Netflix and Marvel have unveiled the first clip from the highly anticipated new seriesLuke Cage. The show is the third collaboration between Marvel and Netflix, following in the footsteps ofDaredevilandJessica Jones, and serving as a precursor to 2017’sIron Fist, which then will lead to theAvengers-style team-up miniseriesThe Defendersthat brings all of these characters together in one show.
In this brief clip, we seeMike Colter’s Luke Cage waltz into a boxing gym and proceed to kick ass and take names. But the clip also hints towards one major downside of being bulletproof: constantly having to buy new clothes. One imagines Cage’s shopping budget is quite hefty as it’s not like he can just walk around with bullet holes in all of his shirts.
The series picks up after the events ofJessica Jones, where we first saw Cage striking up a brief relationship withKrysten Ritter’s similarly strong superhero. In his own series, Cage returns home to Harlem, where he must confront his past and battleHouse of CardsalumMahershala Ali’s villainous Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes. Through flashbacks we’ll learn Cage’s origin story, but showrunnerCheo Hodari Cokerhas not been shy about the fact that the serieswill lean heavily into Luke Cage’s blackness.
Indeed, while fans seem to get a bit huffy when film iterations of comics characters differ from their canon appearance, with Luke Cage the character’s race is actually a fundamental part of who he is (unlike, say,Spider-Man’s Mary Jane). Thus, Coker here is offering up not just another street-level superhero story, but one from a decidedly African-American point of view just asJessica Joneswas told from a female’s perspective. This is a smart move on Marvel’s part as it ensures that its Netflix shows aren’t simply repeating each other—they’ll each have a very strong (and different) point of view.
Check out the firstLuke Cageclip below. The series also starsAlfre Woodard,Simone Missick,Theo Rassi,Frank Whaley, andRosario Dawson. All episodes ofMarvel’s Luke Cagedebut on Netflix on September 30th.
