'Luke Cage' Star and Showrunner Address Lackluster Season 1 Ending

When the first season of Luke Cage debuted on Netflix in 2016, there was a common reaction among the viewers: the first half was great, but the second half dipped in quality.

Series showrunner Chex Hodari Coker acknowledged the criticism of the last chunk of episodes, particularly in how well received Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali) was in the first half compared to the reception of Diamondback (Eric LaRay Harvey).

"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," Coker said to Empire's Pilot TV. "But as Jeph Loeb, the President of Marvel Television jokes, Mahershala couldn't have followed Mahershala!"

Coker went on to admit that he did not regret killing off Ali's fan-favorite villain as it raised the stakes of the series — something he hopes to continue doing in Season 2.

"Drama matches life," Coker said. "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.'"

Series star Mike Colter also recognizes the criticisms of the first season, and even though he admits to understanding why they were levied at Luke Cage he still prefers to take risks on the series.

"It was a great try," Colter said of Season 1. "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."

While some fans are clamoring for more Defenders action, Colter admitted that he prefers the solo series. But that doesn't mean they've set aside plans for a potential Heroes for Hire series.

Finn Jones will reappear this season as Danny Rand, AKA the Iron Fist, and Coker is excited to see how that changes the series.

"Danny helps Luke channel his chi," Coker said, adding that it will result "in a fight to end all fights that was just one of the most fun things we've done."

Mustafa Shakir joins the cast for Season 2, playing the villain known as Bushmaster. It remains to be seen just how he'll affect Luke and his community status in Harlem, but the character is likely to shake things up.

Luke Cage Season 2 will be available to stream on Netflix on June 22nd.

Are you excited for the new season of Luke Cage? Let us know in the comments section!

(h/t Pilot TV via CBM)