IRON FIST Star Finn Jones Gets Candid On Why He Thinks Season 1 Was Such A Let Down

IRON FIST Star Finn Jones Gets Candid On Why He Thinks Season 1 Was Such A Let Down

Iron Fist star Finn Jones has weighed in on why the show failed to connect with fans, blaming scheduling conflicts for why it was unable to live up to expectations. Find his comments in full right here...

News
By JoshWilding - Dec 27, 2022 06:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Iron Fist
Source: Geekscape Podcast

With Inhumans showrunner Scott Buck in charge, we never really had much faith in Iron Fist being as good as Daredevil and Jessica Jones' early seasons. Unfortunately, those expectations were proven correct, and while the series wasn't all bad, it failed to resonate with most fans of the character. 

Season 2 was a definite improvement, but it also took Danny Rand's powers away from him almost immediately. Despite being a baffling creative decision, it was one that culminated with Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing gaining the power of the Iron Fist, setting the stage for a season 3 that never happened (and likely never will). 

During a recent interview with Geekscape Podcast, Iron Fist star Finn Jones shared his take on what went wrong with the show, blaming "scheduling conflicts" for a disappointing first season. 

"[With] he first season, there were a lot of creative challenges, and it didn’t live up to the expectations, and I think that came down to…really, it came down to scheduling conflicts," he explains. "That season of television was rushed because we had The Defenders that we had to film straight afterwards."

"We had to film The Defenders [and] we had all those other actors locked into that schedule, so we had to film those 13 episodes of television in that set time, and unfortunately, we just didn’t have the time to do what was expected and what was desired, which was a kick-ass, amazing kung fu show and martial arts show."

"And the reason that show failed was because of the time constraints [and] because of bad scheduling," Jones concluded.

We're not sure that's the only reason the series failed, but it sounds like the odds were stacked against Iron Fist from the start. It's no secret Jones had relatively little time to prepare for the role, hence why the fight scenes often underwhelmed. 

Moving forward, there's no word on plans for Iron Fist in the MCU, though the expectation is that when the character is eventually rebooted, it will be with an Asian actor taking over the role. Unfortunately, we expect Danny to be one of those Netflix heroes who remains on the shelf for a while yet. 

Were you a fan of Netflix's Iron Fist?

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Reginator
Reginator - 12/27/2022, 6:03 AM
Poor writing and too much Danny, not enough iron fist
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 12/27/2022, 6:40 AM
@Reginator - what you don't want the main character having existential or plot contrived reason to not using his powers? You don't find that more fun.

They used it so little that every time Danny pushed with his iron fist, he simultaneously punched a hole in their budget.
soberchimera
soberchimera - 12/27/2022, 8:38 AM
@Reginator - Plus having The Hand be the villains AGAIN after we already saw them in DD S2, and no costume. The first season should have just been a straight-up revenge story with Danny returning to the US to avenge the death of his parents by Harold Meachum and Harold hiring assassins (Scimitar, Scythe, Triple-Iron) to defend him.
connorblaze
connorblaze - 12/27/2022, 6:15 AM
Let’s be honest, poor acting and directing choices too. He came across so [frick]ing annoying.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 12/27/2022, 8:46 AM
@connorblaze -

At the end of the day it’s the director who DIRECTS the actor on what to do and how to act. It’s the director who says “great shot, let’s move on.”

So an actor is kind of at the mercy of the director usually unless they are some huge star who has more pull than the director and a fight ensues.

So I blame directors for bad performances more than actors.

Which makes sense because how many actors have acted TERRIBLY and get a razzie even (affleck, Halle berry, etc) and then win an Oscar the next day practically. Actors have ups and downs.

Now, some actors have zero range and the director is stuck with them and that can happen sometimes too but again that could be the inexperience of the director.

Look at someone like arronofsky who got an Oscar winning performance out of BRENDAN FRASER, for goodness sakes.
bobevanz
bobevanz - 12/27/2022, 6:17 AM
It's a tie between this and Inhumans as the worst comic book related material ever! How some people on here continue to give this clown and his half assed show a chance in hell, really amazes me lol
TheWalkingCuban
TheWalkingCuban - 12/27/2022, 7:04 AM
@bobevanz - I haven’t watched in humans, but I think I will know that I have watched she hulk
Mugens
Mugens - 12/27/2022, 7:16 AM
@bobevanz - No tie, my own opinion of course. The "Inhumans" was and is definitely the worst. Not even close, although I will admit some of the casting in "The Inhumans" was good.
Reginator
Reginator - 12/27/2022, 1:03 PM
@bobevanz - did you ever see the Thor episode of the Incredible Hulk tv show?
ForceofWakanda
ForceofWakanda - 12/27/2022, 3:52 PM
@bobevanz -

Marvel wants us to forget Inhumans ever happened lmao
DannyBrandy20
DannyBrandy20 - 12/27/2022, 6:22 AM
Recast and reboot Iron Fist
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 12/27/2022, 6:22 AM
Why would an Asian actor take over the role?
Magikarpex
Magikarpex - 12/27/2022, 6:32 AM
@JonAwesome - Because people are racist and think only Asians should be able to do Kung Fu.

I know for a fact that the new Asian Iron Fist has been one of, if not the lowest selling Marvel Comics in recent years (Last 20 or so). Distributor was basically begging me to buy these for the store, offering lots of extras and exclusive covers if I bought 50 issues.
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 12/27/2022, 6:35 AM
@JonAwesome - Because "white guy trained and/or raised by monks comes back with super powers(sometimes right away or eventually goes beyond the monks who trained themselves all their lives)" is a tired trope.

I think having him be Asian, probably from the monastery that trains him, would give him a conflict between his Asian heritage, or perhaps birthright, and his identity as an American. A take like that is just slightly different enough that it's just a little more interesting and filled with inner conflict. But that's just me.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/27/2022, 8:03 AM
@EgoEgor - This kind of thing really gets me, though. Whether it's a tired trope or not, Iron Fist isn't Asian. I remember when this show was first cast and there was a small amount of backlash about Danny Rand not being cast with an Asian actor. And it's like @Magikarpex said. Isn't it kind of racist to say that an Asian should be cast as a martial artist? Isn't that stereotyping?

There's no need to race swap. Especially when it's so obviously one-sided. Not that I would want any character to be race swapped, mind you. Because I dont.
Vigor
Vigor - 12/27/2022, 8:14 AM
@CorndogBurglar - good to see we agree on something
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/27/2022, 8:26 AM
@Vigor - No one can disagree on everything, man.
HulkisHoly
HulkisHoly - 12/27/2022, 8:52 AM
@CorndogBurglar

Well said.

People don’t know what they want. They just listen to the stupid modern talking point of the day to make their consensus and fit in with what they think the mob wants whether it makes any logical sense or not.
MochaKing
MochaKing - 12/27/2022, 9:27 AM
@EgoEgor - I like that, rather than go full Asian they could go for a mixed heritage. Like American Father and Chinese Origin Mom or Vice Versa.
MCULover
MCULover - 12/27/2022, 9:31 AM
@JonAwesome - because since "Kung Fu" with David Karradine everything Asian in America has been white washed. Danny Rand is a 1970s character, set up to be the "white savior". The master of kung fu should not be white. That's why.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/27/2022, 10:45 AM
@MCULover - Shang Chi is literally known as the "Master of Kung Fu". He was created after the David Karradine Kung Fu series and he is Asian.
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 12/27/2022, 11:02 AM
@CorndogBurglar - I get it. People are attached to characters, even how they look.

I think people have to understand back in the day, especially as you go back further, that editors/writers wanted asian culture but wanted to use white heroes because that was their audience back then. Times have changed, and I don't see anything wrong with race swapping to improve diversity as long as they remain true to the source or improve upon.

Is it a stereotype to have asian characters do martial arts? Sure. But I think its far worse to have a rich white-american character do it better than them, that's more offensive imo. I'm not saying these characters shouldn't exist, but their prevalent.

Personally, I think making Danny asian makes him a better character.
1. Rich white man trains with monks and comes back a badass is an overused trope.
2. I think it makes Danny a more conflicted character.

I think making Danny an asian-american makes him more conflicted between both his heritage. The conflict between his birth-right or fate as the iron fist and his identity as an american. The conflict between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us, between who we are and who we want to be. Making him asian differentiates him from the many white savior trope characters.

To me, if it ain't an A-List character, don't race swap. But if it's B and below, unless the race is vital to who the character is, then race swap especially if it improves the character which in the case of Danny I think it would.
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 12/27/2022, 11:16 AM
@MochaKing - Yeah, that would be great. I think it gives more dimensions as a character to have him be mixed race; really gives the identity crisis issues he has more of a grounded and emotional foundation.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/27/2022, 11:21 AM
@EgoEgor - The whole idea that writers wanted to use Asian things in their writing, but wanted white characters is flawed when talking about Marvel. Shang Chi is "The Master of Kung Fu". He was created a year earlier than Danny Rand. Of the two major martial arts themed heroes in Marvel one is Asian and one is white. And only the Asian one has a nickname of "Master" of any martial art.

I see no reason to make Danny Asian. Other than trying to tick a box. And even then it's a little bit of a stereotype to think that a white person can't Master a martial art and become even better than a lot of Asians.

No one ever said Iron Fist is the best martial artist in the world. He's been beaten by others more skilled than him.

So honestly, it does feel like most people asking for a race swap are doing it simply because he's white. Because there really is no need for it.

You listed your reasons for doing it, but do any of those things make him a better character? He's already a conflicted character as it is, between his company and balancing his superhero gig and personal life. Making his conflict about his heritage doesn't feel any "better". Just different for the sake of being different.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/27/2022, 11:32 AM
@EgoEgor - Also, watching people come up with reasons for race swapping to be accepted is a funny thing. For instance, you mentioned that if a character's race is vital to who the character is, then they shouldn't be race swapped.

But anytime anything else is changed in one of these movies the excuse is always "These are the movies, not the comics. It's a different universe and things are different."

Okay, if that's the case then what is considered sacred? Nothing should be, by that excuse. "It's not the comics", right? So then why does Storm need to be part African and black? Why does Luke Cage need to be from the streets in the Bronx and black? Why can't he be white from Montana with a good upbringing? If it's different, then anything should be on the table for change. Yet, anytime race swapping a character of color comes up, that's the excuse we're given. Like suddenly comic accuracy only matters when we're talking about a character of color's race.

This is the problem, right here. A lot of people against race swapping just want to see the characters look the way they did in the comics they read. There's nothing racist or prejudice there. But people will jump through all kinds of acrobatic hoops to defend it, as long as it's only a white character. Because "it's not the comics".
Vigor
Vigor - 12/27/2022, 12:11 PM
@CorndogBurglar - true!
Vigor
Vigor - 12/27/2022, 12:13 PM
@CorndogBurglar - I have to disagree here. I'm ok with race swapping for 2 reasons

If it doesn't affect the characters back story (for instance magneto should always be Jewish)

And also because vast majority of characters created in the 40s -70s were white and male. It's REFRESHING to balance the scales sorta by introducing more color and X chromosomes
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 12/27/2022, 12:32 PM
@CorndogBurglar - You give one example, there are fare more examples no only in comics but in literature of the white savior trope. I don't think the lot of it is intentional, could very well be we want a have a mystic element but our main audiences are white males so lets have our hero be the avatar character.

"I see no reason to make Danny Asian. Other than trying to tick a box."
I just gave you character reasons for why. I think diversity is important. The world is not monochrome, not just skin color but culturally and that provides spice for writers to tell interesting characters and stories. It's also important the audience isn't just white males anymore.

Its obvious why race swapping a minority isn't the same, because 90% of characters, especially top tier characters are white. And Luke Cage's race is vital to his character, making him white changes a lot to the point its not Luke Cage anymore.

Can you make Storm white? Sure. But then you take out one of the few minority characters, and a female and an African. This might sound like checkboxes but ultimately it creates a dynamic in the X-Men group, the way the would interact, the value systems, their background stories, etc. It gives it life, makes the X-Men feel almost global in scope.

I think diversity is important, I don't understand why people push back against it? The majority of characters would still be white at the end. I think diversity just for the sake of it so writer(s)/studios can pat themselves on the back is wrong and lazy.
CorndogBurglar
CorndogBurglar - 12/27/2022, 12:55 PM
@EgoEgor - Diversity is 100% important. But there are ways of doing it without race swapping characters.

The MCU has built its entire franchise on taking B-List, and even C, D, and E list characters and making them household names. There's absolutely zero reason why they can't take their existing characters of color and put them in the spotlight. I mean, they took Shang Chi, one of their most obscure characters, and gave him a successful movie.

There's no reason it will have taken 5 phases before we get a project that focuses on War Machine. There's no reason why a Luke Cage project hasn't already been announced since Marvel got the rights back from Netflix.

Misty Knight. Brother Voodoo. Blue Marvel. Night Thrasher. Deathlok. Bill Foster (Goliath). I could go on and on. And most of those I just listed could have already been introduced in other projects if they had wanted to. Bill Foster would fit right into an Ant-Man movie,nor example.

So yeah, I don't think diversity is a reason for race swapping. Not when there is a plethora of characters of color they could use instead.
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 12/27/2022, 6:27 AM
Iron Fist is a waste of time.
EgoEgor
EgoEgor - 12/27/2022, 6:37 AM
What's the excuse for season 2? Eventhogh that was better than season 1, it was still a let down compared to all the other seasons from other shows.
Razorface1
Razorface1 - 12/27/2022, 2:26 PM
@EgoEgor - Lets be honest, most of the shows were a let down. Even JJ had only one good season.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 12/27/2022, 6:48 AM
Could’ve helped to have professional stunt fighters rather than Finn acting like he knows Kung fu.
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