The impressive deal struck between Marvel and Netflix last year spawned a whopping five new series slated to arrive over the next several years. The first, Daredevil, drops all of its 13 episodes next week. Next up is AKA Jessica Jones, which is currently shooting in New York. Then we have Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders, which are all in the early stages of development.
The next entry headed into production is third on that list – Luke Cage – and it too is taking its first tentative steps toward our screens with the addition of a showrunner. Variety reports today that Ray Donovan co-executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker has taken on the role of showrunner and executive producer for the street smart superhero series. In addition to those two pivotal roles, Coker will pen the first two scripts of the show, which is set to roll out exclusively on Netflix sometime next year.
Ahead of his own standalone series, Luke Cage will make his small screen Marvel-verse debut on AKA Jessica Jones. Early speculation led to a raft of upcoming actors all vying for the role, but the part eventually went to The Good Wife star Mike Colter. Since his appointment as the Harlem street rat, Colter has supplemented fans with teases concerning the role he will play in Jones, calling Cage “darker, grittier, [and] more tangible than Iron Man or Thor.” Further chatter from the actor goes on to hint at an overall more “adult” tone the show is poised to adopt, which makes Luke Cage’s 2016 release date seem a long, long way off.
