Before the Disney+ MCU shows came into interconnected existence, fans had the Netflix Marvel shows, with Charlie Cox's Daredevil as the launching pad for the Defenders. That group's questionable connection to the MCU as a whole was cut short as each of the standalone dramas was abruptly cancelled one by one ahead of the anticipated launch of Disney+. One such show was Luke Cage, which Netflix ended after two seasons, and while fans have begged for years to see more from the Harlem hero and the rest, star Mike Colter is now revealing the one pro to Netflix ending the series when it did.
While promoting Season 2 of his spooky Paramount+ drama Evil, Mike Colter talked to Collider about his previous role as the crime-stomping superhero and never getting closure from Luke Cage's too-soon ending. Rather than keeping things wholly on the dour side, Colter spoke about the one positive he sees from Netflix cancelling the series when it did, considering it only lasted two seasons:
Premature goodbye? Yeah, of course. I think so. The only good thing about it, the positive thing about something like that is you'll always have a fond memory of something that didn't stay too long. It's like a relationship or anything else that never reached its peak or its descent. You don't have any negative memories of it because it will live in this place of perfection, or some sense of promise, at all times in our life. You’re always thinking [of it with] a fond, romanticized notion of what could have been.
When Netflix surprisingly (at first) cancelled all of its Marvel shows between 2018 and 2019, only Daredevil and Jessica Jones had earned three seasons. It was no secret, though, that JJ's third outing wasn't exactly a fan-pleaser, while Daredevil's final season sparked fan fury for renewals. We obviously don't know where Luke Cage would have landed on that scale, so perhaps that mystery is a silver lining in and of itself.
Obviously Mike Colter doesn't think that Luke Cage should have ended prematurely, and one can only hope he'd return to the role if time and scheduling allowed for it. But even though he's on a show called Evil, Colter can find some goodness and positivity in even the worst news, and understands that it's arguably better to live with a yearning for more rather than pangs of regret.
Since the Marvel Netflix series were supposedly set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - something that Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn is not in agreement with - there’s always a vague possibility that characters could appear in the movies or even one of the Disney+ shows. In 2019 when asked about the chance to return as Luke Cage, Mike Colter had said that he would need to see where the storyline would take Luke and how it would turn out. It would have been ideal to get a third season for closure, especially considering where the Season 2 finale wrapped things up, at least we don't have to think about Luke Cage lasting too long and leaving a Dexter-esque taste in our mouths.
While waiting for other 2021 Summer TV shows to start up, be sure to check out Evil Season 2 airing new episodes on Paramount+ every Sunday.
