It is certainly the case that Luke Cage has been a giant success story for Netflix in the relatively short time that it has been streaming on the platform. The latest part of the service’s Defenders series has received widespread acclaim by audiences and critics alike, but showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker has revealed on social media that the studio’s latest small screen effort could have ended very differently, as he had a plan to approach a certain artist and ask him to appear.
Coker explained that he had intended to use the recurring motif of Pop’s swear jar to entice the late and legendary Prince to perform during the final episode of the series.
“The “Swear Jar” was for Prince. I was going to show him the first two episodes and convince him to play in episode 13.”
Evidently, the hook was to be the famous anecdote about Prince’s own swear jar, which he reportedly regularly enforced the use of in his own home, as a result of his personal religious beliefs. Presumably, Prince would have been asked to appear as an act on stage at Harlem’s Paradise – another recurring motif in the drama.
Whether or not Prince would have been amenable to such an offer will never be known, since he sadly passed away on April 21st, 2016. We can wonder, though, what musical treasure the icon might have come up with as a part of that season finale. The idea of Prince coming up with something entirely brand new, inspired by Luke Cage is at once tantalizing and heart-breaking, as we consider what might have been.
