Things have certainly changed for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The end of Avengers: Endgame marks the end of an extraordinary era and the beginning of something new. I hope that this new era is just as good as the last one, if not better. Without the likes of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark or Chris Evans’ Captain America around, I’d say this next phase has big shoes to fill. However, this next phase isn’t all about movies like the last one. With the creation of Disney+, Marvel has a whole new batch of television shows. They’re introducing some great characters from the comics while continuing the stories of some characters from the movies. I’m excited for all of them, but I think they’re missing some key characters.
Back when Marvel was in good water with Netflix, they delivered a good batch of Marvel shows. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the Punisher were the shows that kept going. They were all technically in the MCU, but none of them met the Avengers. There were references to the Battle of New York, Hammer Industries, and Sokovia, but it was mostly frivolous. On top of that, all the shows were far more graphic and violent than the movies. It really felt like they really weren’t connected to the movies, but they’re all still canonically connected.
It sounds weird, but it makes us fans question how Marvel intends to use those characters in the future. Will they even bring them back? If they do, will they bring back the same actors to reprise their roles? All fair questions, but with more heroes joining the MCU, I see no reason to leave these characters out.
Recently, Charlie Cox has been rumored to be in talks to reprise the role of Daredevil for Spider-Man 3. First of all, heck yes. I’m all for it. But if Charlie Cox is coming back, what about the rest of the Marvel Netflix actors? Reports have suggested that Kevin Feige likes only certain actors from the Netflix shows. His favorites are apparently Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Kristen Ritter (Jessica Jones), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), and Vincent D’Onofrio (Kingpin). Oddly enough, Mike Colter (Luke Cage) and Finn Jones (Iron Fist) were not on his list.
I personally dug Mike Colter as Luke Cage. He really fit the best qualities of the character and introduced us to a working-class hero who stood up for the underprivileged. I’d like to see him return to the character, but Colter himself has recently said that no one from Marvel has called him and he’s not holding his breath. And then there is Finn Jones. The guy’s got a lot of hate for his performance as Iron Fist, unfairly so. He was the victim of an unprepared crew and script, but he did improve overtime.
It’s just a shame he never got the chance to really shine as the character. Heck, both characters got their shows cancelled just when they took a major turn for their characterizations. Luke became a club boss and Iron Fist gained new powers. It’s sad we won’t get to see how that played out for both characters.
Well, with all these new Marvel shows coming to Disney+, I think they should add one more. If Kevin Feige won’t bring back Mike Colter and Finn Jones, that’s fine, but he should bring back Luke Cage and Iron Fist. They’re awesome characters and they’re one of the best buddy duos in comics. Speaking of which, I remember when Iron Fist fought with Luke Cage in Luke’s second season and fans were begging for a Heroes for Hire show. That probably won’t happen with their versions of the characters, but it can still happen with new actors playing Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
In the comics, Luke Cage and Iron Fist team up to become a crimefighting duo and make a career out of it. The implication is in the title, Heroes for Hire. Just like Claire Temple told Luke that firefighters and cops get paid to provide service, Luke decides to become a hero for hire. He didn’t want to do it alone, so he got his buddy Iron Fist to help him out. For real, they even made business cards for themselves. Superheroes with business cards? That’s hilarious.
I think a Heroes for Hire show would be a blast on Disney+. I’d like to think of it as the Batman and Robin version of Falcon and The Winter Soldier. While Falcon and the Winter Soldier take on more political and foreign threats, Luke Cage and Iron Fist take on the crimes of the street. They protect the little guys, the working-class, and the unfortunates who live in poverty. Payment isn’t charity for them. They don’t do it for money, but they do need it. With all the work they do for their city, they do deserve something in return.
That’s what would make their show so fun. Not only would it include some cool action, but show us what it would be like to basically be a freelance superhero. It’s something these two characters can debate about, but the thing is, everything they debate about is fun to watch. They can bicker, they can have laughs, but seeing their conflict would be most interesting.
One of the best scenes from the Defenders was when Luke and Danny Rand were having that debate in Coleen’s dojo. Danny had a rather ignorant view on the lower-class resorting to crime in order to find work, whereas Luke recognized his privilege and told him it clouded his judgement. Their chemistry and building friendship was one of the highlights of the show and their contrasting personalities, backgrounds, and fighting styles is what made it work.
These are the kind of things that can be expanded on in a Heroes for Hire show. Watching the rich kid and martial arts prodigy join forces with the brawling hero of Harlem to fight criminals? Very much yes. I always thought of the movie characters as the guys who are fighting the aliens, the killer robots, and the threats that force them to go overseas. Heroes like Luke Cage and Iron Fist are the ones who are on the streets of America fighting the gangsters and the lowlife thugs threatening average citizens. A Heroes for Hire show can be the opposite from the others and show us what that’s like. With all the new shows that are coming on Disney+, I don’t see the harm in adding another. Plus, it’ll be fun to see those characters in the MCU again.
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