Dear comic book fans, “the Wu-Tang-ification of the Marvel Universe” has begun! On Thursday, writer Cheo Hodari Coker’s gave audiences their first look at his latest project, Marvel’s Luke Cage, and from the looks of the teaser, we’re in for an entertaining ride.
After successfully rolling out Marvel’s Daredevil and Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Netflix hopes to hit another home run with Marvel’s Luke Cage, one of the comic book publisher’s first Black superheroes.
Netflix debuted the promotional clip Thursday evening at Comic-Con International in San Diego in front of more than 4500 eager fans who were introduced to the cast and treated to several clips from the upcoming show, which is sure to appeal to comic book diehards and casual viewers alike.
In the Netflix version of the series, Luke Cage is a reluctant superhero who finds himself fighting bad guys in his Harlem neighborhood. Because of his super strength and extremely dense skin, which makes him impervious to most attacks (even bullets), Cage isn’t afraid to mix it up with villains on both side of the law.
Coker, the series’ creator and showrunner, said Cage’s unique superpower makes him an interesting fit for the times.
“It’s a fascinating time to have a bulletproof Black man that exists in the world,” Coker said during a press event at Comic-Con. “One of things I thought about in terms of an overall theme is that when you look at neighborhoods, people step aside or don’t step up because of consequences. So what happens when you introduce a bulletproof Black man to the situation? How does that affect the overall community?”
The show’s headliner, Mike Colter, echoed Coker’s sentiments.
“It’s timely,” he said of the show which deals with many of the issues in the news as of late. “Luke Cage is a guy who doesn’t want to solve problems with violence, and right now, his impenetrable skin and his super strength allow him to have a voice and not be afraid.”
While the show isn’t preachy, Coker did make it a point to dress the reluctant hero in everyday garb, particularly hoodies.
“It’s no accident Luke Cage wears hoodies,” Coker said, noting it’s an explicit reference to Trayvon Martin, the slain unarmed teen who was targeted, in part, because of his hooded sweatshirt. “I wanted people to understand you cannot judge a book by its cover. Heroes wear hoodies too.”
Coker added: “We really wanted to show that yes this hero exists in the world of now…but at the same time we didn’t want to get so mired in the politics that it got in the way of telling a good story.”
The slick show, which uses Harlem as one of its characters and adeptly incorporates hip hop, also features a talented cast. Alfre Woodard, Frankie Faison, Mahershala Ali, and Simone Missick turn in exceptional performances that help to bring Luke Cage’s world to life.
Marvel’s Luke Cage premieres on Netflix on September 30.
Watch the exciting trailer below.
Bring it. #LukeCagehttps://t.co/J04pZrEGPQ
— Luke Cage (@LukeCage) July 22, 2016
Britni Danielle is the Senior Digital Editor for EBONY.com and JETmag.com. Catch her tweeting @BritniDWrites.
