During the 2016 New York Comic Con, Marvel Television head Jeph Loeb announced that Sigourney Weaver would be playing the main villain in the "The Defenders" television series. The actress, who has a cult following, is known for her role in the "Alien" franchise and as Ripley in "Ghostbusters".
"Marvel is honored to have an actress of her caliber and status join what is already our biggest show ever! She is by definition a class act," said Jeph Loeb
"Sigourney Weaver, what more is there to say," added Cindy Holland, Vice President of original content at Netflix. "She's a formidable actress and we are thrilled to have her join our remarkable cast alongside Charlie, Krysten, Mike and Finn."
According to Polygon, however, it is not yet clear as to who Weaver is playing in "The Defenders". But the only definite information so far is that Weaver's role will be the main villain, fighting Marvel characters namely Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and the Daredevil.
The uncertainty of Weaver's possible character did not stop many fans to speculate. In a report by The Mary Sue, multiple people are suggesting that Weaver could be playing "The Beast," a primordial demon lord who has served as a villain to Daredevil and Iron Fist in the past. But there were doubts as to the veracity of such theory since "The Beast" is normally characterized as male.
On the other hand, Comic Book Movie enumerated the six possible characters Weaver could be playing in the new Netflix series. Aside from "The Beast", she could probably take the role of the robotic "Silvermane".
Another character speculated is the CEO of a highly secretive paramilitary group specializing in improving the performance of its soldiers with the aid of Combat Enhancers called IGH. The corporation is tied to Jessica Jones origins, as well as that of Luke Cage, which makes it highly probable that the company is going to play a big role in this corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe somewhere down the line.
Fans are also considering the character of Mephisto, the demonic villain who, like most of the above-mentioned are male in source materials. To round up the considered characters are Sister Maggie from "Daredevil" and HYDRA's Viper. The latter is a popular one, as it has already appeared in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" film.