On September 30th at midnight, Marvel released their latest series to Netflix: Luke Cage. The title character is one of the highly anticipated characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who first made his appearance as one of the main characters in Marvel’s Jessica Jones (also streaming on Netflix).
The bulletproof hero, also known as the Power Man, was first seen in his own Marvel Comics Series “Luke Cage: Hero For Hire”, now renamed “Power Man and Iron Fist”, making him the first ever black character to ever have his own series in the Marvel Universe (although the Falcon and Black Panther were created before him, they didn’t have their own series yet). His adventures in the comics were long lived; with his own series lasting for decades. He became one of the most iconic yet underrated Marvel characters ever. Luke Cage was even gave the chance to build his own Avengers team by Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers in the comics, thus The New Avengers were born.
The revamped Luke Cage in the Netflix area of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perfectly portrayed by Mike Colter – one of the best decisions Marvel has made. The character is your average human (with the superhuman strength and bulletproof skin, of course) trying to find his purpose in a world where people with abilities like his are off trying to fight off forces humans thought were impossible. The series explores Luke Cage’s backstory, it does well in providing the audience the relevant information that they need to fully understand him as a character. You do not need to watch the other Marvel Netflix Series and MCU Movies to understand the whole premise of the show – but it is fun to understand all the Easter eggs and references that they make in most episodes.
One of the series’ most important aspects are the incorporation of black culture within its plot line – aspects that include the incorporation of hip-hop, the true history of Harlem- which emphasizes the show’s backdrop- and the mention of famous black political activists. All 13 episodes are named after song titles from the hip-hop duo Gang Starr – a decision made by the show’s executive producer, Cheo Hodari Coker. Music is a big aspect of the show itself, with performances from Jidenna, Faith Evans, Charles Barkley and more set in one of the show’s main locations, Harlem’s Paradise – the soundtrack is certainly one of the best.
When asked about Luke Cage being a black superhero with a hoodie as his main costume by Esquire, Cheo states:
“The thing is that this was written in early 2015. Black Lives Matter hadn’t really emerged in the public consciousness so fully at the time as we were making this. It’s only topical from the standpoint that people are so aware of all these different elements that are happening that now, all of a sudden, it stands out. That was never really the intention. The thing I always say is like this, “We didn’t mean to be this deeply social show, but we wanted to tell a realistic depiction of the black experience.””
Even though it was not their main intention to create a political message through the show, Luke Cage being a black superhero who happens to be bulletproof is an important statement on its own. The show itself even portrays the treatment that black people goes through under the authority of the police in America, and how black men in hoodies are negatively perceived by most people in public.
In addition to the show’s overall message, the show is extremely feminist. Their portrayal of important female characters such as Misty Knight and Claire Temple genuinely, truly has me shook. The characters have depth to them, they have backstories, their own supporting characters and their own subplots – as well as their own action scenes.
Misty Knight was perfectly written to be a detective with different sides: she has an emotional depth that is explored in the series and her character inspires me to be like her when I grow up. Her character arc is certainly important to the plot line, her subplots regarding her partner also interlinks with the main plot overall.
Claire Temple, also known as the Night Nurse, is the backbone to the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Netflix. In Luke Cage, she is finally given some backstory, unlike in Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Once again, we see a different side to her, her intentions, her family and her connection to Luke as a character after the events of Jessica Jones. Her introduction in this series certainly is one of the best introductions of a supporting character in the MCU yet. The showrunners certainly hit the jackpot when it came to both Claire’s and Misty’s portrayal.
Finally, there’s Mariah Dillard, the cousin of Cottonmouth, who is one of the most innovative characters I’ve ever seen. Written and performed by actress Alfre Woodard with range and depth, I admit that I underestimated her character at one point, but I was quickly proven wrong. Her character’s comic book origins are definitely different from the show’s portrayal, but it’s a change that perfectly furthered the show’s plot.
I binge-watched the whole series in two days – but my advice is to slowly watch it and take it all of the information that the show provides. Each episode is a whole hour long, but it’s definitely worth your time. I mean, it’s so good that it broke Netflix for a good two hours.
Luke Cage is currently streaming on Netflix in all countries.
