‘Luke Cage’ Star on SPOILER’s Future

Luke Cage Season 2 introduced a big new villain to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, John McIver better known as Bushmaster. Arriving in Harlem as a threat to both Luke and Mariah Dillard, the Jamaican gangster played a significant part in the major status quo changes impacting nearly every character in the Netflix series by the end of the season. Now, the actor behind Bushmaster, Mustafa Shakir, is addressing whether the villain will return.

Spoilers for Season 2 of Luke Cage below.

In Luke Cage, Bushmaster has a score to settle with Mariah (Alfre Woodard). His family has a long history with the Stokes with the Stokes essentially selling out Bushmaster’s family — Mama Mabel was even responsible for the death of Bushmaster’s mother. However, Bushmaster isn’t just a foe with a need for vengeance. He also has a measure of superpowers having survived an experimental serum (disguised as a vaccine) as a child that gave him hardened skin and increased physical prowess. He augments this power with the use of Nightshade, an herb that enhances his powers and allows him to heal from serious injuries.

However, those gifts come with strings attached as ingesting too much Nightshade breaks down the body and can cause the mind to deteriorate as well, both of which are seen on Luke Cage. Bushmaster ultimately goes home to Jamaica near the end of the season, his mind and body deeply impacted by the heavy use. It’s that retreat of sorts that leaves the door open for the villain’s return and it’s something that Shakir is hopeful will happen and Bushmaster will return, stronger than ever.

“My hope is, seeing that his dependence on Nightshade really muddled his judgment in a lot of ways… I think it was the reason for some of the extreme behavior, to be quite honest,” Shakir told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think he had some ‘roid rage’. You know what I’m saying? Just to say the least! So, I would like for him to master his powers. Because what gives him his strength is internal. It’s not the Nightshade.”

During the season, Bushmaster is seen to be somewhat dependent on Nightshade, but it’s also hinted that the real power already exists within Bushmaster with the herb only bringing the power to the surface. It’s that idea that Shakir would like to see explored in the future.

“The Nightshade, as they say, it reveals,” he explained. “It shows what’s already there. So, he’s already got specialness. He survived those inoculations that killed those other kids. He took the healing when he was shot in the stomach. I want him to be able to step into having a greater capacity to control himself without overdoing it. I think it limits the amount of power that he can actually express. Maybe if he goes back to Nine Mile and takes those diluted concoctions of Nightshade, he’ll tune in to the waterfalls and the nature around him, and really become more powerful. Maybe that power can somehow come back to Harlem and do some good.”

If Bushmaster does return to Harlem to “do some good”, he’ll find Mariah gone. She died at the end of the season, poisoned by her own daughter. Her death left Harlem — and Harlem’s Paradise — squarely in Luke’s hands. It’s a scenario that Shakir thinks might make for an interesting return for Bushmaster.

“I think with my imagination sometimes, I feel like Luke is going to go nuts in the street and they’re going to be like, ‘Luke, what have you become? We need to get somebody who can beat up Luke Cage,’” Shakir said. “And then they come back, and they go to Jamaica and find [Bushmaster]: ‘This is the only guy who was able to do it.’ I know exactly how that intersection would happen. But I think as a broad point, I think it’ll be a lot of gray areas. At least I hope so, because that’s a lot more interesting to me.”

Luke Cage Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

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