Lately, Marvel has been revealing some characters that will be heavily featured in Ultimate Spider-Man (a new Disney XD animated series that will focus on Spidey training to be a true superhero), and the latest character that has been revealed is none other than Luke Cage. Cage, like many other heroes joining Spider-Man, is depicted as a teenager in this series. In addition to an official first-look photo, check out some words from writer/producer Brian Michael Bendis and Marvel TV Head Jeph Loeb:
“...but it is fun to write him as a teenager, and I do sort of write him with the knowledge of the man he’s going to become", says writer Brian Michael Bendis. "That’s kind of the way I wrote the Peter Parker in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN [the comic series] for many years. You’re writing the teenager who you know will one day become the Peter Parker we know and love. This is the Luke that will eventually become Luke Cage.”
“He’s a little more carefree,” adds Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb. “While he’s got street smarts, he doesn’t have the same troubled past as the adult Luke has.”
Despite the changes, Bendis and Loeb ensure that this incarnation is essentially the same character that we've known before.
“What we like about the ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ Luke Cage is that he’s still instilled with his fierce sense of loyalty and family,” comments Loeb.
“It’s an important theme to the new series and Luke embodies that well.”
Concerning the companionship between Luke Cage and Iron Fist,
“If there’s anything not broken in comics, it’s the dynamic between Iron Fist and Power Man,” elaborates Bendis.
“They’re like the Laverne and Shirley of comics. They’re the Odd Couple. They’re fantastic together. And that dynamic only gets more interesting with the connection of the other three teammates. No matter what happens on the team, these two are good.”
“They are best of friends--much like in the comics--but as teenagers we can see the less-than-responsible side of these heroes as well,” promises Loeb.
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Ultimate Spider-Man premieres on Disney XD April 1st.