LUKE CAGE Season 2: Major New Details Revealed About The Villains, A HEROES FOR HIRE Spinoff, And More
A huge batch of fresh intel has been revealed about Luke Cage season 2 in the first issue of Empire's Pilot magazine and the topics covered include season 1's big Diamondback mistake, and much, much more.
When Luke Cage premiered back in 2016, the response from fans and critics alike was overwhelmingly positive...well, mostly. While a bulletproof black man was exactly what the world - and America, in particular - needed to see at the time, the second half of the season went rapidly downhill but that's something you may be surprised to learn star Mike Colter and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker are well aware of. In fact, you'll find their surprising reactions to those complaints in this very article!
Simone Missick also shares her thoughts on Misty Knight's story arc in the upcoming second season, while there are also details on the villains we should expect to see, possible plans for a Heroes for Hire spinoff series, news on the improved action scenes and soundtrack, and a whole lot more.
So, to check out the full list of details, all you need to do is click on the buttons below. There aren't any spoilers here but we do get a much better feel for what we should expect from not only this series moving forward but perhaps a much larger part of this corner of the Marvel Cinematic (TV) Universe.
What's The Deal With Bushmaster?
We know that one of the lead villains in season 2 will be Bushmaster, a character from the comic books who has clashed with the likes of Luke, Danny, and Misty, on multiple occasions over the years.
This version of the villain is described as "bullet resistant" by Coker and he explains that "It's not gonna bounce off, but he has his ways of healing. And he has very similar strength to Luke in terms of being able to take a punch and give a punch." With that in mind, it sounds like we should definitely expect to see these two come to blows but what is the showrunner hoping he brings to the table?
"Jamaica has always been a country of resistance," he says, touching on Bushmaster's Carribean background. "They were the first to cast off their shackles and say, 'We have our own government, this is how we're doing things.' We put a lot of that stuff into the character of Bushmaster."
Where Do We Find Luke At The Start Of Season 2?
After serving his time behind bars, things are finally starting to look up for Luke but as Colter explains, that doesn't necessarily mean things will remain all peachy for Power Man for the foreseeable!
"Yeah, everything seems wonderful, he's got a girlfriend, all thumbs up. What could go wrong, right?" the actor laughs. "But Luke is his own worst enemy, and that's something I enjoy playing about him, because he doesn't necessarily understand the results of his actions. He's fallible and he makes mistakes. He's got an edge, he's got a chip on his shoulder, he's got to discover his own popularity and enjoy it a bit. He's learning on the fly what it is to be someone everybody recognises, to be someone everyone in Harlem looks to for answers. It's a lot of responsibility."
As for whether or not Luke will start charging for his services as a hero for, well, hire, Colter wouldn't say but it does sound like his friends will be pushing him to stop doing this thing for free in season 2.
What's Misty Knight's New Status Quo?
After seeing her lose her arm in The Defenders, fans were understandably excited to see what comes next for Misty Knight and we thankfully haven't had to wait too long for answers. However, it sounds like the detective will be struggling with her new status quo when the season kicks off.
"It's her shooting hand, it's her basketball hand, it's her everything," Missick says, referring to the character's newfound disability and the impact it will have on her. "How does this person who is identified by her strength and her power as a cop do that job? She can't. So we see Misty at the top of the season walking away from the thing that defined her." However, while she may not be a cop, it sounds like Misty will see plenty of action as Missick adds: "I've got a lot more stunts this season."
How Will Luke And Danny's Friendship Evolve?
Not much was revealed about the role Finn Jones' Iron Fist will play in season 2 of Luke Cage but even if his appearance is a brief one, it sounds like he'll have quite the impact on Power Man!
"Danny helps Luke channel his chi," Coker says, which results "in a fight to end all fights that was just one of the most fun things we've done." What exactly that means for Luke moving forward remains to be seen but he's clearly going to find some unique new ways to channel his abilities.
How Will The Season 2 Make Up For The Diamondback Disaster?
It's widely agreed that Luke Cage started going off the rails the second Cottonmouth was killed off and some of the decisions made with Diamondback in the second half of the season were definitely questionable. Surprisingly, that's something Coker is more than happy to acknowledge here.
"The standard conventional wisdom is that the show was great up until episode 7, and then went downhill because Diamondback wasn't as good a villain as Cottonmouth," he admits. "But as Jeph Loeb, the President of Marvel Television jokes, Mahershala couldn't have followed Mahershala!" That's a fair point but also a somewhat dubious excuse as everything about Diamondback sucked!
Just How High Will The Stakes Be?
While killing Cottonmouth may have been a mistake, Coker doesn't regret the decision because he believes it will have a positive impact on season two due to fans realising that no one in the series is safe. "Drama matches life," the showrunner states. "Anyone can die at any time. Doing that in season 1 says, 'People aren't safe in season 2. At any time, for any reason, people could go.'"
What Did Mike Colter Think About Season 1?
Actors will often gloss over the failings of the movies and TV shows they star in, so it's refreshing to see those working on Luke Cage admit that some mistakes were made and that they're trying their best to now make up for those. It's impossible to fault that ethos and Colter is not only aware that some fans weren't keen on season one but points out they're handling things differently now.
"It was a great try," he confesses when asked about that first run of episodes. "Some people enjoy the full season. Some really felt the second part was not as strong as the first. And I get both...but you've got to take a chance to make your series different, and I thought it was commendable. If people thought it was a miss, that's fine. We have a different approach for the next season."
Which Other Villains Will We See?
The magazine confirms that Gabrielle Dennis will be playing Nightshade, a character from the comic books who was a biochemist with a strong interest in lycanthropy. She uses potions, manipulation and seduction as a means to get her own way and if that doesn't work she also has an army of wolves ready to tear you apart but just how much of this will make it into the show is unclear.
Will The Action Scenes In Season 2 Improve?
Yes! Coker was quick to point out that while there were a lot of strong action scenes in the first season, there were some misfires as well, specifically that not so epic Luke and Diamondback clash. "It's one of those things where it's like, 'Okay, how do we learn from this?' We had a brilliant director in Clark Johnson, but we had limited resources and we were still trying to figure it out," he explains. "When you look at the fight sequences in season 2, a lot of those things have been smoothed out."
It's hard to compain about that and it will be interesting seeing how Luke's powers are portrayed here.
Will We Get A Heroes For Hire Spinoff?
This is the question most fans want answering and considering the fact Iron Fist was such a disappointment, it would be no bad thing to make his second season Heroes for Hire instead! Alternatively, it could be a spinoff in the same style as The Defenders. "Me and Finn get along rather well, we're pretty cool. I think our characters play well off each other," Colter teased before making it clear that the chances of a Heroes for Hire show is "a question above my pay grade."
Coker, on the other hand, is a little more positive. "It's something that's in the air. Internally at Marvel Television, everybody knows there's a part of that combination that is inevitable, particularly when you watch them together in the way that we did it. If feels right. It feels good. It feels like, 'I want to see more of this combination. Heroes for Hire is really not off the table.'"
Are We Getting Another Awesome Soundtrack?
The first season of Luke Cage boasted some awesome tunes and it sounds like the same will apply to season two. Coker promises "even better music" this time, with "actual music legends" appearing.
Does Colter Want To Return To The Defenders?
The Defenders was something fans were really excited about but then it debuted and proved to be something of a disappointment. So, how would Colter feel about a second chance to pair up with the likes of Daredevil and Jessica Jones? "It's always nice to see your favourites play together but the stakes to the game are not as high as when they play for their own individual teams."
He's clearly not overly keen then and seems far more interested in focusing on his solo series for now.
How Will Season 2 Change Luke Cage?
"When you get to the finale, some of the things that happen to Luke and that Luke does, you're left thinking, 'okay, did I even really know this guy?'" Coker teases when asked the question you see above. "Because there's such a shift that happens in the finale. But one that makes sense!'" He went on to add that fans may want to then rewatch all 26 episodes so this is clearly going to be something big. With any luck, it won't be controversial enough to put fans off a season 3!
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