Marvel's third and final season, and while it's sad to see the show go, the latest trailer has got lots to get excited about. Jessica Jones has a history of some seriously evil villains and it seems the final season's big bad will not disappoint. And with the trailer confirming psychopath Greg Salinger, AKA Foolkiller, as this season's nemesis it could be Jessica's toughest fight yet.
As with nearly every Marvel property, the on-screen portrayal is likely to be different from the comics, but here's what you need to know about Foolkiller before the show officially drops.
There's More Than One
In the comics, Salinger is actually the second Foolkiller. While locked up in prison, Salinger hears about Ross G. Everbeast, an Anti-Vietnam activist who took his protests to the next level by killing all those whom he deemed to be a fool, as in anyone who disagreed with them.
It's probably not likely that the TV show will set up two versions of the same character in one season but they may make reference to Everbeast to give Salinger more of a backstory.
He's Played By Jeremy Bobb
Jessica Jones has always got its casting pretty much perfect for every character, and this is certainly true for hiring Jeremy Bobb as Salinger. Bobb was seen earlier this year as Mike Kershaw in Netflix's Russian Doll. A part that just oozed sleaze and arrogance, but not without a certain amount of charm and a dark sense of humor.
With the showrunners confirming that Bobb played an integral part in shaping and forming the character, it's likely the final villain will make for very compelling viewing.
He's An Anti-Hero (Ish)
While unmistakably a villain, in the comics Salinger sees himself more as a vigilante along the lines of The Punisher. Salinger defines his fools as people who lack poetry in their souls.
From the trailer, it's already apparent that this version of Salinger will be a lot darker than this, but from his deliberate targetting of Jessica and saying she "can't control" herself, it seems his crusade is to prove that she is not a hero and that someone like him would have done a better job.
He Used To Be Part Of The Defenders
At one moment in the comics, Salinger actually ed the super-hero crime-fighting team The Defenders before being kicked out. While Salinger made no appearance in The Defenders Netflix show, and with that series not set to return, it is unlikely that this storyline will be used in Jessica Jones.
However, much like Everbeast, we may see some reference to this storyline to explain that Salinger is someone who believes he's acting with good intentions and dig into why he has such a beef with superheroes.
He's Just A Regular Guy
Unlike previous Jessica Jones villains, Greg Salinger traditionally doesn't have any superpowers. This is true in the comics also, with Salinger instead settling for a disintegration gun.
These shows have always been grounded in realism, so the gun may not have much of presence, but that's not to say that some version salvaged from alien tech couldn't make an appearance.
He's Hyper-Intelligent
It's likely that Salinger's main weapon will be his brilliant mind, which is notoriously hard to punch. We hear Jessica say to Trish Walker that "he's smarter than both of us combined," and while that remains to be seen, there's a significant moment in the trailer where he's seen being defended by Jeri Hogarth.
Previous villain Kilgrave managed to turn people on Jessica with the aid of mind-control. By comparison, for Salinger to be able to do it with words alone is an unsettling indication of what he's capable of.
He's A Big Fan Of Spider-Man
Again, not a likely inclusion, given the MCU movies rarely cross over with the TV shows. However, as Salinger is on a mission to prove Jessica is not a hero, it's interesting to know what he values about people.
In the comics, while at ESU, Salinger has Peter Parker as a TA and he's impressed with Peter's science, finding it "poetic." Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg has confirmed that Jessica is offensive to him, so perhaps her punch-first ask-later attitude really gets under his skin.
He's Fought The Hellcat
With season 2 ending with Trish getting powers and the new trailer showing her as her comics alter-ego the Hellcat, this may foreshadow what Salinger's up to in season 3. Melissa Rosenberg has indicated that Salinger will "hamstring Jessica in a way that, she's never been before."
With Jessica seriously lacking in allies, it follows that Salinger could go after any help she has left by directly targetting her best friend, Trish. There is comics precedent for this, as Foolkiller went up against Hellcat in Defenders #75.
"He's Twisted"
Melissa Rosenberg's description of Salinger sounds like he may have a lot in common with Jessica. Just like Jessica, he is a "deeply scarred individual." He also seems obsessed with calling her out as a cheater, suggesting he feels he's in competition with her.
This "twisted" version of Jessica as a villain could be really interesting because, rather than trying to control Jessica like previous enemies, he's on a crusade to prove himself better than her.
He Has A Weakness
Going up against a hyper-intelligent, psychopathic killer may mean that Jessica really has her work cut out for her this season. While there's no giveaway yet how the season will end, Foolkiller was once bested by an old woman who used his own logic against him. Convincing him that his own actions were foolish, Salinger actually turned his own weapon on himself.
Jessica may have to use his own intelligence against him in order to beat him. Whether she twists his logic or outsmarts him, the trailer certainly puts a lot of emphasis on Salinger's brain power. As for how she does it, we'll have to wait and see.
