The next Marvel series on Netflix will be Iron Fist, and fans everywhere are excited at the prospect of major mystical elements making their way into the Netflix universe. The Danny Rand of Marvel Comics didn't get his abilities from any chemical spills or experiments; he got his abilities in the mystical city of K'un-Lun. Now, it looks like the Iron Fist show will be featuring K'un-Lun in its first season on Netflix. Iron Fist actress Jessica Henwick shared this image from the set:
Netflix has never been especially forthcoming with major details about any of its Marvel series, so we haven't known how much of Iron Fist would take place in New York City and how much might be set elsewhere to delve into Danny Rand's origin story. Now, it looks like Danny should be visiting K'un-Lun during the first season. Nothing has been confirmed, and we can't even say for sure if scenes in K'un-Lun would be set in the past or in the present, but the Instagram pic (and helpful caption) courtesy of Jessica Henwick points toward some scenes set in the city.
The K'un-Lun of Marvel Comics lore is a mystical city that lies hidden in the K'un-Lun mountain range in China. The city is only accessible from Earth through an interdimensional nexus, and even that opens only once every ten years. Danny's father was born in K'un-Lun, although he left as a young man and started a family in the United States. Danny spent much of his life in K'un-Lun after the deaths of his parents while they were in search of the opening to K'un-Lun. Danny was there apprenticed to a martial arts master, and he spent a decade working to become a formidable fighter worthy of gaining the power of the Iron Fist. After he became the Iron Fist, he left K'un-Lun and returned to the U.S.
The trailer for Iron Fist indicated that most of the action would take place in the United States in present day, but a few glimpses of a young Danny pointed toward the series showing at least how he ended up living in K'un-Lun. Going by Jessica Henwick's Instragram photo, we're probably going to see some of what went into Danny earning his abilities and his dragon tattoo. All things considered, scenes of K'un-Lun should be pretty exciting for viewers who know Danny Rand's comic backstory as well as for those who had never even heard of Iron Fist before Netflix ordered the series. Such scenes may give the context needed for Iron Fist to fit into a universe of shows that are more grounded in realism. If we can see and understand how Danny got his fantastical powers, we may have an easier time seeing him as part of the same world as Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. With The Defenders coming up later in 2017, the four heroes will definitely need to feel like they can all exist in the same universe.
The entire first season of Iron Fist will be available on Netflix starting at 12:01 a.m. PT on Friday, March 17. Take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule to see what else you can watch in the not-too-distant future, and don't forget to check our our breakdown of everything we know so far about Iron Fist.
