“I’ve got you.”
If you hear those words, then you know you’re under the protection of Harlem’s defender.
After teasing fans for a minute and a half at San Diego Comic-Con last month, Marvel and Netflix have released a new trailer for “Luke Cage,” their third superhero series after “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones,” which stars Mike Colter and will make its streaming debut on Sept 30.
Luke Cage, one of the comic book world’s most popular black superheroes, debuted in the pages of Marvel Comics back in 1972 and was once known as a “hero for hire.” He’s a bulletproof vigilante (after experiments were performed on him) with super-strength who would always save the day if you were willing to pay him. The Marvel/Netflix show looks to be taking a different approach, as Cage isn’t seen asking anyone for their PayPal accounts and instead is willingly taking on organized crime in Harlem to protect his city. That’s more in line with the character’s current status in the comics, as opposed to his Blaxploitation-inspired origins.
If the trailer gives off one particular vibe it is that just because a man is bulletproof that doesn’t mean his city is. Cage is told as much in the trailer, but that doesn’t seem to stop him from trying to stop whatever evil is rising in Harlem.
Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple (the Night Nurse) continues her streak of appearing in all of Marvel/Netflix’s connected street-level hero shows. She shouldn’t have much patching up to do with Luke Cage being invulnerable, but her experience as a voice of reason for vigilantes could come in handy to Cage as he starts on the path of trying to be a hero. We’ll have to wait to see if any sparks fly between the two.
One thing fans of Luke Cage weren’t expecting to see was his classic ’70s look from the comics. But we get a nice tease in the trailer during a flashback scene to the moment experiments were completed on Cage. He comes out of a tank with steel gauntlets and a tiara on his head. It’s a nice wink to fans who know that look won’t cut it in a modern adaptation, but for a split-second, it’s there.
After making his debut as Luke Cage in “Jessica Jones” last year, Colter now gets to try being a solo hero in his own series before an eventual Avengers-like team-up. Once Finn Jones debuts in Marvel/Netflix’s “Iron Fist” later this year, all four of Marvel/Netflix’s superheroes will join forces to form “The Defenders” in 2017.
