After they’ve each tried to pave their own way as heroes, Daredevil, aka Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist, aka Danny Rand (Finn Jones), finally crossed paths and had to work together in Marvel’s The Defenders, in order to save New York City. Having been burdened with their own personal challenges and a desire to keep their loved ones safe, they reluctantly realized that they might actually be stronger fighting evil together.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, actor Finn Jones talked about what it’s meant to him to be a part of the Marvel universe, all of the pinch me moments, how being a part of The Defenders changed his perspective on his character, why it was a relief for the actors and characters to be able to team up with each other, why Danny Rand and Luke Cage develop a soft spot for each other, whether Danny will always retain his optimism, and looking forward to Season 2 of Iron Fist.

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Image via Netflix

Collider: What has it meant to you to be a part of the Marvel universe, playing Iron Fist? Do you still have pinch me moments?

FINN JONES: Yeah, all the time! My life has completely changed. I’m now living in New York. I lived in London, and I completely uprooted my life and moved countries, which is probably the biggest change in my life. I’m always having pinch me moments. Just driving around New York and living here, I’m like “What the fuck am I doing here?! How did I end up living in New York? This is awesome!” And then, being on the show and playing this role, the thing I love about Danny the most is that he’s not a perfect character and he’s not fully formed, so I can really grow with this character, over the years. As an actor, that’s a really fun thing to do, to have a character that you can really mold over time. I’m really grateful to be a part of this show, for that reason.

As an actor, getting a job like Game of Thrones must be a dream because of the quality of the production, the cast and crew, and the scripts and work you get to do. As a result, I would imagine that figuring out what to do when that project ended for you must have been a bit scary, but then you landed this role. Have you had any time to reflect on how cool that is, not just to go from one amazing project to the next amazing project, but to also have them be so vastly different from each other?

JONES: You know what? To be honest, you just gave me chills, saying that. I haven’t had time to really fully understand the weight of it, and I don’t think I will until I properly get time to take a step back. I shot Game of Thrones for six years, and then on the last day of shooting Game of Thrones, I was in the airport going home and doing that thing thinking, “Okay, it’s the first time in six years that I’m going to be unemployed. It’s make or break time now. I’m either going to do something really amazing in my career, or I’m not.” It was a little bit scary! I was at the airport, thinking those thoughts and getting ready for the next chapter of my life, and then an email came through for the audition for Iron Fist, that very day. Within three months, I was shooting Iron Fist. From shooting Iron Fist to now, I haven’t stopped. I did Iron Fist, straight into The Defenders, straight into a promo tour for Iron Fist, straight into a promo tour for The Defenders, and now I’m back to go straight into Iron Fist Season 2. I’m constantly having these pinch me moments. I’m constantly in the tornado and whirlwind of it all. I am very grateful, and I’m always taking stock and trying to get my head around it all. I think it’s going to be when I’m much, much older that I take a look back and realize how lucky I’ve been.

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Image via Netflix

Did getting to be a part of The Defenders and seeing the other actors bringing their characters to life change your perspective on your character or on your place in the larger Marvel world?

JONES: Yeah. I think it’s integral for Danny’s growth and in his pursuit of becoming Iron Fist that he has to meet these other heroes. Towards the end of Season 1 of Iron Fist, Danny didn’t even know what a superhero was. He’d had a great deal of trauma. He had a very tough upbringing, he’d just come back to New York, he’d been deserted by his friends, he had this huge responsibility of the Iron Fist that he didn’t now what to do with, he’d just inherited this massive billion dollar company, and he was failing. He was failing hard, and he didn’t know what to do with his life or his emotions. Now with The Defenders, he’s still failing, but he’s a little bit more driven because of the guilt, which is behind him, and he’s still in turmoil. It’s when he meets these other three people with abilities that he starts to understand himself and his situation, a lot more clearly. By meeting these three other heroes, in them, he sees people with abilities, but he also sees people with huge flaws and problems of their own, and they’re all able to keep it in check. They’re able to go about their lives with purpose and take their responsibility seriously. I think by the end of The Defenders, Danny is really inspired by these other three people and he’s really grounded by these other three people. By meeting them, they allow him to become the hero he was destined to be.

Obviously, with a series like The Defenders, everyone wants to see Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist to cross paths with each other and fight together. What was it like for you, personally, the first time you guys shot a scene together, but also the first time you shot a big fight scene together?

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Image via Netflix

JONES: It was a relief. Shooting one of these shows is a big responsibility. Sometimes when you’re shooting your individual shows, you can feel like you’re just one man against the world, as these superheroes do. When we finally all met and got together, I think we felt this relief that there are other people that can share the same experiences that we have individually had, whether that be our success or that be our short-comings, our frustrations or our struggles with our own individual shows. It was a cathartic experience when we first all met up, and I think the characters feel the same way. These characters have always been lone wolves, and for the most part, they’re cool with that. They’ve got this long wolf exterior to protect themselves, but deep down, all these characters want is to be relatable and to have someone understand them. It was really nice, for the characters and for the actors, to finally come together and realize that we’re all not alone in this, and we can all call on each other for help, guidance and support, and also just to shoot the shit and have a good time. So, I guess cathartic is the best way to describe it.

There’s a really fun odd couple dynamic between Danny Rand and Luke Cage. What do you enjoy about playing how very different they are, and why do you think they develop a soft spot for each other?

JONES: The great thing about the relationship between the two characters is that it’s incredibly relevant. It’s a relationship that’s needed on screen right now. They come from very different backgrounds and they have very different points of view, but despite all of it, they’re able to find a common ground and actually become very good friends. I think that’s a very relevant relationship that we need on screen, at the moment. I think the reason why Danny and Luke are able to become such good friends and really relate to each other is that, despite their differences, deep down, they see the trauma in each other, they see the struggle, and they see the vulnerability. I think it’s the vulnerability that is the key. As an actor, as Danny, when I look into Luke’s eyes, I see his vulnerability amid all of his strength, and I relate that to my own vulnerability in my strength. We both of these abilities and we’re both considered by our outside world as strong heroes or people, but we are also both vulnerable and we both understand that in each other. Despite our differences, because of that, we’re actually able to work together and find a really strong friendship.

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Image via Sarah Shatz/Netflix

How cool was it to have Sigourney Weaver playing the villain that requires these four superheroes to team up to stop her?

JONES: She’s killer! She just has a presence like no other person. That was one of the great things about having Sigourney Weaver come onto the show. There’s four very formidable superheroes, and we had to find a villain to stand up to us all, where you could feel the power in that one person. Who better to play a role like that than Sigourney Weaver? She’s magical.

Danny was pretty naive and innocent in Iron Fist, as he was learning how to regain footing in the world. Do you think he’ll always retain some of that?

JONES: I think the wonderful thing about Danny, and the thing that sets him apart from all of the other heroes in the Marvel world, is that he has this eternal strength and spirit of optimism. He’s eternally optimistic, and Danny is never going to lose that. However, he is also incredibly naive. With baby optimism comes naivete. What we see with Danny moving through The Defenders, is that he starts to shed that naivete. He’s always going to retain that optimism, but he’s starting to shed that naivete. He’s becoming a bit more grown up, a bit more grounded, and a bit more pragmatic with his optimism.

It’s particularly amusing to watch Danny say, “I am the immortal Iron Fist,” to three other heroes that just don’t care because they all have their own abilities.

JONES: Yeah, they’re like, “What the fuck are you talking about?!” Danny has got to stop saying that. He’s got to realize that he is not the immortal Iron Fist. He is the holder of the Iron Fist. He is just channeling the Iron Fist, in this very moment. I think that’s one of Danny’s realizations, as he gets older. This mantle that he has isn’t him. He is the holder of it. I think moving forward, what would be nice to see is Danny having that realization, just to further the growth of that power and responsibility.

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Image via Netflix

Now that you’ve done the first season of Iron Fist, where we got to learn all about Danny’s background and how he was shaped into who he is now, and you’ve gotten to see him in action in The Defenders, what are you most looking forward to with Season 2 of Iron Fist?

JONES: We’ve got a new showrunner on board, Raven Metzner, and I’ve had some really, really inspiring and exciting conversations with him. He really understands the character and he’s really enthusiastic about the character. I can’t really say too much about the direction that we’re going in, but it’s exciting. I can’t say anything ‘cause I know anything I say is just going to get blown into a headline. I have to be really careful with what I say, so I’m not going to say anything. I’m really excited. I’m really excited about Raven coming on board. It’s really given me a new energy, for moving forward. It’s going to be a great season.

The Defenders is streaming on Netflix.

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Image via Marvel