Luke Cage Season 2 has a release date, a great first-look trailer, and the show's sophomore season can now boast a talented actress signing on to play a big villain. Annabella Sciorra, a recurring actress from The Sopranos and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, is jumping over to superhero TV to play a murderous mafioso Season 2. Her name is Rosalie Carbone, and she sounds as though she'll be a thorn in the sides of both Harlem and Luke Cage, though his skin can take it.
Marvel's description for Rosalie Carbone calls the character a "dangerous downtown criminal underworld power player" who has plans for Harlem. Given all those adjectives tacked on there, it's safe to speculate that Carbone's plan for Harlem is not one that Luke Cage is going to appreciate. The comics' version of Rosalie Carbone was a crime princess with much mafia reach that took over her crime family following her father's death and her uncle's disappearance. Sadly, EW and Marvel said nothing about the character's affiliations with other MCU characters, which could have some interesting implications for Luke Cage Season 2.
Rosalie Carbone has historically been a villain in The Punisher's comic universe, which could mean Frank Castle is heading to Season 2 of Luke Cage. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time Marvel villains have switched up their nemeses in the Marvel Netflix universe, but the choice to use Carbone in LC does leave one to wonder whether Marvel has big plans for Annabella Sciorra in the television franchise. Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker mentioned he was thrilled to have Sciorra's character get an "introduction" in the new season, which could mean she'll be around on other shows beyond this Season 2 of Luke Cage.
It's hard not to get excited for Annabella Sciorra to play a mafioso, as The Sopranos fans will remember the actress' awesome role as Gloria Trillo. Granted, she only played the goomah of a gangster in that role, but her fiery temper and unpredictable nature will likely translate quite well to her newest character. The villain's connection to The Punisher also makes things exciting, as its already been said Danny Rand could appear in Season 2 in some capacity. Could Luke Cage have two different heroes popping up in Season 2? Carbone is actually the second semi-big villain for Luke Cage to cast, joining Mustafa Shakir as Bushmaster, so Luke getting some additional backup this season wouldn't be the worst thing.
Luke Cage will debut Season 2 of its series on Netflix on Friday, June 22, at 12:01 a.m. PT. For more on upcoming superhero show premieres, head on over to our superhero premiere guide. For a look at new television coming in 2018 in general, be sure to visit CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide.
