The Marvel machine soldiers on today with a new development raising its head in the company’s small-screen universe. With Daredevil season 2 filming in the Big Apple and Jessica Jones primed to follow suit in due time, Deadline brings word that Luke Cage – the third member of the superpowered Defenders group – has recruited Sons of Anarchy star Theo Rossi to be a series regular.
In tandem with the announcement, the outlet also reports that Rosario Dawson is set to reprise her role as Claire Temple for Luke Cage, further strengthening its ties with the remaining parts of the company’s TV quartet. As many fans had already pointed out, Dawson’s Temple is quickly becoming one of the early characters to anchor the Marvel properties, and the fact that the doctor served as a love interest for Cage in the comics could throw up a few interesting story strands for when the series premieres.
It’s all part of Marvel’s grand plan in the build up to the Defenders, given that both Dawson and Mike Colter’s Luke Cage are set to appear – or make their debut – in this fall’s Jessica Jones.
As for Rossi’s involvement, there was no official word on the specifics of his casting, beyond that he is primed to portray Sonny – a codename, of course. Then again, reports point to Rossi’s real character being Shades (aka Alvarez) a notorious criminal who proves to be one of the biggest threats for our hero for hire. Speaking of which, last week brought forth an early, yet-to-be-confirmed plot synopsis for the first season of Marvel’s new kid on the superhero block. Hinting that Willy “Diamondback” Stryker will be instrumental in this origin tale.
Luke Cage is a former gang member who is framed for a crime. In prison, he volunteers for a medical experiment that goes awry, giving him super strength and bulletproof skin. Using his newfound powers, Cage escapes and becomes a hero for hire. His archenemy is Willy Stryker, a former childhood friend from Harlem. The two committed petty crimes together, and both fell for the same woman, Reva Connors, which led to their eventual falling out. It was Stryker who framed Cage for a drug deal that sent him to prison.
Expect to see Mike Colter make his bow as Luke Cage later this year in Jessica Jones, before frontlining his own series in 2016.
