ever is a really interesting character journey.

**Dario and Charlie mentioned all the banter you and Charlie had on *The Defenders* miniseries way back when and wanting to bring that back. When did you realize that the fans were responding to the characters of Jessica and Matt Murdock specifically?**

I think that was luck. In *Defenders*, Charlie and I had great banter and our scenes together really worked. They crackled and popped. Him and I have a similar working style. We're very close in real life, and we just adore each other. I think that translates on screen. We would improvise or do a take where you try something new. All of it would end up in the show. I think that was just a natural actor chemistry that we got to bring to the screen and build off of.

**What for you felt like the meatiest material between you and Charlie on *Born Again*?**

In episode 6 when we first reconnect and see each other, they have a shared history together, the same way Charlie and I do in real life. There's a real respect and an admiration for each other. I always love any opportunity when we get to connect and there are stakes, but then there's also some levity and comedy.

**I do wanna ask about some of ****the set photos**** that we've seen come out recently from the paparazzi of you and Mike Colter and Finn Jones on [the season 3] set.**

I'm not gonna comment on those. I think Marvel should announce whatever. I'm just not gonna. I don't know about them! I don't think I was there! [*Laughs*]

*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.*

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