Netflix’s SDCC Trailer Positions ‘Marvel’s Luke Cage’ As A Superhero In The Age Of Black Lives Matter

As you’re probably aware, one of the most exciting and important conventions kicked off this week. No, I’m not taking about the 2016 Republican National Convention (though, I suppose that is important…); I’m referring to San Diego Comic-Con. It started out years ago as a conference for comic book fans to trade rare issues and meet their favorite creators. Now it is the premiere showcase for Hollywood’s future hits.

Netflix and Marvel had a big day yesterday. During the Netflix panel, fans not only found out that both Daredevil and Marvel’s Jessica Jones will be back for new seasons, but they got their first sneak peeks at Marvel’s Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and, yes, Defenders.

The big focus of the Netflix panel was on Marvel’s Luke Cage. Fans met Luke Cage as a scene-stealing supporting character in last fall’s spellbinding Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Now he’s leading his own series set in the heart of Harlem. Netflix dropped this new teaser and…we need to talk about it.

The main focus is on a single action sequence wherein Luke Cage fights his way through a mob of gangsters in a series of fortified hallways. It’s exciting for two reasons. One, it evokes Daredevil’s explosive “hallway fight scene” from Season One. In doing so, we see Luke in the same vein as Matt – a superhero fighting against all odds  — but we’re also seeing the marked differences between the two. Luke doesn’t rely on dazzling skills, but his bulletproof skin and brute strength.

However, the big takeaway here is the imagery. Luke Cage, clad in a hoodie (like Trayvon Martin), is fighting his way past and through gunshots. There’s something distinctly political about seeing a tall, strong black man whose superpower is being bulletproof in 2016. While the headlines are full of weekly (and sometimes daily) reports of police brutality against blacks, Luke Cage is a hero built to overcome these obstacles. He is a superhero made for the age of Black Lives Matter.

For what it’s worth, I wasn’t able to attend the panel, but I have seen the first seven episodes of Marvel’s Luke Cage. Legal agreements make it impossible for me to reveal anything about the series, but I think it’s okay for me to confirm that, as the teaser suggests, the show is a powerful meditation on what it’s like to be a black man in America. In fact, I can’t think of a single show that deals with the experience with as much empathy, philosophy, nuance — and entertainment. It’s definitely going to be a lightning rod of a series that will spark amble debate. But let’s move on, lest I say more…

Yesterday’s panel also gave us our first sneak peek at Netflix’s fourth standalone Marvel superhero series: Marvel’s Iron Fist. This series has already been beset by controversy — namely casting controversy. Iron Fist, or Danny Rand, is a wealthy white American man who gets lost and stranded in a mystical city built upon Asian appropriation. There was a petition to update the character for the modern age by casting an Asian-American actor in the role. However, producers went with Game of Thrones alum Finn Jones (aka Loras Tyrell).

This short teaser confirms that we will see a young Danny lose his wealthy family in a plane crash and that he will be rescued by mystical Asian monks. When we see him as an adult in New York City, he is barefoot on the streets and bound to a bed in a psych ward. My guess is that the trailer is confirming that we will get a mystical martial arts tale, but there will also be a mystery (and an exploration of mental health issues…maybe?).

Marvel’s Iron Fist won’t debut until 2017 — which is when another hotly anticipated Netflix/Marvel collaboration is coming…

Marvel’s Defenders will unite Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in a battle to save New York City. The moody teaser shown yesterday is short on footage and big on establishing atmosphere. Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” is the theme song and we hear Scott Glen, Stick on Daredevil, chastise the would-be heroes for their ineptitude. No word yet on when we’ll see footage.

Marvel’s Luke Cage premieres globally on Netflix on September 30th.

[Watch Daredevil]
[Watch Marvel’s Jessica Jones]