Credit: Netflix and Marvel Television for Marvel’s Iron Fist
There are a few characters that could help season two of Iron Fist be a successful.
Iron Fist season 2 premieres on September 7th on Netflix. The first season was met with less than encouraging reviews, and it’s going to take a lot to get people talking about the newest season. One thing that people did enjoy from season one were the characters that weren’t Danny Rand.
We saw the Bride of Nine Spiders, the introduction of Davos (who will become the Steel Serpent in this season), and Colleen Wing who might have been the most popular character on the show. This season has already promised us Daughters of the Dragon (Misty Knight and Colleen Wing) will appear (whether or not they’ll be called that remains to be seen). There are also a few other characters that could help improve the show – if they’re brought in, of course.
Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics
Orson Randall
We may have already caught a glimpse of Orson Randall in Iron Fist season one. Danny watched a video showing the previous Iron Fist fight during one of the World Wars. In the comic books, Orson Randall was the previous Iron Fist, who also taught Danny Rand’s father how to fight. Randall was later stripped of his Iron Fist title after he refused to fight during the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities.
After leaving, Orson became an alcoholic and a regular user of opium. When Davos was attempting to kill Randall, he joined up with Danny and showed him some things about his powers he didn’t know he could do. Randall was ultimately killed by Davos. The final blow came from Danny Rand when Orson told Danny to plunge his hands into his heart and take his chi.
One of the biggest reasons for adding him would be to teach Danny some new ways to use his powers. Randall could focus his chi and project it through bullets. He could also use it to hypnotize people along with a plethora of other things we didn’t get to see. One complaint comic book fans have had with the show is the lack of creativity in Danny’s powers. Orson could give him a few lessons, and maybe we’ll see more than just the one hand Iron Fist.
Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics
Past Iron Fists
It was well documented in season one that Danny Rand was not the first Iron Fist. As I stated above, Orson Randall was Danny’s predecessor. What also came with the Immortal Iron Fist story (written by Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker) were some of the Iron Fists we’ve never seen before. Like Randall, they all used their powers differently.
Bei Bang-Wen used his powers not only through martial arts but also through coming up with perfect strategies. Fongji Wu was a female Iron Fist who also possessed the Phoenix Force. The Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay Wu Ao-Shi was said to shoot arrows that looked like lightning from god.
It’s always nice to see where a character comes from. The Iron Fist lineage goes all the way back to the prehistoric days when that Iron Fist fought with Odin, the Black Panther of that time, Agamotto, the Phoenix, and Star Brand in 1,000,000 b.c.
Learning where a character comes from is crucial to seeing where a character can go. Even if these Iron Fists are only used in small doses, it would be a talking point at the very least- maybe even enough for a spin-off of sorts. One of the best parts is that the Iron Fist lineage included more than a few women.
Image credit: David Lee/Netflix
Luke Cage
Danny Rand made an appearance during season 2 of Luke Cage, and it made fans happy. He was fun-loving, wise and entertaining. Basically, he was everything he wasn’t in most of season one of Iron Fist. It was also a nod to comic book fans who are waiting for a Heroes for Hire series from Netflix.
Season two of Luke Cage ended with Luke looking less like a hero and more like Wilson Fisk. Suit, bodyguards and telling Claire to go home are nothing we’re used to seeing from Luke Cage. Luke may believe he’s doing what’s best for Harlem, but Danny Rand might disagree and have a few things to say about what his friend has become.
Defenders ended with Danny taking over as the protector of Hell’s Kitchen after Daredevil went missing. With Misty Knight appearing in season 2 of Iron Fist, she is more than likely going to bring up what’s going on with Luke. When she does, Danny is going to have words and maybe fists with Luke. Adding a popular character like Luke Cage to this series, even if it’s only one episode, will get the buzz going just like Danny did in Luke Cage’s latest season.