Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is still ongoing on Disney+, but work on Season 3 is already underway and set photos recently revealed some major spoilers.
In those, we saw a Defenders reunion as Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones was joined by Mike Colter as Luke Cage and, perhaps most surprisingly, Finn Jones' Danny Rand/Iron Fist. It's something we never expected to see in the MCU, but Marvel Television is clearly paying attention to what fans want.
Rumour has it that this trio steps up to protect the Big Apple in the Man Without Fear's absence. As of now, we don't know how big a role they'll play in Daredevil: Born Again's third batch of episodes, but you'd best believe we have some requests for how Luke and Danny's official MCU debuts should be handled.
To check out our wishlist for this iconic comic book pairing in Season 3, tap the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. Iron Fist Suits Up
Netflix's Iron Fist had its moments, but it ultimately failed the character and didn't do right by Danny Rand. The hero's classic costume was briefly teased, but he never suited up, a baffling, frustrating creative decision from Scott Buck, the producer behind flops like Inhumans and the final season of Dexter.
What's done is done now, and the new Marvel Television can more than make up for past missteps. While we'd expect some changes to be made in the transition from page to screen, this isn't a difficult suit (and mask) to bring to a live-action setting.
Much has been said about Danny being a white saviour trope, perhaps explaining why Lin Lie has largely replaced him in the comics in recent years. If something similar is planned for the MCU, then Jones deserves to suit up at least once as the "classic" Iron Fist.
4. Heroes For Hire
This was teased a couple of times on Netflix, but yet again, the original Marvel Television—overseen by Jeph Loeb—massively dropped the ball by never giving fans a true Heroes for Hire team-up.
When Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 picks up with Luke and Danny, they should already be running Heroes for Hire, perhaps alongside Jessica Jones. This friendship is worth exploring on screen, and establishing that they've spent the past few years protecting New York together (for a small fee, of course) would be a fun development.
The small matter of Luke becoming Harlem's new crime boss can either be ignored or quickly glossed over; either way, it doesn't need to be a major plot point. Heroes for Hire is the way to go with this fan-favourite duo. It also has serious spin-off potential, which could add several other street-level superheroes to the mix.
3. Danielle Cage
A new trailer for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 confirmed that Jessica has a daughter in the MCU. For fans of the comics, the reveal is seemingly a reference to Danielle Cage, the daughter that the P.I. shares with Luke Cage.
It's hard to imagine Danielle being more than a few years old in the series, but exploring the idea of Luke and Jessica as parents is undeniably fascinating. It's something we haven't really seen much of on screen, making it a concept well worth exploring here.
Of note is the fact that in the comics, Danielle eventually becomes Captain America. It's a little soon for that, but after the negative response to Secret Invasion, we probably wouldn't go down the route of teasing her potentially being a Skrull. Meeting Danielle's nanny, Squirrel Girl, is another exciting possibility...
2. The New Daredevil
We've explained why Danny suiting up as Iron Fist is long-overdue, but if Daredevil: Born Again really is sending Matt Murdock to jail in Season 3, then someone will need to step up and protect Hell's Kitchen. Right now, that seems to be Luke, Danny, and Jessica.
Based on how Season 2 is shaping up, the Man Without Fear has become an inspiring symbol to the people of New York. Depending on how big a threat rises in the Kingpin's absence, the City having a new Daredevil could be essential. That's where Danny comes in.
During Ed Brubaker's run, Iron Fist poses as the vigilante to take the heat off Matt Murdock (who denies that he's Daredevil after being outed by Wilson Fisk and the FBI). We'd be excited to see something similar play out here, especially as it gives Danny a really interesting, unexpected role in the series. Another possibility is Elektra, of course, but Elodie Yung's MCU status remains unclear.
1. Mayor Cage
Luke Cage has been many things in the comics, whether it's a Hero for Hire, leader of the Thunderbolts, a New Avenger, or Mayor of New York City. When Wilson Fisk was finally brought down, Power Man ran unopposed and set out to undo the damage he'd caused.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 set photos—and the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer—have confirmed that Fisk's Chief of Staff, Sheila Rivera, becomes Mayor. That's good news for New York, but at the same time, it's not as if her hands are completely clean. She was part of the Kingpin's administration, so it's easy to see why Cage might have something to say about her being his successor.
Establishing Luke as Mayor creates a compelling new status quo for Luke. Colter is 49, so this shift from action hero to politician can be tied into Power Man entering a new stage of his life as Mayor and father. He can still see his fair share of action, but this ties the hero to the wider MCU and future street-level stories.