The Defenders are slowly being brought into the Marvel Studios fold. The ball got rolling with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which introduced Charlie Cox's Man Without Fear into the MCU. After that, Daredevil: Born Again made every single Defenders season released by Netflix official MCU canon. The show also referenced Luke Cage in Episode 2, "Optics," with a Harlem's Paradise sign. Marvel Studios continued to embrace the Netflix era by announcing Krysten Ritter's return as Jessica Jones for Born Again Season 2.
Furthermore, Jon Bernthal is confirmed to return as the Punisher for his own Special Presentation and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The only Defender who's seemingly been forgotten is Finn Jones' Danny Rand. Jones has been eager to reprise his superhero role, and his return has been speculated about multiple times in the past. Nothing has come of it so far, but now, the actor has reignited online chatter about an Iron Fist comeback.
The Iron Fist star recently posted an Instagram story of a Taekwondo dojo, with the outline of a person throwing a high kick:
Aside from his mystical fist, the one thing Iron Fist is known for is his martial arts proficiency. As such, Jones was probably aware of the speculation a post like this would spark. It's worth noting this isn't the first time Jones' social media posts have made fans wonder if a return to the Marvel Universe is in store for him. In May, the actor posted a picture of himself with Jessica Henwick, who played Colleen Wing in Iron Fist and The Defenders. The post was captioned "Reunion."
Now, of course, we also can't ignore the possibility that Jones could have simply been sharing imagery that reminded him of his time as the Immortal Iron Fist. Having said that, as previously mentioned, the actor has been very vocal about his desire to rejoin the Marvel Universe. In 2024, speaking with The Nerd Shepherd, Jones stated:
"I think I'm in a place professionally where I would like to continue to grow with that character." He also expressed his desire to reteam with Mike Colter's Luke Cage for a potential Heroes for Hire show: "I would love to see the chemistry between me and Mike again. It was always fantastic. I think those are really interesting characters to put together. If they would bring me and Mike back to do a 'Heroes For Hire' TV series, I think it would be the right way."
Then, in early 2025, during a convention appearance, Jones said he was ready to prove himself as the Immortal Iron Fist: "[There is a lot of willingness] for the fans to see that happen. There's a lot of willingness for the fans to see that not happen, as well. Like, I'm very aware of the critiques of the character and my role in it. My response to that is, "Give me a f*cking chance, man." I'm here and I'm ready, and I wanna prove people wrong. And so, yeah, I would love to see that happen."
Given the consistency with which he shares his excitement about the role, his Instagram Story could have realistically been a sign that he will be making his way to the MCU. Jones is a talented actor and has the added benefit of looking like he was ripped straight out of an Iron Fist comic. With better material, he has the potential to cement himself as one of the all-time great castings of the superhero genre.
With any luck, we'll get an answer to the speculation surrounding his character when Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 arrives on March 4, 2026.
Do you think Jones was teasing an Iron Fist return? Would you like to see him back as the character? Leave your thoughts in the comments.