Following the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company confirmed a deal with Netflix in November of 2013 to develop four new mini-series dedicated to each member of the “Defenders” of the Marvel Universe. Based out of New York, the team is made up of Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Jessica Jones, Iron Fist (Danny Rand), and Luke Cage.
With two of the four slated series already released (Daredevil, Jessica Jones) to the acclaim of critics and fans alike, expectations have been set high for the King of Harlem. While the King may have arrived to Netflix with a chip on his shoulder on September 30, 2016, Cage will benefit from the exposure he received during fellow Defender Jessica Jones’ series, with a good bit of his back story already fleshed out.
For fans that may have missed Jessica Jones, Luke Cage’s backstory is centered around being born and raised on the mean streets of Harlem. After a sabotaged experiment grants the New York native superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, Cage is left to deal with the repercussions of his new abilities.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snJ-nRgx8o0[/embedyt]
Luke Cage takes it to the “Streets” in the final trailer before the shows debut.
In the shows final trailer, simply titled “Streets,” we follow Cage, portrayed by Mike Colter, as he struggles with those powers and the decision of simply living his life or using his new powers to aid his dying city. Twisting the knife into the city’s heart is crime boss Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, played by Mahershala Ali.
Akin to a modern-day Godfather, Stokes hides legitimate business strategy and a mind for tactics behind the persona of a ruthless gangster. From what we’ve seen from the trailers, “Cottonmouth” seems to draw many parallels with fellow Marvel villain and Daredevil antagonist Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk.
While Fisk is a businessman hiding a nasty attitude and brute force, Stokes conceals his intellect behind guns and power, making for an interestingly complicated, yet unique villain. With Fisk being such a hit with fans, it reasons to believe that “Cottonmouth” has the potential to be too, while still portraying a unique enough character to separate himself from the mold.
“Cottonmouth” draws inspiration from Biggie, but shows he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
Only time will tell (cue 13 straight hours of binge watching) as to whether Luke Cage will be able to Defend Marvel’s reputation for producing quality Netflix originals, or if the bulletproof superhuman will be the team’s first critic casualty.
What do you think? Will Marvel shows continue to dominate? Is Luke Cage a compelling character? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to check out the Trailer above! And remember to check back to the Nerd Stash for all your television, gaming, comic and movie news!
