As the Netflix Marvel shows make a comeback, Luke Colter is making it clear what it will take to return as Luke Cage!
Years after Netflix canceled its various Marvel Comics shows, Disney+ is reviving them. Daredevil: Born Again brought back Charlie Cox as the Man Without Fear, with the second season featuring Krysten Ritter’s return as Jessica Jones. There are also rumors of a new Iron Fist series with Finn Jones back.
Obviously, fans are wondering whether this would mean Mike Colter's return as Luke Cage. Speaking to The Direct at the Vancouver Fan Expo, Colter confirmed that he and Marvel have been in discussions about a return.
"Look, I mean, here’s the thing: I have been talking to Marvel, and Jessica [Jones]’ back, and there’s a lot of story left to tell, and I just think that it’d be a shame for me not to pop back up."
“When I first finished filming Luke Cage, I was sort of ready to do other things and so, as an actor, I’m just looking for something that’s different, and something interesting, and something that I can just sink my teeth into, that scares me a little bit, and something that comes out of left field a little bit," Colter clarified that he felt there was a lot left on the table with Luke.
The series starred Colter as Cage, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned, who’s granted super-strength and invulnerable skin in an experiment. The series began with Luke as a “hero for hire” taking on thugs and eventually joining the Defenders team.
The show ended on a dramatic note as, to prevent a widespread gang war from erupting, Cage agreed to become the “godfather” of Harlem, running a nightclub and trying to keep the peace. That promised a new direction, only for the show to be canceled.
So Colter seems set to come back, but only under certain conditions.
What would make Mike Colter return to Luke Cage?
Colter told the Direct he would return if the show picked up right where it left off, with Luke trying to maintain order while keeping himself clean.
“I definitely would want to see him find out what it’s like to have the power and complete control of the neighborhood and see if he can do the right thing and at the same time, keep his hands from getting dirty. Cause I think, a lot of times, you need to commit crimes to actually fight crime and it’s hard to say, because most of the times, you go, if you do things the right way, you wouldn’t have to break the law. But unfortunately, you have to fight at the same level as other people are fighting, so it’s really to hard to be able to stop something if you’re not willing to go to those levels."
There is so much potential in a Luke Cage story, even though Colter noted the difficulty in continuity issues between Netflix and the main MCU. Yet picking up with Cage still trying to be a good man while running in criminal circles is fodder for great storytelling. As an ex-con, Cage knows you have to get your hands dirty to get the job done right.
The talk was on if Colter would return for a third season of Cage, Born Again, or a new Jessica Jones project and replied, “I think it’s all of the above. I think all of the above is on the table, because there’s so many places you can take Luke Cage’s story. Obviously, there’s Jessica Jones, where they left off, there’s where Luke Cage’s second season left off, there’s opportunities to come into Daredevil’s world, and there’s story for Iron Fist. There’s just so many places you can go."
It sounds like Born Again is setting up a larger storyline as Daredevil will unite other street heroes to take on Mayor Wilson Fisk, who’s cracking down on vigilantes. Luke would have an intriguing place in such a storyline, as he’s technically a criminal, yet his street contacts are a huge help. It can also be Daredevil realizing he needs to bend the rules to take Fisk down.
This is all up in the air at the moment, but it’s great news for Luke Cage fans that Colter is more than open to a return that brings back this beloved hero.