The collaborative deal struck between Marvel and Netflix will result in five brand new shows; Daredevil, AKA Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and team-up miniseries, The Defenders. First out of the gate is Daredevil, poised to hit Netflix in April, followed sometime later this year by AKA Jessica Jones. The latter of that pair will also introduce the leading man from its successive show – Luke Cage.
While there’s still a ways to go before we see Mike Colter suited up to tackle the role of Cage, that hasn’t stopped him from discussing what’s in store. Based on his responses in his recent interview with IGN (via CBM), his solo series will share a common theme with Daredevil: it’ll be gritty.
“It’s geared towards an adult audience, which is something that will be different from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that you’ve seen before on the big screen,” says Colter, who conducted the interview while promoting the home video release of Halo: Nightfall. “I’m excited about playing the character because I’ve read the comic books. They’re very detailed, gritty; the world they’ve written in the comic books is very clear. Marvel does a fantastic job about bringing human stories – because you’re telling big stories with a heart at the centre of it – and that’s what connects all of the characters to our audience members.”
With Daredevil set to air next month and AKA Jessica Jones entering production, the time until we finally see Cage in the spotlight is quite a way into the future. However, that gap has done nothing to tamper Colter’s enthusiasm, as he goes on to explain his reasons for committing to the show, and what specifically about the character and tone drew him in:
“What I’m most excited about is touching on what makes him tick. It feels good to get a character that has such a story, background, and history. And when I look at the scripts, I’m really pleased with it because it’s a slow-burn; there’s nothing happening really fast that gets ahead of itself. I’m really with where they’re taking it and how they’re developing the characters, because it’s really cool and it’s geared towards an adult audience, which is something that will be different from the Marvel Cinematic Universe you’ve seen before on the big screen.”
“We have a more gritty, focused story on our heroes and characters that live in New York City, but it’s geared towards a more adult audience and I think that’s the thing about the series that will be different.”
The word ‘gritty’ is thrown around with increasing regularity at the minute. Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight discussed that show with the same descriptor, claiming its content brushes up against an R-rating and is ‘much more geared toward adults.’ Overall, it sounds like Marvel’s coalition with Netflix has afforded the content and its developers a wider range of creative freedom.
Luke Cage is expected to arrive sometime next year.
