After Luke Cage makes his MCU debut later this year in Jessica Jones, the super strong hero will star in his own Netflix series. As it’s still in the planning stages, little has been known about what to expect from Luke Cage outside of The Good Wife’s Mike Colter starring as Luke and TV veteran Alfre Woodard reportedly cast as Minetta, a local politician. Fortunately, a new report may give us an idea of what we might see on the show, both in terms of the story and some of the important characters that will be appearing.
First up, the main plot. According to Heroic Hollywood, Luke, like his comic book counterpart, is a former gang member who is subjected to a prison medical procedure that gives him super strength and bulletproof skin. After escaping, he becomes a hero for hire, but soon comes into conflict with his old friend from Harlem, Willis Stryker. Before Luke was captured, he and Willis both fell in love with the same woman, Reva Connors. This led to a falling out between the two friends, and it’s revealed that Willis is the one who framed Luke for a drug deal, which led to his arrest. It’s noted that this synopsis is subject to change, so what we see on Netflix within the next year or two may not 100% match what’s written above.
The outlet specifically identifies Willis as Luke Cage’s main antagonist, so if true, he will be filling the same role as Wilson Fisk in Daredevil and Kilgrave in Jessica Jones. In the comics, Willis, a.k.a. Diamondback, became a more prominent figure in the criminal underworld after betraying Luke (then named Carl Lucas); he was also well known for wielding gimmicky knives. He was a major threat to Luke in his earliest adventures, but later was killed when one of his exploding knives detonated near him.
Previous rumored villains for Luke Cage have included Cottonmouth and Black Delilah (who will supposedly be played by Woodard), but there’s no reason why the show couldn’t be working for/with Willis, as well. As for Reva Connors, although she and Luke were briefly romantically involved, she died after being caught in a fight between Luke, Willis and the criminal organization The Maggia. Both Willis and Reva only appeared in the early issues of Hero for Hire back in the 1970s, so with not as much source material to work with, there would be more room for creative reinterpretation if necessary.
No release date has been announced yet for Luke Cage, but we’ll keep you apprised on any developments regarding the series. In the meantime, fans can look forward to Cage appearing on Jessica Jones near the end of the year.
