David Tennant cast as baddie in new Marvel Netflix series A.K.A Jessica Jones

The Doctor Who and Broadchurch star will play villain Zebediah Killgrave

David Tennant cast as villain in new Netflix Marvel series (EPA)

You might know him as one of the Doctor Who Time Lords but now, David Tennant is turning his hand to a more sinister role as a villain in Netflix’s new Marvel series.

The Scottish actor, currently starring in Broadchurch series two, will play major baddie Zebediah ‘The Purple Man’ Killgrave in A.K.A Jessica Jones.

In the comic book, international spy Killgrave has the power to control the minds of people he is physically near to and recover from injuries quickly.

It remains to be seen how much Marvel’s series will draw from the original but the official synopsis reads:

“After a tragic ending to her short-lived superhero stint, Jessica Jones (played by Krysten Ritter) is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.

“An enigmatic figure from Jessica’s past, Killgrave’s reappearance will send shockwaves through the former superhero’s world.”

Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg spoke of her excitement at “the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character”.

“He can deliver the most heart-wrenching moment to the driest of lines, and all points in between. He’ll make Killgrave a truly original villain.”

Tennant follows another Doctor Who’s lead, that of Christopher Eccleston, who played a nasty elf in Thor: The Dark World. He is no stranger to US TV, having recently starred in Gracepoint, the state-side remake of Broadchurch.

Netflix will premiere A.K.A Jessica Jones later this year, with a release date yet to be announced. It will run for four 13 episodes series and be the second of the streaming service’s Marvel shows following Daredevil this spring.