Sigourney Weaver Talks 'Defenders'

We still don't know much about what to expect when Sigourney Weaver's villainous character makes her first appearance on Marvel's Defenders, but as far as Weaver's concerned, this is one big bad with some extra layers.

Much as Marvel likes to keep details under wraps, fans usually know at least a thing or two about the characters in their shows and movies before they premiere—if only because of the long comics history that's often attached. But Weaver's role, a mysterious figure named Alexandra, wasn't pulled from the comics, which means she had to stay fairly mum when speaking with Nerdist recently about the show. She did, however, allude to her motivations, which—in Weaver's eyes—make Alexandra more than a stock villain.

"I don't do it very often and I never really think of them like that," she said regarding bad guy roles. "To them, it always comes out of something. They can't see things the way the normal person sees them, they're still trying to complete something for themselves."

As for what the character's trying to "complete," we'll obviously have to wait until Defenders debuts to find out. But Weaver also hinted that Alexandra is about more than just tormenting superheroes, calling her a "renaissance woman" with a more complex personality than Marvel viewers might be accustomed to. "I think yes, she has to do these things," mused Weaver. "But she really... she loves life, she loves culture. It's one of the most interesting women characters I've ever read."

The Defenders is scheduled to premiere on Netflix August 18. While we wait, catch up on the team's history with our look at their past in the comics pages.