10 Questions We Have After Watching Marvel’s Luke Cage

Now that we’ve all seen Luke Cage (and if you haven’t, what are you doing here?), we know that it was another high-quality production from Marvel’s Netflix arm. A real treat for the fans, it had some great characters and a hefty dollop of social commentary on the side to boot. What's great about these shows is that they manage to be great standalone pieces and form part of a wider whole. On the one hand, Luke Cage has a tone and style all of its own. And yet it also has an eye on the bigger picture, moving all the pieces closer to team-up series The Defenders (which, as you may know by now, will see Power Man join forces with Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist to save New York). As such, we have many questions left unanswered at the end of season one that will keep us busy until the next time we see Mike Colter’s bulletproof hero (whenever that may be). Read on then to see what we were left asking ourselves as the credits rolled on Marvel and Netflix's Luke Cage. 10) Will Diamondback Get Luke’s Powers? At the end of the finale, Willis Stryker AKA Diamondback was seen lying in a hospital bed, heavily beaten after his big showdown with Luke. However, we briefly saw Dr. Noah Burstein – the man who gave Luke his powers – suspiciously paying the villain a visit. Does this mean that Diamondback will find himself with Luke-like abilities in season 2? We're going to go out on a limb and say that, yes, this is absolutely what this means. First of all, we know that Luke is the only successful recipient of Burstein’s experiments, so it is presumably something to do with his genetic make-up. Naturally, the scientist would try and recreate that success with Luke’s own brother. Plus, it will give Diamondback everything he has ever wanted – to match Luke, who he has been stuck in the shadow of all his life. The real question is what role Diamondback will fill in season 2. With superpowers, he would be tough enough to be the big bad again, but they may want a fresh character to take that position next time around. 9) When Will Luke Get Out Of Seagate? Another shocker of the finale was that, while Mariah Dillard got away with her crimes scot-free, Luke himself got sent back to Seagate Prison to serve out the rest of his sentence. But come on, he’s the hero of the show. He can’t stay in prison for too long, can he? Well, no, we wouldn’t think so. Especially because Bobby Fish was shown finding Shades’ file on how Carl Lucas was framed by Willis Stryker - the evidence Luke needs to clear his name. Plus, Claire is putting him in touch with a “really good lawyer” she knows (everybody always forgets about Foggy). In reality, this is probably a move by the writers to keep Luke off the table until the character is next called to appear. Presumably, this will be in The Defenders. Maybe Nelson & Murdock will get Luke out of prison, which is how Luke and Daredevil first come into contact? Alternatively, maybe the other heroes will stage a daring prison break to get him out when they realize they need Luke to help them. Either would work, and only time will tell how the studio decides to have it all play out. 8) What Will Become Of Pop’s Barber Shop? At the start of Luke Cage, Pop’s Barber Shop was Harlem’s 'Switzerland' – a safe haven from the gang wars going on in the rest of the town. Something even respected by Cottonmouth. After Pop was gunned down by Tone and Shades, however, that was all over. Throughout the rest of the season, Luke and Fish try to renovate it and keep it running. By the end, though, they've realized that keeping it as a barber shop is a bad idea and it needs to be used as something else. So, what will Pop’s become next? It could be used as Luke Cage’s base of operations, if he ever decides to turn his heroism into a business (more on that later). Or, and here’s our preferred option, maybe it will become the Defenders headquarters when they all eventually get together? Where else are they going to go? In terms of places with an emotional connection to why they become heroes, the only other option is Fogwell’s Gym from Daredevil. 7) Will Luke Ever Become A Hero For Hire? In the comics, Luke Cage aka Power Man is most known as a self-styled Hero for Hire – unlike most comic book heroes, Luke charges his clients to save their hides and stop the bad guys. Hey, even super-powered people need to earn a living. Especially those who have to keep buying new clothes because their skin is bulletproof. In the series, Luke is repeatedly told that he could make a lot of money by hiring himself out as protection. Every time, however, he refuses – presumably because he doesn’t believe in making those in need pay for it. That’s all well and good, but it would be strange to have an adaptation of Luke Cage not adapt one of the core facets of the character on the page. Perhaps when Luke gets out of Seagate in season 2, he'll realize that he needs to earn a living and decide to take up the offer of becoming a hero for hire. He shouldn't feel bad about it either, as it's not that far from what Jessica Jones is doing as a private investigator. 6) Will Misty Be A Vigilante In The Defenders? Another character who was significantly changed for the TV show is Misty Knight. In the comics, Misty is a private eye slash kung fu master who has a bionic arm (supplied by Tony Stark). On screen, Misty is a regular detective who's good at basketball rather than martial arts and definitely doesn’t have a metal arm. The last time we see Misty, however, she sports a very similar look to her comics counterpart – with afro hair and a red dress. Putting this together with her growing lack of faith in the system, it seems likely that Misty will turn vigilante soon. But will she have already crossed that bridge by the time we next see her, or will this be a further story arc? Considering that her next appearance will presumably be The Defenders (unless she turns up in Iron Fist), this might be a tall ask. So much time will be dedicated to the four heroes that the show presumably won’t have a lot of time to give Misty her own character arc. 5) Will Claire Partner With Colleen Wing? At the end of the season, after she and Luke failed to “get coffee,” Claire is seen signing up to a martial arts class taught by a certain Colleen Wing. As we know that Colleen will appear in Iron Fist, as played by Jessica Henwick, this serves as a heads-up that Claire will turn up in that show, too. It’s hardly surprising, of course, as Claire has been the link between all four Defenders series so far. However, that moment could have bigger implications. In the comics, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing are best friends and form the Knightwing Detective Agency. The pair are otherwise known as the Daughters of the Dragon for their kung fu prowess. Seeing as Misty and Colleen don’t seem to be connected in the MCU, this could mean that Claire could take her place as Colleen’s friend and potential partner in crime-fighting. This might be a bit of a turnaround for the former nurse, but you can’t blame her for wanting to hone her fighting skills. She does know a lot of superheroes, after all. 4) What's The Truth About Reva? Luke Cage’s deceased wife Reva Connors is far more than just a plot device to fuel his tragic backstory – she seems to be at the centre of a sprawling conspiracy that encompasses at least Jessica Jones and Luke Cage and possibly the other Defenders shows as well. In JJ, we learnt that Reva had a flash drive containing information on Kilgrave’s origins, which resulted in her death at the hands of a Kilgrave-controlled Jessica. In Luke Cage, we find out that Reva had the drive due to her connection to Dr. Burstein. She was using her position as Seagate’s psychologist to recommend perfect patients for his experiments. This suggests that Reva wasn’t as innocent as once thought and that, though she surely loved Luke, she lied to him from the start. It’s enough to sour Luke’s love for her and he begins to move on. But what was Reva really up to? Does she have something about every Defender on that flash drive? And, speaking of which, does she know who's behind Burstein’s experiments? 3) Is IGH Behind Dr. Burstein’s Experiments? Though he saved Luke’s life at the request of Reva and then again when Diamondback shot him, Dr. Noah Burstein is definitely not to be trusted. In Luke Cage, we see him recover the info on Reva's flash drive and set to work on Stryker. It’s all pretty sinister, and reminds us of some other individuals who like creating superheroes. In Jessica Jones, we find out that a mysterious organization known as IGH is behind both the treatment that gave Jessica her powers and the red, white and blue pills that fuel Will ‘Nuke’ Simpson. Seeing as the shows are all connected – and Luke and Reva appeared in both – it only stands to reason that IGH were also behind the experiments on Luke, as well. Not that that gets us any closer to working out what IGH – or whoever they really are – are hoping to get from these experiments. Or, more pertinently, when exactly we will find out. Will it be Luke Cage season 2, Jessica Jones season 2 or possible even The Defenders? 2) When Are The Netflix Shows Set? It’s not specific to Luke Cage, but all the references to The Incident (AKA the Chitauri invasion seen in The Avengers) got us thinking about when these Netflix shows are set within the wider scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Clearly, they're all taking place soon after one another. At the beginning of Luke Cage, for instance, Luke has only recently come to Pop after leaving Hell’s Kitchen. Throughout any of these series, however, no one has referenced any other seismic event that occurred after The Incident (e.g. Sokovia, Greenwich or the Accords). It's a theory held by many fans, then, that the Netflix shows are all set in between The Avengers and the start of Marvel’s Phase Two (or at least, sometime within that Phase). This would explain why New York is still reeling from the alien invasion and why things like the superhero registration act have never been discussed. It would also account for why it's so difficult for the TV characters to cross over with the movies. 1) When Will Season 2 Arrive? The question we want to know the answer to the most, however, is when Luke Cage season 2 will arrive. Though Netflix have not officially confirmed a return, Marvel are clearly quite confident that it will get one, what with all the loose ends that season 1’s finale leaves open. On the downside, it might not be for a while yet. Currently, Marvel are releasing two seasons on Netflix a year. In 2017, these will be Iron Fist and The Defenders. In 2018, even if they bump it up to three a year, they already have Daredevil season 3, Jessica Jones season 2 and The Punisher spinoff to deal with first. It seems likely, then, that a second run for Luke Cage won’t arrive until at least 2019. Sweet Christmas, that’s a long time off! Knowing the interconnectivity of the series, though, Luke himself may well appear many times before then – certainly in The Defenders and quite possibly in Jessica Jones and Iron Fist as well (the duo are best friends in the comics). However long it takes, rest assured – Luke Cage will return.