Bad reviews of Iron Fist Season 1 be damned, Danny Rand is going to be a part of Luke Cage Season 2. Some fans may be worried by that news considering a good deal of fan hatred for the character, but creator and showrunner Cheo Coker was excited to have the hero on board. In fact, Coker is hoping Finn Jones' run in Luke Cage will make Marvel Netflix viewers more excited for Iron Fist's upcoming adventures:
It doesn't bother me that people have criticized Iron Fist on his series and on The Defenders. I'm arrogant enough to think that Iron Fist appearing on our show has a different sensibility. And so, it's like---that's the thing---I'm not dissuaded by that because Iron Fist, I think, is a dope character. And I think when you see Iron Fist within the realm of Luke Cage, and the way that we do things, I think---hopefully---that people are going to come to appreciate the character differently, and hopefully that swagger that he'll get from appearing in the Luke Cage universe will carry over into [Iron Fist Season 2].
Cheo Coker has some lofty ambitions for reactions to Danny Rand appearing in Luke Cage. Of course, he has a right to think he can turn things around as the dynamic between actors Finn Jones and Mike Colter has been one of the few positive things Marvel Netflix Universe fans have liked about the Iron Fist. Colter has confirmed Luke Cage Season 2 will embrace that fan love and play out a mini Heroes For Hire arc with the two heroes.
Cheo Coker's desire to transform people's perception of the hero Iron Fist is likely fine with Marvel, as Iron Fist Season 1 had some of the roughest reviews for a Marvel Netflix series to date. That said, audiences were far kinder than critics when it came to the series and unofficial data regarding the show's streaming numbers alleged it was one of the most streamed shows of 2017 at the time. Should Coker, who shared the statement in an upcoming interview with All Hip Hop TV, change people's perception of Rand too much, there's always that chance that they alienate the audience that saw no problem with the hero to begin with.
That said, there's a lot of ways Cheo Coker and Luke Cage could change how people see Danny Rand without changing the character himself. Harlem as a setting has done a lot to stylize the character of Luke Cage, so perhaps witnessing Rand walking its streets as opposed to the world of corporate America and K'un-Lun will allow audiences to see a different side of Iron Fist. Additionally, Danny's likely a better Iron Fist than he was in his last two outings, so there will certainly be a lot more of him being useful as opposed to exhausted after throwing one glowing punch.
Luke Cage Season 2 premieres on Netflix Friday, June 22 at 12:01 AM PT. For a look at other superhero shows headed to television before and after that date, visit our superhero premiere guide. Those looking for a rundown of what other original titles are headed to Netflix over the next few months can visit our Netflix premiere guide. Finally, for a look at all major upcoming television premieres on the horizon, visit our summer premiere guide.
