Marvel's 'The Defenders' adds Sigourney Weaver as the villain

Sigourney Weaver will be joining the cast of Marvel's "The Defenders." (Reuters)

During the panel for Marvel's Iron Fist at New York Comic Con on Saturday, Marvel Head of TV Jeph Loeb announced a huge addition to the cast of the upcoming team-up series
The Defenders" -- When Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil and Iron First join forces, it will be to fight Sigourney Weaver. The iconic star of the "Alien" franchise will be joining the series as the main antagonist.

The character Weaver will be playing was not announced, nor was a release date for "The Defenders," which has not yet started production. But the panel also marked the first time all four Defenders -- Mike Colter, Krysten Ritter, Charlie Cox and Finn Jones -- appeared together public. Toward the end of the panel -- which also featured appearances by the cast of "Iron Fist" and The Punisher's Jon Bernthal, who announced that the also-present Deborah Ann Woll will reprise her "Daredevil" character Karen Page on the upcoming spin-off -- Finn Jones asked Loeb, "Can I bring out some friends?" Then Colter, Ritter and Cox came out onstage, and the Comic Con audience screamed in excitement for more than a minute. It probably rivaled The Walking Dead panel -- going on at the same time a few blocks away at Madison Square Garden -- for unbridled enthusiasm.

Then the already-peaking energy was ratcheted up even higher when Weaver came out.

Catch up on all the latest news from New York Comic Con

The first Iron Fist trailer was released during the panel. Some Comic Con-exclusive clips were screened, and Rosario Dawson's involvement was confirmed -- Claire Temple will show up in all four series.

"Marvel's Iron Fist" premieres Friday, March 17 on Netflix.