Mike Colter on Where Luke Cage’s Arc Would Have Gone in Season 3

Former Luke Cage star Mike Colter says the planned third season of the cancelled Marvel-inspired Netflix series would have explored “another direction” for the bulletproof superhero, who would have stepped up as Harlem’s designated defender and decision-maker.

“I think it was the start of something,” Colter said at Fan Expo Dallas, attended by ComicBook.com. Series creator Cheo Hodari Coker “envisioned another start, another journey, another direction for Luke Cage to go into so we can sort of explore,” Colter added.

“He’s trying all this stuff where he’s doing the right thing and trying to make sure he abides by the law and [be] morally accountable.”

Season 2 ended with Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) leave Cage Harlem’s Paradise, setting up Harlem’s hero as the new de facto rule of law. Giving the superpowered Cage this new level of power and responsibility would have opened the door for new avenues when exploring Harlem’s criminal underworld.

“That fact that you’re doing anything against these people who are not abiding by the rules, you’re going to always end up one step behind and I think the frustration got to him,” Colter said.

“And I think we’re going to see what it would be like if he had crossed the line on more than one occasion, or did. He had to get things done as opposed to, like, worrying about the optics, how the neighborhood sees him, how people accept him.”

Cage’s new seat on the throne as a do-gooder “crime boss” was “an interesting place to take him because, again, having powers, but not being able to do what you want to do with them is kind of frustrating,” Colter said.

“So I think [we were] gonna let him do some things that people would have been very upset about, but at the same time, I think some people would cheer for and hopefully — at the end of the day, by the time we got done — we could bring him back around to being the person that we still thought he was. You know, the person deep down, but sometimes good people do bad things, and the bad will do good things sometimes. That’s kind of what life is.”

Netflix cancelled Luke Cage just one week after cancelling sister series Iron Fist. Cancellations for Netflix’s remaining Marvel shows — Daredevil, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones — followed, leaving the streamer without its corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Fans are hopeful the characters can live on at competitor Hulu, where Disney owns a controlling interest.

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