When Disney decided that Marvel Studios would take charge of Marvel Television for its new streaming platform, the TV shows which originated on Netflix were quickly cancelled. That meant Luke Cage wrapped up after just two seasons with a major cliffhanger which saw Power Man become the new Kingpin of Crime in Harlem.
Cage did briefly appear in the third and final season of Jessica Jones to offer the P.I. some friendly advice, but that did little to offer any sort of closure for the character.
The decision to take the hero down what appeared to be a villainous route was not well-received by fans. However, we've long had good reason to believe a twist might have been coming or that Luke would soon realise attempting to control crime wasn't as simple as fighting it.
Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker has today taken to X to reveal the episode titles for season 3. They don't reveal much, unfortunately, though it's probably safe to assume that Power Man is the one who'd become "Public Enemy #1."
Mike Colter has made it clear he's done with the role and, thus far, we've seen nothing to suggest Marvel Studios has any plans for the character either in Daredevil: Born Again or any other MCU movies or TV shows.
Way back in 2021, the actor said this about where he'd have liked to see Luke Cage go next:
"There were so many places we could have taken it. There’s obviously the Alias series where Jessica and Luke had a child and had this adult life they were trying to live, and there’s this moment where they are working out their blue collar, making ends meet life together, which is very interesting. There’s the journey that Luke had in his own series with Harlem’s Paradise, where he’s taken over the club, and is he gonna be a bad guy or a guy that is on the other side of the law, and who’s gonna stop him. That was another interesting thing to watch, with him maybe being a little gangster, and that would’ve been cool too."
"So, I don’t think there’s any closure to it, nor do I feel like we were able to get any of that closure by having the appearance in Jessica Jones, but it is what it is. It’s one of those things where we’ll just never know. There are a lot of shows that live in that space where it’s like, 'Oh, man!' It’s unfortunate, but that’s just one of the things that happens in television sometimes."
Do you think Netflix's Luke Cage deserves a revival under Marvel Studios' watch?