Krysten Ritter decided to hold onto Jessica Jones’s black leather jacket when the show ended several years ago.
“I just had a feeling that I’m going to want this and it came in pretty handy that I kept it,” Ritter said. “I kept it as an affinity for the character and a love of the most perfect jacket to ever exist.”
Ritter wears the jacket again as she returns to screens as Jones, the sarcastic, burdened antihero who made her anticipated appearance in the latest episode of the second season of “Daredevil: Born Again,” which is now streaming on Disney+. It is a reunion between Ritter and Charlie Cox, whose Daredevil was part of the batch of Marvel superheroes whose Netflix shows were known for their street-level, New York-centric grittiness.
Cox occasionally appeared as Daredevil within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe between the show’s 2018 cancellation and last year’s revival. For Ritter, it marks her first time as Jones since the end of “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” her starring vehicle that premiered in 2015 and resonated during the #MeToo era.
Ritter talked about returning to the character and what the future may have in store for her. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
What were your initial impressions of returning to Jessica Jones after such a long time away from her?
It was as if no time had passed. It was wild. I got to my costume fitting and we did an updated version of the iconic head-to-toe look and it was so exciting and so fun. And as soon as I got the whole look on, it just fell back into place. It was like, “Oh, there she is.” And then, we were looking out at Greenpoint [Brooklyn, a “Daredevil” filming location], which is where we shot all of our original shows and the view was the same. I looked over and Charlie looks the same and I looked down and I look the same. It was interesting to see just how deeply the character was in my cells.
How long did you have to keep her return a secret?
For so long. I knew it was happening for almost two years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked, “Is Jessica coming back? We’ve got to see Jessica.” And I would just get a little creative on how to answer that and dodge that question because we really wanted to preserve the surprise.
What’s the most creative excuse you’ve had to give?
At one point, when I was coming to New York to do “Dexter,” everybody really thought I was there to do “Daredevil,” which I was — just not quite yet. I posted on my Instagram stories with the New York skyline and everybody goes crazy and then they announced five seconds later that I was in “Dexter,” so that really threw people off the trail. I’m like, “No, I’m here for ‘Dexter.’” But as soon as I finish “Dexter,” I’m walking right onto the “Daredevil” set.
It’s been about seven years since Jessica Jones appeared within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What does that time gap look for Jessica?
Jessica is in a different place and has evolved and has a new level of fierceness and confidence. It was exciting for me to have an additional layer to play. Jessica is obviously one of the most layered characters ever with the richest back story. The thing that I love with Jessica is to dig even deeper and explore her even further which is just candy to me as a performer.
Especially in that first season, Jessica’s character is defined by the exploration of female agency. Do you feel a pressure to continue that type of legacy for your character?
I’m very protective of her. I think what Jessica means to so many people and what we did was very good and the bar there is very high. She is a part of me. I just want to make sure that the character is satisfying for me and for the fans.
How has your chemistry with Charlie Cox evolved from the first run to now?
We’ve always loved playing opposite each other. It’s like tennis, and he’s so great that you know you’re only as good as your scene partner, and him and I together, it just works. I just adore him. His wife is one of my best friends. We had our sons around the same time. We’ve just been through huge life events together.
“Jessica Jones” was known for its prestige and dramatic feel. How will the character look being brought into the more expansive world of the current M.C.U.?
In the original show, it was very dramatic and very story driven and there was a lot of opportunities to do big, deep emotional work. But I always had moments of levity and comedy and I think that that side of Jessica allows her to be so multifaceted and can show up everywhere.
Are there any specific characters in the wider M.C.U. that you think Jessica should share a scene with?
I’ve always joked that maybe Jessica could have a 10-minute scene with Jon Bernthal, with “The Punisher.” I think that they would get along in their weird way. They’re both kind of cut from the same cloth.
Jonathan Abrams is a Times reporter who writes about the intersections of sports and culture and the changing cultural scenes in the South.
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