If you watched Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 on the 2026 TV schedule like I did, the latest rumor about Season 3 may not come as a huge surprise, but that doesn’t mean I’m not psyched! It sounds like there is at least a decent chance that The Defenders (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist) will be fully reunited in Season 3, and I really hope that is the case. It’s all still rumor at this point, but the amount of smoke is growing, and a fire seems more and more likely. Here’s what we know.

The Reunion That Started In Season 2 Will Allegedly Expand In Season 3

After Disney+ successfully revived what was formerly Netflix’s little corner of Marvel with the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, the streamer upped the ante by adding Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) to the fold in Season 2. Then, after a couple of mentions, we finally got our first look at Luke Cage (Mike Colter) since his own show ended in 2018 at the very end of the season finale. That left just one Defender unaccounted for, Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist (Finn Jones).

Rumors have quickly spread that Iron Fist would be part of Season 3, and this was more or less confirmed when photos of Mike Colter and Finn Jones on set appeared online. Now, a new rumor leans into that and claims that up to half of the upcoming season of Daredevil: Born Again would be about The Defenders. My Time to Shine Hello, who is known for his scoops on X, wrote:

If you’ll recall, Season 2 ended with Daredevil (well, Matt Murdock) getting arrested for being a “vigilante” in the outgoing Mayor Wilson Fisk’s New York, where such behavior was deemed illegal. It sounds like allies are ready to pick up where Daredevil left off, with the potential for a Heroes for Hire project if all goes well.

I Really Hope All Four Defenders Are Involved

I am a big fan of the Marvel shows that started on Netflix with the original Daredevil and continued with spinoffs Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Eventually, they all came together in the 8-episode show The Defenders. Those shows have now migrated away from Netflix into the official MCU and can be seen with a Disney+ subscription. I didn’t love The Defenders, but I don’t think Netflix gave them a fighting chance, as the whole enterprise seemed to be running on fumes at the end. I can’t wait to see if Disney+ can revive the superhero team and incorporate them even more into the MCU.

We all know the Avengers are returning on the 2026 movie schedule in Avengers: Doomsday, and I really liked 2025’s Thunderbolts* (though, a Daredevil cameo would have made it better), so bringing back another great superhero team like Defenders is exactly the kind of thing I want from the MCU. Especially because this was a team that started small and grew organically on screen, and that’s how I think things should be done. We’ve got a while to wait for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 and see if these rumors are true, but it makes total sense, so there’s no reason to believe it’s not true.

This seems to be the era of comebacks within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and there’s one that’s happening amid the 2026 TV schedule. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones is set to return sometime during Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, and that comes about a year after the reappearances of Karen Page, Frank Castle and more beloved characters. Another one of the former Netflix stars I’d like to see again in some capacity is Luke Cage, as played by Mike Colter. Yet, if that happens, I have a request.

One Specific Aspect Of Luke Cage’s Journey Needs To Be Kept Intact

Cage’s eponymous show – which ran for two seasons from 2016 to 2018 – ended with Mariah Stokes-Dillard bequeathing the Harlem’s Paradise nightclub to Luke. An antagonist to Luke, Mariah left her business to the hero in the hopes that the amount of power he’d obtain would corrupt him without him realizing it. The final few minutes of the series finale seemed to allude to just that, as Cage took over business and established himself as Harlem’s new “sheriff,” much to the chagrin of Det. Mercedes “Misty” Knight.

The notion of the amiable Luke Cage losing his moral compass – in the pursuit of a crime-less city – is a tough pill to swallow. At the time the show was canceled, I was intrigued by the notion of seeing Cage grapple with morality while trying to protect his city, and I still am. It’s for that reason that if Colter reprises Cage, I sincerely hope his status as the “sheriff” won’t be discarded. I honestly wouldn’t mind if he eventually found his way back on the path of the hero, but it’d be great to see Cage experience an internal crisis first.

It’s been nearly seven years since Luke last appeared in the MCU, as he briefly popped up on Jessica Jones’ final episode. Given that, I’m concerned that any writers or producers tasked with ushering Cage back into the continuity will just establish that he saw the error of his ways in the time since fans last saw him. That’s certainly an easy way to go, but the more compelling narrative route would arguably be for Luke to still be holding onto those unsavory ideals when he appears again.

What Are The Chances Of Luke Cage Being Brought Back Into The MCU At All?

There’s been speculation regarding Cage’s supposed return for some time now, and that chatter has increased since Daredevil, Jessica Jones and others have been reintegrated into the MCU. Mike Colter has been fielding questions about a potential reprisal for years, and it feels like such queries have been coming more frequently as of late. In a recent interview, Colter said the time had come for Cage to return, and he even confirmed he’d had “discussions” with Marvel about it.

Not only that but, during a separate chat, Colter also said he’d love to come back and continue the “sheriff” material. All in all, Colter wants to “see him find out what it’s like to have the power and complete control” and see “if he can do the right thing and at the same time, keep his hands from getting dirty.” I’m right there with Colter.

Of course, like other fans, I’ll just have to wait and see if Luke’s return actually comes to pass, though I’m feeling hopeful that it will. I’m just also hoping it doesn’t come at the expense of some sweet character material. In the meantime, stream all of Luke Cage now using a Disney+ subscription.

During the Marvel Netflix show era, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage was one of the programming line’s main superheroes. After being introduced in Jessica Jones as a romantic interest for Krysten Ritter’s title character, the super strong, bulletproof man went on to lead his own TV show for two seasons and join forces with Jessica, Daredevil and Iron Fist in The Defenders. With that era having ended a long time ago, Colter has explained why “now it’s time” for Luke Cage to jump back into action for one of the upcoming Marvel TV shows.

Mike Colter stopped by Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum to discuss his career, and towards the end of their conversation, the Smallville actor asked him if there will ever be a Luke Cage comeback. Colter said back in January that he’s had “conversations” with Marvel about a potential return, and his latest comments make it sound like him reprising the role is more a question of when it will happen rather than if:

Characters from the Netflix era have slowly been making a comeback in the MCU ever since Charlie Cox cameoed as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Following full Daredevil appearances in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo, Cox is now leading the Disney+ subscription-exclusive Daredevil: Born Again, and Krysten Ritter returns as Jessica Jones in Born Again Season 2 on the 2026 TV schedule later this month. So from Mike Colter’s perspective, with Daredevil and Jessica Jones back in play, plus enough time passing for him since he last played Luke Cage, he’s ready to revisit the superhero. The Evil alum continued:

When we left off with Luke Cage at the end of his own series, he’d decided to install himself as the “sheriff” of Harlem after taking over Mariah Stokes-Dillard’s club so he could keep a tighter grip on the criminal activity in the area. Mike Colter expressed interest late last month in exploring his character having “the power and complete control of the neighborhood,” while at the same time doing the right thing without getting his hands dirty. Now that the actor has kept busy with other roles over the last several years, he’s game to jump back into the MCU, so let’s hope these conversations he’s been having with Marvel are fruitful.

While a Luke Cage revival would be fantastic, I’d gladly accept the character being squeezed into Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, which is about to begin filming. It’d be even better if Jessica Jones stuck around as well so these two former lovers could reunite. For now, we can look forward to Born Again Season 2 premiering Tuesday, March 24 on Disney+.

If you were a fan of the Marvel TV shows that originally ran on Netflix, then life is about to get very good. Not only are we just a couple of weeks away from the debut of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, but the new season will also see the return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones. Of course, with Daredevil and Jessica officially part of the MCU continuity again, it leads one to wonder if we might see the other characters from those series return, like Mike Colter’s Luke Cage.

Speaking with The Direct, Colter openly admitted that there have been “conversations” between him and Marvel, indicating that a potential return is at least possible. However, Colter says there are some things he would want for his character if a return happened, including picking up where the Netflix show left off. Coulter said…

The final season of Luke Cage on Netflix saw the character become the de facto king of Harlem. He had taken over the Harlem’s Paradise nightclub and had essentially decided to deal with crime in the area by being the one who controlled it. Of course, such a position had the potential to lead Cage down a darker road, and it sounds like Mike Colter would really like to explore that. He continued…

When it was first announced that the Netflix Marvel shows were making the jump to Disney+, I was hopeful that new seasons of the shows might be possible. Luke Cage specifically was left in a very interesting place, one that would have likely made a new season very different from those that came before.

Another thing Miker Colter would want to see if he returned to the MCU is a bit more consistency in his character. He admitted to feeling there were “continuity issues” last time around with his character, and he seemingly would like to see Luke Cage handled more efficiently. He explained…

If there are already conversations going with Marvel Studios, then the return of Luke Cage is at least possible. Perhaps he could appear in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again Season 3. If we do see a version like the character Mike Colter described, it could be a lot of fun to watch and see how Luke Cage has handled the last few years in the MCU.

In 2019, it appeared that the era of MCU shows on Netflix was dead. All of the shows were cancelled, with Jessica Jones and The Punisher streaming their respective final seasons, and it was suggested that the special corner of the franchise was destined to be ignored by all the other various developments. Since then, however, things have changed significantly, with titles ranging from Spider-Man: No Way Home to Hawkeye to She-Hulk: Attorney At Law to Daredevil: Born Again bringing back the canonical heroes and villains. So far, we’ve seen the returns of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, Wilson Bethel's Bullseye, and Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher, and Krysten Ritter will soon be back as Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. But what about Mike Colter as Luke Cage in an upcoming MCU project?

To date, we haven’t gotten any official word about the Evil star coming back to play Marvel’s indestructible hero from Harlem… but recent comments from the actor suggest that his time playing the role may not be finished. Colter was recently a guest on the podcast Shawn Stockman's On That Note, and when he was asked about “possibilities” of reprising his role as Luke Cage, he didn’t shut down the idea, and instead noted that he has recently been talking with people about it. He told the host

Conversations with who? We have no idea – but it feels fair to assume he’s not referring to chats he has had with his wife about the return of Luke Cage (it would render the above not to be a lie, but it would most certainly qualify as misleading). This could suggest that there is a plan in place for him to come back, or it could mean that he has simply talked with someone at Marvel about his interest level in returning. It’s not yet breath-holding time.

It would certainly be nice to see the return of Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, if not especially because his show’s second season ended with a bit of a cliffhanger – specifically with the titular hero put in the position of taking over the club Harlem Paradise and taking charge of crime in the New York City borough. Fans have been waiting since June 2018 for some kind of continuation.

Mike Colter is personally very aware that the story of Luke Cage has not been fully told. While he has kept busy in the years since the Netflix show ended (starring in the aforementioned series Evil and movies like 2023’s Plane with Gerard Butler), he still has a personal love of Marvel and a desire to bring back his powerful hero. He added during the podcast appearance,

In regards to where things stand with the Marvel Netflix characters in the MCU, fans can not only anticipate the next season of Daredevil: Born Again with Jessica Jones, but there are also plans for a Punisher special, and the Jon Bernthal character will be part of the ensemble in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. As for Mike Colter’s potential future as Luke Cage, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as you can expect us to report on it as soon as any official news breaks.

It has been two years since Gerard Butler and Mike Colter teamed up for Plane, one of the best action movies of 2023, and nearly as long since it was announced that a sequel was in the works. The movie, which followed a commercial pilot and a suspected murderer as they teamed up to protect passengers after their plane crashed in the middle of a civil war, was a genuinely fun, exciting, and action-packed cinematic experience, and one of Butler’s best movies.

Now that Plane is popular with those who have a Netflix subscription, including myself, I’m starting to think about the sequel announced many months ago and wondering what’s going on with it, and when, or if, we’ll ever see it. Here’s what I’ve found so far…

I Forgot All About Plane Until It Randomly Popped Up On Netflix

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Plane when it came out in January 2023. I saw it opening weekend, I preached the gospel of Jean-Francois Richet’s intense action thriller, and I had so many thoughts about it. However, there have been several more Geard Butler movies that have come out since then, and I forgot all about the movie until it randomly popped up on Netflix. Just like Geostorm, which gained a massive following on Netflix years after its release, Plane is topping the charts.

Going back and revisiting it was a ton of fun. There may not be any “Big Nick” type scenes like that party sequence from Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and Butler isn’t smoking heaters left and right, but this genuinely fun throwback action thriller goes hard at times.

Most of all, all the new buzz surrounding Plane has me curious as to what’s going on with a sequel that has the most appropriate title ever: Ship. Well, let me take on you a guided tour of everything that’s been said about the movie since its announcement more than two years ago.

The Plane Sequel, Ship, Was Announced Right After The Original Tore Into Theaters In Early 2023

Back in February 2023, when Plane was still in the middle of its $75-million box office run, Variety reported that the aptly titled Ship was in the works. The announcement of a sequel exactly one month after the first movie opened in theaters was quite a move and a sign that producers MadRiver Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, and G-BASE Productions were more than optimistic about the budding action movie franchise.

On top of that, the report also stated that there were plans to start shooting the sequel at some point before the end of the year. Those plans, however, would not end up happening, as filming didn’t start that year or any year since then, and I’m left wondering what’s going to happen with the sequel that people were really stoked on just two years ago.

The Action Thriller Would Focus On Mike Colter's Character After The Events Of The First Film

One of the strangest yet most interesting aspects of Ship is the fact that Butler’s former RAF pilot and current commercial pilot, Brodie Torrance, isn’t going to be the main focus of the Plane sequel. Instead, as pointed out in the Variety article mentioned above, the movie will instead follow Mike Colter’s Louis Gaspare, a former GCP French Foreign Legionnaire accused of murder who was being transported to Toronto to face charges in the first movie.

Set after the events of the first film, which saw Gaspare fight off the remaining rebels so that Torrance could get the passengers and himself to safety before running into the jungle with a bag of cash and a newfound sense of freedom, the sequel will follow the legionnaire in the immediate aftermath of his escape. According to the report, Gaspare, who is at the center of an international manhunt, will become a stowaway on a cargo ship that is actually a transport vessel for a massive human trafficking operation. And so it begins again…

It Sounds Like The 2023 Writers And Actors Strikes Put Ship On Hold

It was smooth sailing for Ship as the Plane sequel prepared to leave the harbor and get things started, but then came a massive setback in the form of the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that brought Hollywood to a standstill for a large chunk of the year. In March 2025, two years after the movie was first announced, Colter told Collider that the strike made a mess of things:

It remains to be seen whether or not the pause brought on by the union strikes is just slowing things down or if it put an abrupt end to the sequel’s plans. Hopefully, it’s the former and not the latter.

Though Gerard Butler's Not Supposed To Be Starring, Maybe These Delays Will Open It Up For Brodie Torrance's Return

Though I’m bummed that we haven’t gotten a continuation of the Plane franchise after all this time, I’m hopeful that the delays will allow Butler to return for Ship in some capacity. Butler, who most recently appeared in the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, has a stacked schedule with the long-in-the-works Greenland 2 and the highly anticipated Den of Thieves 3, but hopefully, he can make time to bring back one of his best characters in recent memory.

I mean, who doesn’t want to see Brodie Torrance fly plans, shoot guns, and kick all kinds of ass again?

Who knows, maybe we’ll see Ship take up a spot on the 2026 movie schedule after everything is said and done. I’m hoping for the best, as I need to see more of this series…

In any case-of-the-week procedural, you get a slew of guest stars popping in and out. However, in The Good Wife, the army of talent Robert and Michelle King’s show assembled to support the cast of regulars is next level. From actors we already knew and loved when the show was airing on CBS in the 2010s to performers who have since become A-list names, this list is really a who’s-who of Hollywood’s finest talents.

Pedro Pascal - Nathan Landry - 6 Episodes

These days, we know Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four or Joel in The Last of Us. However, before all that – and even before he died on Game of Thrones – he played the prosecutor Nathan Landry in six episodes of The Good Wife across Seasons 1 (Episodes 8, 13, 14 and 15) and 2 (Episodes 1 and 12).

Cristin Milioti - Onya Eggertson - 1 Episode

A handful of years before she was revealed as the mother of the How I Met Your Mother cast and over a decade before she stunned us all with her portrayal of Sofia Falcone in The Penguin, Cristin Milioti played the paranoid Onya Eggertson in Season 2, Episode 1 of The Good Wife.

Brian Tyree Henry - Randall Simmons - 1 Episode

In Season 2, Episode 2, Brian Tyree Henry plays Randall Simmons, a man Will and Alicia defend in military court. Of course, after this brief role, the actor went on to have an illustrious career as he starred in the hit show Atlanta and films like Causeway (for which he earned a 2023 Oscar nomination).

Rachel Brosnahan - Caitlin Fenton - 1 Episode

Rachel Brosnahan is Lois Lane in James Gunn’s Superman, and before that, she was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Before those career-defining fast-talking roles, she played Caitlin Fenton, a client Alicia worked with during Season 2, Episode 6.

Michael J. Fox - Louis Canning - 26 Episodes

I think there’s an argument to be made that The Good Wife should be considered one of Michael J. Fox’s best projects. Yes, there’s Family Ties, Back to the Future and Spin City. However, his cunning and sly lawyer Louis Canning is an incredible character who he plays to perfection in 26 episodes across Seasons 2 through 7.

Ana Gasteyer - Judge Patrice Lessner - 5 Episodes

Making sure the lawyers say “in my opinion” in their various statements is Judge Patrice Lessner’s signature move, and it’s hilarious. That funny element of this character is perfect, too, considering she’s played in Seasons 1, 2, 4 and 6 by Saturday Night Live alum and comedy genius Ana Gasteyer.

Mike Colter - Lemond Bishop - 21 Episodes

Mike Colter has become a Michelle and Robert King repertory player thanks to his leading role in the show Evil, and you likely also recognize him for playing the titular Luke Cage in the Marvel series. However, before that, he played the drug lord Lemond Bishop in 21 episodes of The Good Wife between Seasons 1 and 6.

Melissa Benoist - Molly - 1 Episode

I was introduced to Melissa Benoist when she appeared on Glee. Then, The CW’s Supergirl made her a household name. However, long before all that, she had a small guest starring role on The Good Wife as Molly, Cary Agos’ first cousin, in Season 2, Episode 9.

David Oyelowo - Judge Edward Weldon - 1 Episode

From Selma to Lawmen: Bass Reeves, David Oyelowo has become well known for playing very powerful people. That was true back in 2010, too, when he played Judge Edward Weldon in Season 2, Episode 11 of The Good Wife.

Jeremy Strong - Matt Becker - 5 Episodes

Long before playing the “eldest boy” in the cast of Succession and winning an Emmy for his portrayal of Kendall Roy in the HBO hit, Jeremy Strong played pollster Matt Becker in five episodes of The Good Wife. While we’ve come to know this actor for his big roles in film and television, his early career features this fun, smaller and memorable character who appeared in Seasons 2 (Episodes 13, 15, 16 and 17) and 4 (Episode 21) of the CBS hit.

Rita Wilson - Viola Walsh - 6 Episodes

There’s a rotating cast of entertaining lawyers who pop in from time to time to be a thorn in the side of Lockhart/Gardner. This includes Michael J. Fox and Martha Plimpton’s iconic defense attorneys. It also includes Rita Wilson’s lawyer, Viola Walsh, who was featured in six episodes of the show between Seasons 2 and 6.

America Ferrera - Natalie Flores - 4 Episodes

The year after Ugly Betty ended, America Ferrera joined the cast of The Good Wife for three episodes in Season 2 (Episodes 15, 18 and 20), then popped up again during Season 5, Episode 8. She played student Natalie Flores in the show. After that, she went on to lead the comedy Superstore and played a major role in the cast of 2023’s Barbie.

Taye Diggs - Dean Levine-Wilkins - 3 Episodes

I was introduced to Taye Diggs thanks to his role as the Bandleader in one of the best musicals, Chicago. He’s also very well known for films like House on Haunted Hill, Rent, and Set It Up. So, it was fun to come see him play on The Good Wife when he appeared in Season 6, Episodes 2, 3 and 5 as the lawyer Dean Levine-Wilkins.

Sarah Silverman - Stephanie Engler - 1 Episode

Sarah Silverman had been in the comedy game for a long time before playing Stephanie Engler in Season 2, Episode 22 of The Good Wife. And she brought that sense of humor to the show while also showing off her more dramatic side while playing this client of Lockhart/Gardner.

Michael Kelly - Mickey Gunn - 2 Episodes

Michael Kelly is one of those actors who seemingly has shown up in everything. He’s a well-known character actor who has been in projects like Jack Ryan, Lioness, The Penguin, House of Cards and so much more. And in Season 3, Episodes 2 and 8 of The Good Wife he played Mickey Gunn, a political strategist who spent a lot of time verbally sparring with Alan Cumming’s Eli Gold.

Sterling K. Brown - Andrew Boylan - 1 Episode

Sterling K. Brown is a staple on television, thanks to his starring roles in This Is Us and Hulu’s Paradise. However, as he was coming up as an actor, he guest-starred on a whole bunch of network procedurals, including The Good Wife, where he played complicated eyewitness Andrew Boylan in Season 3, Episode 4.

Meghann Fahy - Shelby Hale - 1 Episode

Meghann Fahy’s leading role in Freeform’s The Bold Type introduced me to her, then she broke big because she was part of The White Lotus’ Season 2 cast. In the lead-up to all that, she guest-starred in Season 3, Episode 6 of The Good Wife as Shelby Hale.

Matthew Perry - Mike Kresteva - 3 Episodes

Matthew Perry’s Mike Kresteva proved to be a snarky adversary of Alicia in his introductory episode (Season 3, Episode 19). And seeing him come back in Season 4, Episodes 1 and 18, was always fun! Overall, while the actor brought the sarcastic sense of humor we know and love him for thanks to Friends, this show also let him show off a more dramatic side.

Kristin Chenoweth - Peggy Byrne - 2 Episodes

The Good Wife loves its Broadway guest stars, and one of their biggest gets on this front was Kristin Chenoweth. The Tony winner and Wicked alum played Peggy Byrn in Season 4, Episodes 1 and 6 and it was always fun to see her interact with Alan Cumming’s Eli Gold.

Nathan Lane - Clarke Hayden - 15 Episodes

In the beginning (Season 4), Clarke Hayden is a trustee assigned to Lockheart/ Gardner, and he worked on their horrendous financial situation. Later, he worked with the firm as a lawyer. This character who appears in 15 episodes across Seasons 4 and 5 is played by the remarkable Nathan Lane, who you most definitely know from his legendary work in films like The Birdcage, The Producers and The Lion King.

Carrie Preston - Elsbeth Tascioni - 14 Episodes

Carrie Preston’s Elsbeth Tascioni was so iconic on The Good Wife and The Good Fight that she got her own show. After starring in 14 episodes of the flagship show across every season (except Season 2) and five episodes of the spinoff and winning an Emmy for her work, the Kings created Elsbeth, a hit CBS show based around Preston’s lawyer-turned-crime-solver.

Stockard Channing - Veronica Loy - 11 Episodes

Who do you hire to play Julianna Margulies’ on-screen mother? Stockard Channing, of course. In 11 episodes across Seasons 4, 5, 6, and 7, the Grease actress appeared as Veronica Loy, the mom of our leading lady, Alicia Florrick.

Will Patton - Mike Tascioni - 4 Episodes

Elsbeth talks a lot about her ex-husband and her son. While we didn’t meet her kid, Teddy, until Elsbeth, we did meet her former spouse, Mike Tascioni, in four episodes of The Good Wife during Season 7, Episodes 15, 16, 17 and 19. He was played by Will Patton, who you likely recognize from one of the best sports movies, Remember the Titans, and shows like Yellowstone.

Parker Posey - Vanessa Gold - 3 Episodes

Who can go toe-to-toe with Alan Cumming and play his ex? Parker Posey, of course. The indie film darling played Eli Gold’s ex-wife in Season 3, Episodes 6, 15 and 20, and she was the perfect person to play this vital character in the political consultant’s story.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph - Margie - 1 Episode

Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph appeared in one episode of The Good Wife, Season 4, Episode 21, to be exact. She played Margie on the show. These days, she’s best known for her turns in The Holdover, Dolemite is My Name and Only Murders in the Building, so it’s cool to think that this CBS procedural was one of her first-ever on-screen gigs.

Gillian Jacobs - Sonia - 1 Episode

In an almost blink and you’ll miss it role, Gillian Jacobs (of Community fame) appeared in the pilot of The Good Wife as Alicia and Cary’s assistant.

Christina Ricci - Therese Dodd - 1 Episode

Before The Good Wife, we knew Christina Ricci from The Addams Family and Casper. In more recent years, she and the Yellowjackets cast are all the rage. However, for one episode in 2012, Season 4, Episode 7, to be exact, she played comedienne Therese Dodd in the hit CBS drama.

Wallace Shawn - Charles Lester - 3 Episodes

We know and love Wallace Shawn for saying “inconceivable” in The Princess Bride, and we also adore him for his roles in The Incredibles, Toy Story and more. We also know and love him for playing the Lemond Bishop’s lawyer, Charles Lester, in both The Good Wife and The Good Fight. And for the sake of this story, he was specifically in three episodes of the flagship series, appearing in Season 4, Episode 16, Season 5, Episode 13 and Season 6, Episode 22.

Kyle MacLachlan - Josh Perotti - 4 Episodes

Kyle MacLachlan is a TV legend. Obviously, Twin Peaks is what he’s best known for, and more recently, he and the cast of Fallout have made quite the splash on streaming. Between all that, he appeared in four episodes of The Good Wife (Season 4, Episodes 14 and 15 and Season 6, Episodes 5 and 6). He played Josh Perotti on the show, a federal prosecutor.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor - Linda Underwood - 1 Episode

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is best known for her work in movies like Origin, King Richard and Nickel Boys, and she’s reached great acclaim for them. In the earlier days of her career, though, she was featured in Season 1, Episode 5 of The Good Wife, where she played Linda Underwood.

Matthew Lillard - Rowby Canton - 2 Episodes

It’s honestly a joy to see Matthew Lillard in anything. Of course, we know him best as one of the original Ghostfaces in Scream and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, and he’s made waves in recent years for Five Nights at Freddys. However, he can do more than genre work, as proven by his two episodes of The Good Wife (Season 5, Episode 11 and Season 7, Episode 12) where he played musician Rowby Canton.

Vanessa Williams - Courtney Paige - 4 Episodes

Vanessa Williams is well known and loved for her roles on long-lasting shows like Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. However, she’s also a King repertory player. She appeared in four episodes of The Good Wife, Season 7, Episodes 7 through 10, as CEO Courtney Paige, and then she showed up as a totally different character years later in the spinoff series, Elsbeth.

This list is honestly barely scratching the surface of the iconic actors who have been recruited to guest star on The Good Wife. The list is honestly elite, and it’s always fun to go back and see so many performers during so many different stages of their careers.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly expanding, thanks to projects in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order will remember when the universe's small-screen outings were actually over on Netflix. There were a number of series available, including Luke Cage. Now that Charlie Cox is back a Daredevil, Marvel alum Mike Colter revealed what could convince him to return as Luke Cage, and I think it's a great idea.

What we know about Daredevil: Born Again is limited, but fans are hyped for the title character to take center stage after cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk. But that's led to fan discussion about whether other characters like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. While speaking on Stars on Sirius XM, Colter explained what could bring him back as Power Man himself. In his words:

There you go. It sounds like if Marvel wants to bring back Colter as Luke Cage, they need to have the same tone and commentary for the character that was present through show's original two-season run that aired for those with a Netflix subscription.

Colter's comments will make a great deal of sense for those who were fans of the Luke Cage series. The series had a unique visual language (especially in Season 1), nodding to blaxploitation subgenre. It also included conversations about race and class that weren't seen in any other MCU projects at the time. In the same interview, the Evil star spoke more about what his MCU show achieved during its time on TV, offering:

There you have it. While Colton seems down to return to his heroic role, he would want to make sure that it happened under the right context. Specifically, the same cultural discussions that made the stories of Luke Cage so rich. We'll just have to wait and see if Kevin Feige and company end up taking him up on this offer.

All that being said, the Netflix MCU shows have never been more relevant to the larger shared universe. Kingpin appeared in Hawkeye and Echo, while the new Daredevil series is also bringing back Punisher. So it definitely seems possible to see Luke Cage again.

The next upcoming Marvel movie hitting theaters is Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.

Trigger warning: This story contains a social media post that has brief footage of a child experiencing a medical emergency.

One of the stars of Marvel and Netflix’s Jessica Jones is unfortunately facing a truly heartbreaking situation. Eka Darville, who played the role of Malcolm Ducasse during the show’s three-season run, recently revealed that his young son is battling brain cancer. The actor got candid about his situation on social media and has also set up a GoFundMe to help pay for the cost of a medical procedure. A plethora of fans have since donated and sent well wishes to Darville and his family. Now, two of his former co-stars, Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter, have reached out as well. 

Eka Darville Explained The Severity Of His Son’s Health Battle

Eka Darville, who has also starred on Empire and Power Rangers: RPM, posted about his son, Mana, earlier this week. The 33-year-old star opened up about the situation in an Instagram update, which he called “the MOST IMPORTANT post of my LIFE.” He explained that his little boy’s diagnosis is “extremely rare, very aggressive and already metastasized.” However, Darville appears to be in good spirits, declaring that his son will “overcome” this obstacle. You can see the actor’s post, which includes a video featuring footage of the adorable child. Darville himself and his partner, Lila, also get real about their son’s journey: 

The Australian-born actor and his partner are now seeking help from two clinics in the U.S., which he says have seen success in dealing with “incurable” brain cancer cases. This information comes by way of the GoFundMe page and, as of this writing, the campaign has raised more than $280,000 of its $600,000 goal. That number seems to be growing and, based on social media posts, many are spreading the word. And it’s likely that the quest to help Mana will get even more attention now that two of Marvel’s Defenders cast members have spoken out.

Krysten Ritter And Mike Colter Sent Out Sweet Messages About Their Former Co-Star And His Son

Krysten Ritter, who played the role of Jessica Jones, took to Instagram to show her support for Eka Darville and his family. She shared the video footage of Mana as well as the link to the GoFundMe page. She also shared some warm sentiments about Darville in her caption:

Many probably remember that before he jumped over to Luke Cage, Mike Colter made his debut as the titular character on Jessica Jones. When addressing addressing the Darville family in his own post, Colter shared the video and reflected on his relationship with Eka, before asking fans to make any kind of contribution that they can:

It’s wonderful to see Eka Darville receive support from his former co-stars during this trying time. Netflix subscription holders enjoyed watching the three stars mix it up on Jessica Jones (which is now streaming on Disney+). So it’s heartwarming to know that they’re all close in real life. One can’t even begin to fathom the situation that Darville and his family currently face, and we send Mana all of the positive vibes as he seeks the treatment he needs.

January isn’t a month where studios tend to release big franchise films or movies that are expected to become franchise films. And yet, that’s apparently what has happened with the inventively titled Plane. The action movie starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter is getting a surprise sequel, despite the fact that it’s barely made money. Even more surprising, the movie won’t star Gerard Butler, though it will have an equally impressive title. It’s being called Ship. No, really.

In news that I would honestly call an April Fools joke if it came out any closer to April, Deadline is reporting that Mike Colter is set to star in the movie Ship, which will follow his character from Plane, escaped convict Louis Gaspare. The new film is set to pick up immediately following the events of Plane, with Colter's character escaping the Philippines by ship, and finding a new situation to be dealt with.

It's a somewhat surprising bit of news because, while Plane received solid critical reviews, it has only grossed $43 million on a $35 million budget. When marketing costs are added one has to assume that if Plane has turned a profit, it's not much of one, though the movie's theatrical run isn't quite dead. When we see a sequel given the greenlight this fast it's usually following blockbuster box office business.

The most significant thing about the first movie seemed to be the decision to simply call the movie Plane, which, while not technically inaccurate, doesn't really give a potential viewer many details about what sort of movie it would be out of context. It seems, however, that the powers that be have decided that the simple titles are now part of the franchise brand since the sequel is literally being called Ship. One assumes, if this becomes a trilogy, we can look forward to the final movie, Train.

Part of the explanation may be that Ship has a strong possibility of being an even cheaper production than Plane. Gerard Butler isn't expected to play a major role in the sequel. He may appear, but won't be a main character according to the report. Perhaps he remembers the rough experience he had filming Plane. As such, whatever portion of the $35 million budget was his salary, may drop significantly, though new cast members are being sought.

According to the report, Ship will see Mike Colter's character stowaway on a ship bound for South Africa as he attempts to make his escape following the events in Plane. The rescue of the passengers, and the escape of accused murderer Gaspare, have made international news, requiring him to lay low. Unfortunately, he's chosen the wrong ship and finds himself on board a vessel involved in human trafficking. 

While Plane hasn't blown the world away it was a solid little action movie that those that saw it seemed to like, so the odds are decent that we'll get something similar out of Ship.

Over the course of the past decade or so, Gerard Butler has become one of the most prolific action stars of his time, turning out moderately successful but incredibly fun movies like Greenland, Geostorm, and Olympus Has Fallen (and its multiple sequels). No one is arguing for any of these to be included on the list of the best action movies of all time, they’re still a fun way to spend a couple of hours watching Butler race against time to save his family, the President of the United States, or even the world. These movies, on top of featuring enjoyable action set pieces and familial drama, also boast talented casts.

Both of those trends continue with the latest addition to Butler’s filmography, the Jean-François Richet-directed action flick, Plane, which sees the 300 star team up with Luke Cage’s Mike Colter to save a group of passengers from a militia in the South Pacific. If you’re wanting to know where you’ve seen the Plane cast after watching them in action, look no further.

Gerard Butler (Brodie Torrance)

Let’s start things off with the captain of the Plane cast, Gerard Butler, who leads the movie as commercial pilot and all-around badass, Brodie Torrance.

As mentioned in the introduction, Butter has spent the past decade and change leading one action movie after another, but the Scottish actor and producer has done a lot on screen besides run around, shoot guns, and lose and regain his accent. Prior to becoming a driving force in Hollywood with his portrayal of King Leonidas in the 2007 Zack Snyder movie, 300, Butler found success with roles in films like The Phantom of the Opera, Dear Frankie, Reign of Fire, and Dracula 2000. Butler also had a brief appearance in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies, a.k.a. Pierce Brosnan’s best 007 movie. 

Mike Colter (Louis Gaspare)

Next up on this breakdown of the cast is Mike Colter, who takes on the role of accused murderer Louis Gaspare, who, as seen in the movie’s trailer, isn’t as bad as he’s made out to be by the feds, and becomes Brodie’s main ally in his quest to save the passengers.

Colter, best known to comic book fans as Luke Cage from Netflix’s collection of (now cancelled) Marvel shows (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Defenders), Colter is also remembered from his appearances on series like The Good Wife, American Horror Story, The Following, and for starring in Paramount+'s Evil. His film work is just as impressive with titles like Million Dollar Baby, Taking Chance, Extinction, Fatale, and South of Heaven being just some of his big-screen appearances over the years.

Yoson An (Dele)

Yoson An shows up in Plane as Dele, the first officer on Brodie’s flight when it is forced to make an emergency landing.

Prior to joining the Plane cast in late 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter, An made a name for himself with his portrayal of Chen Honghui in the 2020 live-action Disney remake of Mulan. Over the years, An has also appeared in movies like Mortal Engines, The Meg, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny. His TV appearances include The Luminaries, New Gold Mountain, and Dead Lucky, to name a few. 

Daniella Pineda (Bonnie)

Daniella Pineda joins the cast as Bonnie, the head flight attendant on the ill-fated jet, as first reported by Deadline back in August 2021.

Fans of the two most recent movies in the Jurassic World franchise will surely recognize Pineda from her portrayal of Zia Rodriguez. Her other film appearances include Mercy Black, Mr. Roosevelt, and Sleeping with Other People. Pineda has also had a successful TV career, including roles on shows like The Vampire Diaries, The Detour, American Odyssey, and Cowboy Bebop prior to the show’s cancellation after just one season on Netflix. 

Paul Ben-Victor

Veteran actor Paul Ben-Victor shows up in Plane as Hampton, the owner of the airline whose plane was forced to make an emergency landing before its passengers were held hostage, per Deadline.

Throughout his career, Ben-Victor has appeared in movies like Tombstone, Daredevil, The Irishman, The Banker, and most recently, the Apple TV+ original film, Emancipation, starring Will Smith. A mainstay on the small screen, Ben-Victor has landed roles on shows like The X-Files, NYPD Blue, The Invisible Man, Monk, Entourage, The Wire, and the 2022 true crime dramedy series, Pam & Tommy. 

Remi Adeleke (Shellback)

Another one of the big Plane cast announcements made by THR in August 2021 was Remi Adeleke, who appears in the movie as Shellback, the leader of the mercenary team sent in to rescue the stranded hostages.

A former Navy Seal, Adeleke broke into the film and TV industry in 2017 with a role in Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Night and the CBS action-drama, SEAL Team. Since then, Adeleke has worked with Bay two more times, first with the 2019 Netflix movie 6 Underground and then three years later in Ambulance. Adeleke was also a member of the Terminal List cast in 2022, portraying Terrell “Tee” Daniel on the Amazon original series.

Lilly Krug (Brie) 

Lilly Krug appears in the cast as Brie, a social media influencer who has the misfortune of being on the aircraft when it comes crashing down.

Before joining the cast, which was announced by Deadline in August 2021, Krug worked on movies like Zero Contact, Shattered, Heart of Champions, and Every Breath You Take, to name only a few. She has also landed roles on German TV series such as Letzte Spur Berlin, Hubert ohne Staller, and De Leher during that same stretch of time. 

Joey Slotnick (Sinclair) 

Joey Slotnick shows up in Plane as Sinclair, a businessman who becomes one of the many hostages after the emergency landing.

If you watched movies or TV throughout the 1990s, then you have most likely seen Slotnick at least once or twice over the years. With appearances in A League of Their Own, Idle Hands, Pirates of Silicon Valley, and as a main player in 1996’s Twister, he was in a little bit of everything. That has continued in the decades since then, with Slotnick landing roles on shows like Nip/Tuck, Psych, and Blue Bloods. And who knows, maybe he’ll reprise his role as Joey in the 2024 Twister sequel, which is aptly titled, Twisters. 

Tony Goldwyn (Scarsdale)

And then there is Tony Goldwyn, who appears in Plane as Scarsdale, a former Special Forces officer who puts together the operation to save the captured passengers.

Prior to being added to the Plane cast in October 2011 (in the same Deadline report revealing Paul Ben-Victor’s casting), Goldwyn made a career out of doing a little bit of everything, ranging from the Friday the 13th horror franchise to voicing Tarzan in the 1999 animated Disney movie, and more recently, King Richard. Later in the summer, Goldwyn will show up in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as just one member of the absurdly massive cast. 

Other members of the Plane cast like Evan Dane Taylor and Claro de los Reyes can be seen in action as the promising action movie is now playing in theaters nationwide. If you want to know what else is coming to the silver screen this year, check out our updated 2023 movie release schedule. 

As we get closer to the end of 2022’s new movie releases, it’s time to think of what awaits us in the year to come. In particular, the winter season where wild experiments cross paths with awards hopefuls is almost upon us, and anything can happen. That’s the best time for the new movie Plane to team up action star Gerard Butler with Evil star Mike Colter, in the name of kicking serious ass. 

That is exactly what we’ve gotten a peek at recently, thanks to Lionsgate releasing the first trailer to director Jean-François Richet’s would-be action blockbuster. Plane’s story is simple, but effective: after a lightning strike forces Captain Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) to make an emergency landing, he’ll have to team up with Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), a prisoner he’s transporting, to save his passengers from violent rebels. 

Sounds like your standard Butler-centric festival of beatdowns, right? Well, it looks like you’d be wrong in the case of Plane, as Captain Torrance is the reluctant hero of this journey. Not only does that mean that Gerard Butler gets to flex more of his relatable drama muscles in this movie, but Mike Colter gets to flex his action muscles (and actual muscles) in helping him save the day. 

Oh, it’s a sweet Christmas indeed for Colter fans, as he looks pretty amazing with a sledgehammer in his hands. Check it out for yourself below, as it's a moment too cool not to share in a screen grab: 

Naturally, it’s not long before Gerard Butler starts acting like the hero we’ve seen in movies like the Mike Banning series, which will continue in another sequel to Olympus Has Fallen. However, much as we’ve seen in other recent Butler films like the apocalyptic family drama Greenland, the Scottish actor has been stretching his persona to include roles that aren’t all about smashing someone’s face in.

Should Plane do well enough at the box office, another franchise could be born from a Gerard Butler starring film. Though looking at the action we’ve already been shown, that series might actually be one better carried by Mike Colter’s Louis. Of course, there’s always the option of keeping both Colter and Butler teamed up for another ride. Which would be perfect, as there aren’t enough action movies generating memorable pairings of heroes on the market these days.  

At the moment, those thoughts are all pie in the sky thinking, as Plane will make its final descent into theaters “soon.” No specific release date on the schedule of 2023's new movie releases given at this time, but some sources have the movie pegged for a January 27, 2023 debut. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for an official confirmation at some point in the future. Also, Mike Colter fans can catch him in Evil, as all three seasons are currently streaming for those with a Paramount+ subscription.

The esteemed actors of the Criminal Minds cast not only had the honor of starring on one of the longest-running and most beloved crime procedurals on TV, but also had the pleasure of sharing the screen with many guest stars who would go on to become some of the biggest stars of today. Considering how it ran for a whopping total of 15 seasons on CBS, you can only imagine how many future Hollywood heavies appeared on the series. The following are some of the most recognizable names we dug up after their roles on Criminal Minds completely slipped our minds, starting with one actor who just a few years away from becoming TV royalty.

Aaron Paul (Michael Zizzo) 

In the premiere season of Criminal Minds (when Mandy Patinkin was still on the show), a 27-year-old Aaron Paul played a young man suspected of murder due to his involvement with a local group of Satanists who were framed by the high school student who turned out to be the real killer. In 2008, the actor played crystal meth dealer and manufacturer Jesse Pinkman on AMC’s Breaking Bad, for which he earned three Emmy Awards and a newfound reputation as a leading man on both the small screen and the big screen. 

Dean Norris (Det. John Barton) 

Speaking of Breaking Bad cast members, Dean Norris is still known best to this day for his role as Hank Schrader - devoted DEA agent and unsuspecting brother-in-law of notorious drug lord Walter White (Bryan Cranston) - on the acclaimed drama. He had actually already been cast on the show when he was temporarily demoted to police detective for a 2010 episode of Criminal Minds, on which his character helps the crew locate the last victim of a serial killer with clues he strangely left after taking his own life.

Walton Goggins (John Cooley)

Speaking of strange criminals, Walton Goggins received his sole Emmy nomination (so far) for playing Boyd Crowder on FX’s Justified, which would lead to an increasingly esteemed film career that includes a villainous role in the Marvel movies (namely 2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp) and becoming a frequent player in Quentin Tarantino’s recent filmography. In between his stint on The Shield and joining the Justified cast, the actor played a longtime friend of Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster) who almost falls prey to a murderous priest (Carmen Argenziano) in a creepy Criminal Minds episode from Season 4.

Sterling K. Brown (Fitz) 

Sterling K. Brown also became a Marvel movie star in 2018 after appearing in Black Panther, following his Emmy-winning turns on both FX’s American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson as Christopher Darden and NBC’s This Is Us cast as Randall Pearson. Before all of that, in 2015, the St. Louis native appeared as a security guard for the United States embassy in Barbados in a Season 10 episode of Criminal Minds that served as back door pilot for the series’ short-lived spin-off Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

Mike Colter (Colin Bramwell)

Mike Colter would become a Marvel TV show star in 2015 after appearing on Netflix’s Jessica Jones as the indestructible Luke Cage before getting his own self-title spin-off and, then, reprising the role on the streaming platform’s crossover series, The Defenders. Before that short-lived, but much-loved, phenomenon blew up his career, the Evil cast member played a former Special Forces sniper turned serial killer hired by his former colleague to kill his ex-wife on Season 9 of Criminal Minds.

Evan Peters (Charlie Hillridge) 

Someone who is also known for both Marvel movies (he was Quicksilver in the X-Men movies) and Marvel TV shows (he sort of reprised the Quicksilver role when he joined the WandaVision cast) is Evan Peters, who would initially acquire household name status as a series regular on American Horror Story since 2011. About a year before that creepy anthology premiered, the actor guest starred on Criminal Minds’ sixth season as a young man who was abducted as an 8-year-old by married murderers who would later make him their reluctant accomplice.

Finn Wittrock (Harvey Morell) 

On the other side of that coin, Harvey Morell was the willful accomplice to a killer named Caleb Rossmore (Jeff Newburg), with whom he shared an obsession with the Zodiac Killer, on a Season 7 episode of Criminal Minds. Playing that young killer was fellow recurring American Horror Story cast member Finn Wittrock, who will also add superhero TV shows to his resume when he plays Guy Gardner - a member of the Green Lantern Corps - on HBO Max’s upcoming original series based on the cosmic DC comic book.

David Mazouz (Ryan Hall) 

Speaking of DC TV shows, in 2014, David Mazouz had the honor of joining the Gotham cast as a young Bruce Wayne dealing with the recent murder of his parents for five seasons. Years before the Batman prequel series premiered, the actor also appeared on a Season 7 of Criminal Minds as a boy whose battle with leukemia sends his boxing champ father (Shawn Hatosy) into a murderous rage.

Cameron Monaghan (Jeffrey Charles) 

David Mazouz’s Gotham co-star Cameron Monaghan (who plays a particularly clownish criminal named Jerome Valeska) is also famous for playing Ian Gallagher on the Shameless cast for 11 seasons. You could say that he had some decent preparation for the former, more villainous (and Joker-esque) role when he landed a guest spot on Criminal Minds’ sophomore run as a young boy abandoned by his mother who takes his anger out on three people by bludgeoning them to death.

Elle Fanning (Tracy Belle) 

Cameron Monaghan’s Jeffrey Charles almost claimed a fourth victim - a little girl named Tracy Belle, whom he lures out into the woods before Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon saves her at, essentially, the last minute. Tracy Belle was played on Criminal Minds by Elle Fanning, who - like her older sister, Dakota - would grow up to become one of the most sought after actresses of her generation, known for movies like Super 8 from 2011 and for leading Hulu’s The Great cast as Catherine the Great.

Jessie T. Usher (Daniel)

If we could switch gears for just a moment back to stars of superhero TV shows, Jessie T. Usher is known today as Samuel L. Jackson’s son in Tim Story’s 2019 Shaft movie and Will Smith’s son in the 2016 sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, but especially from Amazon Prime’s The Boys cast as A-Train. Before he had a starring role in anything, he had a guest spot on Criminal Minds’ two-part Season 4 finale in which the BAU investigates a series of murder that leads to make a shocking discovery at a pig farm in Canada.

Ariel Winter (Katie)

Although best known as Alex Dunphy on the Modern Family cast, Ariel Winter also has experience playing a superhero, having voiced a later incarnation of Robin named Carrie Kelley in one of the best DC animated movies, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, in 2012 and 2013. Years before the ABC sitcom made her a star, Winter was on Criminal Minds Season 3 as a young girl abducted and left for dead by her own aunt (Suzanne Cryer) who blamed her niece for ruining her marriage to her pedophile husband (Emmanuel Xuereb).

Melissa Leo (Georgia Davis)

Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (for the 2011 sports biopic The Fighter) would actually make her superhero movies debut in 2021 with the Netflix original action comedy Thunder Force. In Criminal Minds two-part Season 2 finale, the actress played a small town sheriff whose abduction leads to the BAU’s first encounter with prolific serial killer Frank Breitkopft, played by Keith Carradine.

Julia Butters (Gabby) 

Another notable abduction victim from Criminal Minds is the title character of “Gabby,” the 16th episode of the series’ ninth season, which was also the acting debut of then-5-year-old Julia Butters. The starlet would then land a recurring spot on the Transparent cast, a starring role on CBS’s American Housewife, and a memorable, scene-stealing role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Rick Dalton’s precocious Lancer co-star. 

Sydney Sweeney (Dani Forester)

Fellow Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast member Sydney Sweeney also made one of her earliest appearances on Criminal Minds as a young girl murdered along with her brother and mother by a serial killer who specializes in taking out whole families in Season 5. She would later achieve acclaim after joining the Handmaid’s Tale cast as Eden Spencer, the White Lotus cast as Olivia Mossbacher, and on HBO’s Euphoria cast as Cassie Howard, to name just a few notable roles. 

Anton Yelchin (Nathan Harris)

In lieu of the many notable roles that prove Anton Yelchin as one of the most exceptional talents of his time (Green Room, Charlie Bartlett, J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies, etc.), he gave one criminally underrated performance on Criminal Minds’ second season as a teen with sexually sadistic tendencies. Sadly, Yelchin passed away in 2016 at the age of 27 when his Jeep Cherokee, which appeared to be in park but was really in neutral, rolled backward and pinned him against the security fence outside his Los Angeles home.

People who work in law enforcement likely rarely forget the faces of anyone they investigate, swore to protect, or failed to save. However, if you are guilty of forgetting any of these Criminal Minds characters and the now famous actors who played them,  you are forgiven.

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It is hard to believe that it has been a decade since co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk introduced us to the bizarre, disturbing, psychosexual world of American Horror Story - FX’s acclaimed seasonal horror anthology that would make household names out of Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, to name a few. Of course, we should not forget about some of its biggest guest stars, like Alexandra Daddario or Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet, but if their appearances did slip your mind, we don’t blame you. In fact, there are a few other familiar faces we found ourselves surprised to see in the earlier seasons upon rewatch and, in honor of American Horror Story Season 10 (subtitled Double Feature) hitting the 2021 Fall TV schedule, we decided to revisit their roles, such as this A-lister who can call one of the best horror TV shows ever one of her first gigs ever.

Rosa Salazar (Nurse Maria, Season 1)

It was not until she more recently starred in Bird Box and the Netflix original miniseries Brand New Cherry Flavor when Rosa Salazar began earning a reputation as one of the top horror Scream Queens of modern day. However, the genesis of this was actually when the Alita: Battle Angel actress was in a few episodes of American Horror Story Season 1 as a nurse brutally stabbed to death in the “Murder House.”

Kate Mara (Hayden McClaine, Season 1)

I would also consider Kate Mara to be a bit of a Scream Queen for her roles in Morgan, 2015’s Fantastic Four (which some would say counts for different reasons), and, especially American Horror Story’s first season as a student of Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott) who became his mistress and, later, obsessive stalker. Ironically, the Emmy nominee would play the reverse role (minus the stalking and depravity) on the FX on Hulu miniseries, A Teacher.

Heather Langenkamp (Female Toulouse / Tupperware Housewife, Season 4)

Speaking of scream queens, it is no secret that Ryan Murphy (also the creator of a show literally called Scream Queens) has an affinity for some of horror movies’ most iconic actresses, which is why he has cast a few on American Horror Story. However, fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street were probably quicker to spot Heather Langenkamp (Nancy in the Wes Craven classic) when she appeared on the Freak Show season as a Tupperware party guest.

Alexandra Daddario (Natacha Rambova, Season 5)

One of today’s leading Scream Queens (for Texas Chainsaw, What We Do in the Shadows, etc.) is Alexandra Daddario, who recently starred on HBO’s dark miniseries comedy The White Lotus. A year after her memorable role on another popular seasonal anthology, True Detective, the actress played a highly fictionalized version of Rudy Valentino’s (Finn Whitrock) costume designer wife, Natasha Rambova, who is reimagined on American Horror Story: Hotel as a vampire.

Alexandra Breckenridge (Young Moira O’Hara, Season 1 / Kaylee, Season 3)

Another famous Alexandra who has starred on American Horror Story is Alexandra Breckenridge, whom many might know best today as the lead of the Virgin River cast on Netflix. Years earlier, she played the younger image of the Harmons’ ghostly maid Moira (Frances Conroy) in Murder House and briefly appeared in Coven as a victim of serial witch hunter, Hank (Josh Hamilton).

Christian Serratos (Becca, Season 1)

Alexandra Breckenridge’s former The Walking Dead cast mate Christian Serratos also appears on American Horror Story Season 1, but in a far more brief role. She plays one of three bullying teens who gang up on Violet Harmon (Taissa Farmiga) for smoking a cigarette on school ground.

Ian Anthony Dale (Dr. David Zhong, Season 3)

Former Hawaii Five-0 cast member Ian Anthony Dale is joining The Walking Dead Season 11 cast, but also has a small part on American Horror Story in common with Christian Serratos. In Season 3, he plays a biochemist whom Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) demands help her remain youthful, only to meet a bitter end when his prescription fails.

Mike Colter (David, Season 3)

Another American Horror Story: Coven actor who may have slipped from your memory is Mike Colter, who appeared in three episodes as member of a secret witch hunters organization who also meets a bitter end at the hands of real-life, unidentified serial killer The Axeman (Danny Huston). While the actor had notable roles before in films like Million Dollar Baby and Men in Black 3, he would later rise to fame from Netflix’s Marvel TV show Luke Cage as the title character and on another popular TV thriller, Evil.

Chrissy Metz (Ima Wiggles, Season 4)

Before she rose to fame for her Emmy-nominated role as Kate Pearson on the This Is Us cast, Chrissy Metz experienced a breakthrough on American Horror Story Season 4. She played a woman named Barbara who is recruited into the titular freak show and given the nickname Ima Wiggles by Jessica Lange’s Elsa Mars after discovering her at a weight loss clinic.

Mark Margolis (Sam Goodman, Season 2)

Mark Margolis had already scored the most memorable (and Emmy nominated) character of his career when he joined the Breaking Bad cast as Hector “Tio” Salamanca by the time he cameoed on American Horror Story. He appears on three episodes of Asylum as a Holocaust survivor whose vengeful Nazi hunt is interrupted by the possessed Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe).

Madchen Amick (Mrs. Ellison, Season 5)

The most iconic roles of Madchen Amick’s career are Shelly Johnson from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks or on the Riverdale cast as Betty Cooper’s mother, Alice Smith. One of her more brief and underrated roles is on American Horror Story: Hotel as a hypochondriac killed by her own son after Alex Lowe (Chloë Sevigny) turns him into a vampire.

Marla Gibbs (Cassie Royale, Season 5)

Five-time Emmy nominee Marla Gibbs earned her iconic status as Florence Johnson on The Jeffersons and on 227 as Mary Jenkins. She brought that iconography to Season 5 of American Horror Story as the mother of Angela Bassett’s character, Ramona Royale.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Angus T. Jefferson, Season 4)

Another Emmy-nominated former sitcom star who appeared on American Horror Story is Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who is best known for playing Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Ryan Murphy would also cast him as NFL star Al Cowlings on American Crime Story after he played the second husband of the three-breasted Desiree Dupree, also played by Angela Basset on Freak Show.

David Burtka (Michael Beck, Season 4)

Yet another Emmy-nominated former sitcom star who appeared on American Horror Story: Freak Show is How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris, but you probably remembered that. What you might have forgotten is that his husband, David Burtka (who played Scooter on HIMYM), also appeared that season as Elsa Mars’ producer and spouse, Michael Beck.

Eric Stonestreet (Derrick, Season 1)

One Emmy-winning former sitcom star who appeared on American Horror Story is Eric Stonestreet, who played Cameron Tucker as part of the Modern Family cast for 11 seasons. In his sole episode from Season 1, the actor plays a patient of Ben Harmon who tries to face his fear by calling out to a Candyman-esque urban legend known as the Piggy Man, only to be killed by a burglar who thought he was mocking his weight.

Morris Chestnut (Luke Maxcy, Season 1)

Morris Chestnut (who may be a familiar face from appearances in movies like The Best Man and the TV show The Resident) made his feature film debut in 1991’s Boyz n the Hood, opposite future American Horror Story: Roanoke cast member Cuba Gooding Jr. However, he got to beat his Oscar-winning co-star to the punch by starring in the series’ first season as a security guard whom Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton) hires to help protect the “Murder House” and begins to the develop a crush on, much to the hypocritical chagrin of Ben.

Jenna Dewan (Teresa Morrison, Season 2)

Speaking of romance going south on American Horror Story, while the bulk of the second season takes place in the 1960s, we are first introduced to the infamous Briarcliff Asylum in the present day as it is being visited by a couple of self-described “horror freaks” seeking to consummate their marriage in several historically deadly spots. The lady in the relationship is Teresa Morrison, played by dancer-turned-actress Jenna Dewan, who is best know from the first of the Step Up movies.

Adam Levine (Leo Morrison, Season 2)

Playing Teresa Morrison’s husband, Leo, is someone who is a bit of dancer himself, once claiming to have “moves like Jagger” in a 2010 pop song of the same. Of course, I am talking about Maroon 5 frontman and former The Voice coach Adam Levine, who made his acting debut (as someone other than himself, I should specify) as the ill-fated American Horror Story: Asylum character.

Considering this show has been on air for 10 seasons now, I would not be surprised if there were a few other notable names whom I forgot to mention. Regardless, it only goes to show that enduring the traumatic nightmares one goes through on American Horror Story, for many of the actors involved, it must be a dream come true.

Before the Disney+ MCU shows came into interconnected existence, fans had the Netflix Marvel shows, with Charlie Cox's Daredevil as the launching pad for the Defenders. That group's questionable connection to the MCU as a whole was cut short as each of the standalone dramas was abruptly cancelled one by one ahead of the anticipated launch of Disney+. One such show was Luke Cage, which Netflix ended after two seasons, and while fans have begged for years to see more from the Harlem hero and the rest, star Mike Colter is now revealing the one pro to Netflix ending the series when it did.

While promoting Season 2 of his spooky Paramount+ drama Evil, Mike Colter talked to Collider about his previous role as the crime-stomping superhero and never getting closure from Luke Cage's too-soon ending. Rather than keeping things wholly on the dour side, Colter spoke about the one positive he sees from Netflix cancelling the series when it did, considering it only lasted two seasons:

When Netflix surprisingly (at first) cancelled all of its Marvel shows between 2018 and 2019, only Daredevil and Jessica Jones had earned three seasons. It was no secret, though, that JJ's third outing wasn't exactly a fan-pleaser, while Daredevil's final season sparked fan fury for renewals. We obviously don't know where Luke Cage would have landed on that scale, so perhaps that mystery is a silver lining in and of itself.

Obviously Mike Colter doesn't think that Luke Cage should have ended prematurely, and one can only hope he'd return to the role if time and scheduling allowed for it. But even though he's on a show called Evil, Colter can find some goodness and positivity in even the worst news, and understands that it's arguably better to live with a yearning for more rather than pangs of regret.

Since the Marvel Netflix series were supposedly set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - something that Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn is not in agreement with - there’s always a vague possibility that characters could appear in the movies or even one of the Disney+ shows. In 2019 when asked about the chance to return as Luke Cage, Mike Colter had said that he would need to see where the storyline would take Luke and how it would turn out. It would have been ideal to get a third season for closure, especially considering where the Season 2 finale wrapped things up, at least we don't have to think about Luke Cage lasting too long and leaving a Dexter-esque taste in our mouths.

While waiting for other 2021 Summer TV shows to start up, be sure to check out Evil Season 2 airing new episodes on Paramount+ every Sunday.

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Evil brought something quite different to CBS when it premiered in the fall of 2019. Among a sea of sitcoms and procedurals, Evil followed three investigators for the Catholic church, who'd been tasked with deciding whether or not several odd occurrences around New York City were due to demonic possession and other supernatural meddling. Throughout its 13-episode first season, the Evil cast helped the show ride the line between the potentially mundane and the definitely creepy, even if it wasn't because of devils, angels, or the like.

With the show finally debuting Season 2 on Paramount+ (and with a lot of important Evil plot points to remember before then), we thought it was a good time to help you remember where else you've seen the very recognizable Evil cast, so that you can be properly terrified without wondering, "Where have I seen this person before?" Let's dive right in!

Mike Colter (David Acosta)

As one of Evil's leads, Mike Colter plays priest in training, and true believer, David Acosta, who's always willing to see his mysterious cases as those caused by the supernatural. Colter was likely very familiar to you because of coming to Evil nearly right off of his role as the lead superhero on one of Marvel's acclaimed Netflix shows, Luke Cage, which ran for two seasons. But, Colter has racked up over 40 screen credits in almost 20 years, having appeared in TV shows such as ER, three Law & Order series (Trial by Jury, Criminal Intent, and SVU), Royal Pains, Blue Bloods, and Criminal Minds. He's also had much larger roles in shows like Ringer, American Horror Story, Halo: Nightfall, The Following, The Good Wife, and also appeared as Luke Cage in The Defenders and Jessica Jones.

Mike Colter has also been on the big screen in films like Million Dollar Baby, Men in Black 3, Zero Dark Thirty, Girls Trip, and Black and Blue. He'll next be seen in Till Death with Jason Sudeikis.

Katja Herbers (Kristen Bouchard)

Kristen Bouchard is one of Evil's resident skeptics, and Katja Herbers plays to perfection the forensic psychologist with all of her doubts and determination to get to the real truth behind their cases. Herbers got her start on screen in her home country of the Netherlands in 2002, and became known to U.S. audiences with her roles on shows like The Americans, Manhattan, The Leftovers, and most recently, Westworld. She'll next be seen in Rotterdam, I Love You.

Aasif Mandvi (Ben Shakir)

Now we have Evil skeptic Number 2, Ben Shakir, the team's technical expert who tries to find out if their cases are actually related to mechanical mischief or environmental factors. This practical church contractor is played by Aasif Mandvi, who's probably best known to audiences for his long stint as a correspondent for The Daily Show from 2006-2017. But, even if you never watched Mandvi there, he has a long list of credits going back to a 1988 appearance on Miami Vice. On TV, he's also been on series like New York Undercover, Nash Bridges, the original Law & Order (as well as SVU, Criminal Intent, and Trial by Jury), Sex and the City, Oz, The Sopranos, and Person of Interest. He's also had bigger roles on shows such as Jericho, CSI, ER, Younger, Blue Bloods, and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Aasif Mandvi has also been in a number of movies, including Die Hard with a Vengeance, Spider-Man 2, The Last Airbender, and Mother's Day, and will next be heard in the animated film Blazing Samurai.

Michael Emerson (Leland Townsend)

Evil's current mastermind of, well, evil, is Kristen's polar opposite when it comes to forensic psychology, Leland Townsend, played by Michael Emerson. And, if you haven't seen Emerson in the past decade or so, you may not have watched television during that time, because he's known for his turns as the (also basically evil) leader of the Others, Ben Linus, on Lost, and for his five seasons on Person of Interest. The actor has also been in shows like The X-Files, Without a Trace, and Parenthood, with larger roles on series such as The Practice, Arrow, Mozart in the Jungle, and The Name of The Rose.

Michael Emerson has appeared on the big screen in movies like Unfaithful, Saw, and The Legend of Zorro, and will next be seen in the adventure comedy Man & Witch.

Christine Lahti (Sheryl Luria)

As Kristen's wild, but also easily led to darkness mother, Sheryl, Christine Lahti brought viewers several surprises in Evil Season 1. Lahti has been in a number of well-known and beloved TV shows and movies since she made her television debut in 1978, and has had major roles on series like Chicago Hope, Jack & Bobby, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, The Blacklist, and Hawaii Five-O. She's also appeared in shows such as Ally McBeal, Law & Order: SVU, Grace and Frankie, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The Oscar nominee (for Best Supporting Actress in 1984's Swing Shift) and eventual Oscar winner (Best Short Film, Live Action in 1996), has also starred in movies such as Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Running on Empty, Miss Firecracker, Leaving Normal, Smart People, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Kristen Connolly (Mira Byrd)

Kristen Connolly plays homicide detective Mira Byrd on Evil, who might soon be very disappointed in her friend Kristen during Season 2. Connolly wrapped a three season starring role on the animal attack drama Zoo, but will also be known to fans of House of Cards, where she played Christina Gallagher for the first two seasons. The actress has also appeared in shows like Life on Mars, Nurse Jackie, The Good Wife, The Whispers, Prodigal Son, and the daytime soaps Guiding Light and As the World Turns, with film appearances in Mona Lisa Smile, Meet Dave, The Happening, Revolutionary Road, The Cabin in the Woods, and others.

Connolly will next be seen in the Adrian Lyne thriller, Deep Water, with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas.

Patrick Brammall (Andy Bouchard)

Australian actor Patrick Brammall plays Kristen's (mostly) absentee husband, Andy, on Evil, and fans will know him from several recent television appearances. Brammall just wrapped Season 1 of the ABC sitcom Call Your Mother, and co-created and stars on the Paramount+ comedy No Activity, which is based on the Australian show of the same name that he also co-created. He also voices Uncle Rad on the animated show Bluey, and has been seen in shows like Lodge 49, New Girl, Life in Pieces, Glitch, The Letdown, Offspring and others, and has appeared in films like The Little Death, Fun Mom Dinner, and Overlord.

Maddy Crocco (Lexis Bouchard)

As Kristen and Andy's potentially demonic daughter Lexis, Maddy Crocco's time on Evil only seems to be guaranteed to get weirder in Season 2. This is Crocco's first on-camera role, but if the trailer for the new episodes is any indication, she might have a lot more to do on the drama this year.

Dalya Knapp (Laura Bouchard)

Dalya Knapp plays another of Kristen and Andy's four excitable daughters, Laura. Evil is Knapp's first major role, but she was also in the short film Gracie's Keeper in 2018, and could be heard in the animated series The Shivering Truth in 2020.

Brooklyn Shuck (Lynn Bouchard)

Oldest daughter Lynn is played by Brooklyn Shuck, who, in addition to her many Broadway roles, has been working on screen more since her 2014 appearance in the film Thou Wast Mild and Lovely. Shuck had a recurring part on the series Rise, appeared on the show Instinct, and was seen in the movie Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist in 2020.

Skylar Gray (Lila Bouchard)

Rounding out the Bouchard family is Skylar Gray as Lila. Gray has been in a number of short films and TV shows since her debut on the series Married in 2014. On television, she's been on Life in Pieces, Fresh Off the Boat, Me, Myself and I, and Room 104. Her film credits include Now Is Everything in 2019 with Anthony Hopkins, and the shorts The Classiest President, The House That Wasn't There, Condemned, and more.

Clark Johnson (Father Amara)

Clark Johnson portrays Father Amara on Evil, a very devout man who's a bit of an expert on exorcisms and provides backup for David on several occasions. Johnson will be very recognizable to fans who also enjoyed Homicide: Life on the Street, where he played Meldrick Lewis for the entire seven seasons, as well as viewers of The Wire (where he also directed), who watched him as newspaper editor Augustus 'Gus' Haynes during Season 5. Johnson has also appeared in the shows Night Heat, L.A. Law, Forever Knight, Cold Squad, Soul Food, Unforgettable, Homeland, and had a five-episode stint on Amazon's Bosch in 2018.

Kurt Fuller (Kurt Boggs)

As Kristen's personal therapist, actor Kurt Fuller has a recurring role on Evil as Dr. Kurt Boggs. Fuller has amassed over 200 credits since he got his start on screen in an episode of Knight Rider in 1984, and has had roles in series like L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, NewsRadio, Diagnosis Murder, Chicago Hope, Dharma & Greg, The West Wing, Felicity, Alias, Boston Legal, Desperate Housewives, Scandal, Parenthood, and had memorable roles as coroner Woody Strode on Psych, Judge Peter Dunaway on The Good Wife, and high-ranking angel Zachariah on Supernatural.

Boris McGiver (Monsignor Matthew Korecki)

Boris McGiver plays Monsignor Matthew Korecki, who gives the team most of the cases they investigate, on Evil. McGiver has been on series like Third Watch, Rescue Me, The Wire, Blue Bloods, The Carrie Diaries, Damages, White Collar, and Forever. He's had major roles on shows such as Person of Interest, Boardwalk Empire, House of Cards, and recent series For Life, and one of the best Apple TV+ shows to watch, Servant.

Marti Matulis (Devil Therapist / George)

Last, but in no way least, we have Marti Matulis, who will be completely unrecognizable to you, unless you're able to discern the man's true face from his heavily masked performances as the creepy night demon George, who terrorizes Kristen, and his work as Leland's extremely horned devil beast of a therapist / possible demonic leader. Matulis has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, generally as a heavily made-up alien / otherworldly creature of some sort. His work includes roles in Star Trek: Insurrection, Nemesis, and the series Enterprise, Grimm, Men in Black 3, Harry Potter and the Ten Years Later, American Horror Story, Sleepy Hollow, Teen Wolf, and, most recently, Star Trek: Picard.

The cast of Evil will be back for Season 2, which debuts on Paramount+ on June 20, and will release new episodes weekly. For more on what to watch in the coming weeks, check out our guide to 2021 summer TV premieres!

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It was just about a month ago that CBS announced that one of its hits of the 2019-2020 fall TV season, Evil, would be moving over to the streamer Paramount+ for Season 2. It was a surprise, but one that came with the news that long-time network staple, S.E.A.L. Team, would also be making the same shift, so, clearly, some big changes were afoot. While the move may have shocked or even disappointed fans who were looking forward to watching Evil Season 2 as they had the first set of episodes, stars Mike Colter and Katja Herbers both think that it was a good idea.

Evil managed to draw a strong number of viewers in Season 1, with its mysteries surrounding potentially demonic / angelic / otherwise supernatural events, and stories that continued to walk a line which rarely made the truth behind everything clear to audiences. The second season is now set to bring fans even more of that leave-the-lights-on tension, and Mike Colter and Katja Herbers are in agreement in the belief that moving from their network home to Paramount+ was for the best. In a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, they noted:

While Katja Herbers laughed while saying that she added loads of cursing to her dialogue, it is very much true that some of the breaks which were probably on while Evil aired on CBS will now be either loosened or gone entirely. As we all know by now, streaming is a very different (horned) beast from network television, and shows can push the limits way beyond what would normally be seen in prime time should the producers so choose.

Colter and Herbers both mentioned that streaming seems to be a better fit for their series, and that it should be able to reach a wider audience there, and there does seem to be precedent for that. In an unusual move for a network which was already attached to a streaming service (Paramount+ was called CBS All Access until recently), CBS opted to license Evil to Netflix last year. The move has been able to bring the show more fans, and as someone who watched most of Season 1 via streamed binges, I can tell you it really helps to watch episodes back to back when possible.

While this change in where Evil Season 2 airs is unlikely to alter much of what audiences will see in the new episodes (Herbers and Colter only found out about the move roughly a week before the public did, so it's possible producers didn't know for much longer than that), fans will be aware that Season 1 already broke some boundaries on its own. The finale saw non-believer in possessions, Kristen (Herbers), probably kill a serial killer who'd been threatening her daughters, only to have a crucifix burn her hand after.

In addition, the first season brought us a lot of crazy sights and stories (all of which you should remember before the new season), and Season 2 is on pace to up the show's game.

Evil Season 2 debuts on Paramount+ this Sunday, June 20, but for more to watch, check out our guide to 2021 summer TV!

Fall television season has been underway for about a month, and CBS is wasting no time in making moves for its freshman shows. The biggest move so far is an early renewal for the Mike Colter and Katja Herbers-led Evil, which is now officially going ahead for Season 2. It's not the only freshman CBS series that got good news either, as Bob Hearts Abishola and others have now gotten official full season orders.

Evil has been a solid performer for CBS, with an average of 7 million viewers a week (Nielson Live + 7 day ratings) tuning in for the Michelle and Robert King series. Season 1 is still on track for 13 episodes this season, with the Season 1 finale to air in late January.

As much as a success Evil has been for CBS, the #1 new series on broadcast television this season belongs to another one of its new shows. That show is courtroom drama All Rise, which stars Mike Colter's former Luke Cage co-star Simone Missick. Viewership is averaging around the 8 million mark, and I'm sure no one at CBS will "object" to Season 2 if those numbers stay consistent.

Bob Hearts Abishola got a full season order as well, as it should come as little surprise CBS is pleased with the latest project to roll out from Chuck Lorre. Billy Gardell isn't the only former CBS show alumni who's celebrating the success of their latest project either, as Patricia Heaton's medical show Carol's Second Act will also see a full season. Both shows are seeing viewership numbers above the 7 million mark.

Last, but certainly not the least, is Walton Goggins' The Unicorn. Audiences have responded to Goggins' starring in a network television project, and the numbers for this series are just as high as all the ones mentioned prior. It's getting a full season,

Overall this is a very solid start for CBS' freshman programming as all five as its fall freshman shows have been guaranteed at least one full season. Of course, there's no guarantee all of them will see Season 2, but positive news like this so early in the fall season suggests a good number and possibly all of them will be around come fall of next year.

Of course, success is to be expected with CBS. Sometimes winning a time slot isn't even enough to warrant renewal there, so while it is impressive these shows performed so well, it's also kind of what they need to do. One can't be "America's most-watched network" (which CBS often has been) without high-performing shows after all!

The Highest Paid Actors On Television Include So Many CBS Stars

Eager to know what fall shows will be renewed or cancelled? Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for updates as they come down the news wire, and for other news happening in the world of television and movies.

Luke Cage fans were stunned when the series was cancelled by Netflix after Season 2. Just a week after another Marvel series, Iron Fist, was relieved of its duties by the streamer, Luke Cage got the same treatment almost four months after the new season debuted. The big difference between these two shows is that Iron Fist did not get strong reviews and was also panned by many Marvel fans, while Luke Cage garnered opposite reactions, meaning that its cancellation was way more surprising.

Star Mike Colter offered his thanks to Marvel, the fans and Netflix after Luke Cage's cancellation, but it turns out that he wasn't caught off guard like so many of us viewers. While at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, he spoke to CinemaBlend's Nick Venable and other journalists (after the CBS panel for his new fall show, Evil) about the process that led him to believe Luke Cage might be in trouble.

While there were reports that Luke Cage lost two-thirds of its audience between Season 1 and Season 2 (amounting to a 59% dip in viewership), there were also rumblings that there was some behind the scenes tension between Netflix and the creative team. Apparently, Netflix wasn't happy with the first scripts for Season 3, and potential changes to the creatives behind Luke Cage couldn't be agreed on. Add to both of those things the fact that Netflix was clearly done being in the Marvel business, and the show was sunk.

As Mike Colter said, the process of getting scripts and other aspects of Season 3 approved kept getting delayed for various reasons, and that does seem like a good reason to assume that something might not be going so well between the show and Netflix. But, he's been able to stay positive about having to leave Luke Cage behind, noting that at least the show was able to leave people wanting more instead of overstaying its welcome.

About preparations on Luke Cage Season 3 getting delayed on a regular basis, Colter did confirm that the whole thing gave him "a feeling."

This is a good lesson for everyone, thanks to Mike Colter: always trust your gut, people! Instead of sitting back and relying on the idea that because Luke Cage had been successful, it would surely be renewed for at least one more season, Colter paid attention to what he was feeling when he noticed that plans for Season 3 kept stalling, and just continued to work on other projects.

Mike Colter also noted that while pretty much everyone else appeared to be on the same page about Luke Cage continuing and felt that the future for the show looked bright, he counted on his inner no-premature-chicken-counting nature to carry him through:

Well, while it was sad to not get any more of Luke Cage, at least Mike Colter wasn't as surprised as the rest of us were about the show ending. As I mentioned earlier, you'll be able to catch more of Colter when his new drama, Evil, debuts on CBS on Thursday, September 26 at 10 p.m. EST. But, if it's Luke Cage you're missing, you can always relive Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix at any time.

Netflix cancelled Luke Cage and the rest of its Marvel lineup, and ever since fans of the shows have been wondering whether or not Disney will give these shows new life elsewhere or create another show for these characters to return. If it did, would Mike Colter and others be willing to return to these characters for new adventures?

Mike Colter spoke with critics after a Television Critics Association's summer press tour panel for his upcoming CBS series Evil, and discussed how he's feeling about a potential return as Harlem's hero. CinemaBlend's Nick Venable was there to hear Colter's thoughts, which make clear it largely depends on what the next chapter of Luke Cage entails.

Mike Colter doesn't sound disinterested in Luke Cage's future, but it seems like he's interested in seeing what's next for the character before outright stating he's up to return. Colter added the struggle of technically "starting from scratch" which is a reference to the required period of time Marvel has to wait following cancellation before new seasons of shows can be created is also a hurdle. It would definitely be some work to get that cast and crew together, as ultimately some actors may be on to other things by the time Luke Cage would even be available to return.

In the meantime, Mike Colter is enjoying his new gig on Evil, which requires a less strenuous workout routine. Colter plays a priest-in-training named Luke Acosta in the upcoming CBS series, which Colter explained comes with a different on-screen presence that he found refreshing after playing a bad ass on Luke Cage for two seasons.

Mike Colter's Acosta will team up with psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers) to investigate supernatural incidents. It's the new and different type of role he seems invigorated by, and if he's still feeling that way if Luke Cage is available again, it's possible he won't sacrifice any time he'd commit to Evil to go back to Luke Cage. Ultimately he seems committed to "wait and see" how things develop, and in the meantime is happy where he's at now.

Related: Will We See Any Marvel Netflix Heroes In An MCU Movie? Here's What Kevin Feige Says

Luke Cage is still cancelled, but audiences can see Mike Colter in CBS' Evil when it premieres Thursday, September 26 at 10:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on what's happening with Marvel's former Netflix heroes, and for the latest news in the world of television and movies.

With Luke Cage's future somewhat up in the air, Mike Colter is wasting no time in getting another gig. The actor just signed on to star in an upcoming drama pilot which, if ordered to series, could see the actor join a major television network. Colter will co-star in Evil, and will play a character primed to go up against different types of evildoers and supernatural stuff should the project get wings at CBS.

Mike Colter will play blue collar contractor/catholic priest in-training David Dacosta, who is tasked with investigating paranormal incidents around the world. Under the orders of the church, he'll determine whether investigated miracles and demonic possessions are legit, or if there's some reasonable scientific explanation behind whatever is happening. Aiding Colter's Dacosta is clinical psychologist Kristen Benoist, who Deadline described as a skeptic in this whole process. Benoist is played by Katja Herbers, who will star opposite Colter in Evil.

The pilot hails from two CBS notables, Robert and Michelle King. The pair created the hit series The Good Wife, and are working with CBS TV Studios to make this project happen. This is not the first time the Kings have worked with Mike Colter, as the actor played the role of Lemond Bishop on The Good Wife and its spin off The Good Fight. Will Evil be the next big hit they'll all have a hand in?

It's obviously too soon to say, but one has to wonder what the prospects are for Mike Colter's future with Marvel should Evil get ordered to series. It's one thing to reprise a role for one episode when Luke Cage was in production, but being the star of a CBS drama and portraying Harlem's hero is a tall order. If Evil gets a series order and is a big success, it could possibly prevent Colter from returning to Luke Cage should the show return in some form.

In all fairness to Mike Colter, that's a future problem to be concerned with as there's been no definitive word from Marvel how its cancelled Netflix shows will come back. Plus, reports alleged Luke Cage wasn't the most popular show to begin with, which might've lessened its chance of return even further. Actors gotta eat, so it's not surprising an in-demand actor like Colter jumped on an opportunity while Marvel figures out what to do with the cancelled Netflix shows.

Evil is currently in development and there's no word whether it will get a series order at CBS, but folks can still travel on over to Netflix and watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Luke Cage if they're searching for that sweet (Christmas?) Mike Colter fix. For more on upcoming television shows that will arrive on television in the coming weeks head on over to our handy midseason premiere guide.

On Friday, Netflix announced that it had cancelled Luke Cage. With the news settling in over the weekend, fans had yet to hear from the show's star, Mike Colter. Well, he has spoken out with a touching message to fans on Twitter. Check out his tweet, below:

Mike Colter's gracious message to fans addressed the cancellation of Luke Cage, while also sharing the happy news of him welcoming a daughter. Colter's sweet tweet also reinforces the message sent by the Luke Cage TV show's Twitter account. In the tweet, a picture was posted of the superhero with the words "always forward" written across his midsection. Likewise, Mike Colter reinforced that hopeful message in his tweet to fans, by sharing the motivational phrase in reverse.

With Mike Colter now available to pursue other projects, it should not be long before he is cast in another. That is if this is really the end of Colter's run as the beloved superhero. Whether or not Season 2 is actually the last that Marvel fans have seen of Colter taking on the role remains a mystery, because there is speculation that Colter's Luke Cage could unite with Finn Jones' Iron First for a Heroes for Hire spinoff.

Both Iron Fist and Luke Cage's Twitter accounts have posted messages that hint at both characters' journeys being unfinished. So, there is a reason to hope. Iron Fist appeared in the second season of Luke Cage. Plus, Luke Cage's showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker, did not rule out the possibility of that joint show happening.

If that does indeed get the green-light, it could be the silver lining fans need. For two weeks in a row, Netflix has dealt death blows to its Marvel television line-up. With two seasons under each belt, the streaming giant cancelled Iron Fist and Luke Cage, with each happening within a week of the other. Netflix boss Ted Sarandos even felt the need to assure fans following Iron Fist's cancellation, only to have Luke Cage done away with shortly thereafter.

That announcement came the same day that the third season of Marvel's Daredevil premiered on Netflix. Whether that series will be renewed at this point, though, is anyone's guess in light of recent events.

It is hard to imagine this being the end of Mike Colter's journey as the Marvel superhero. He made his debut on Jessica Jones and his solo series premiered a year later. Colter reprised his role as Luke Cage in the miniseries crossover event, The Defenders. The future of which is also unclear.

Along with the potential of a Heroes for Hire series, there is the possibility of Disney relaunching the series on its streaming service. So, Mike Colter's days as Luke Cage may not be over. Colter's message does not drop any hints either way, so all that is left is to wait and see.

Luke Cage's two seasons are currently available to binge on Netflix, as well as his featured roles on Jessica Jones and The Defenders. The Marvel series will be joined by other upcoming content that will be arriving on the streaming giant this fall.

Mike Colter, the actor best known for his title role in Netflix's Luke Cage, found himself in a whole bunch of trouble this holiday weekend when he made an inconsiderate tweet regarding Ariana Grande and the inappropriate touch she received from the Bishop at Aretha Franklin's funeral. The initial tweet attempted to make light of the situation, which earned the television actor a great deal of online fury. The superhero actor claimed the comment was "complete and biting sarcasm," but it has received no shortage of criticism since it was posted online. Both the original tweet and the apology were deleted. According to media outlets who caught the tweet before it was taken down by Mike Colter, here's what the Marvel actor wrote on Twitter in an attempt to apologize for his very heavily-criticized tweet.

The apology tweet, as recounted by People, was in response to a tweet initially sent by The Daily Show's Trevor Noah which found the Comedy Central personality posting a screenshot of the Bishop touching Ariana Grande in an inappropriate way and asking what was happening in the photo. Mike Colter commented on the photo by giving the following response, which got immediately criticized:

Mike Colter's apology tweet was posted several hours after the initial tweet made its way on the web. The reason for the wide net between the two tweets was because Colter was in a meeting and away from the web, according to the actor himself. That didn't necessarily win him any favors. Nevertheless, one can only hope that the actor is taking the criticism seriously and thinking about what he posted. It's evident that he got a lot of scorn for what he originally said, and he claims to be apologetic about what he wrote. Whether or not he is taking their notes to heart is something we don't know for sure at this time.

Meanwhile, Charles H. Ellis III, the bishop who has received a wealth of criticism for inappropriately touching Ariana Grande, issued the following apology for his actions during the funeral service:

Ariana Grande has yet to comment on Mike Colter or Charles H. Ellis III's comments since the service. Meanwhile, we'll keep you posted on the latest celebrity news and updates right here at CinemaBlend.

James Gunn has had no shortage of defenders since his firing from working on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the most recent to voice his support comes from a different corner of the MCU. Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage is the Netflix series of the same name posted a reply to James Gunn's last Twitter post, where the director apologized for the jokes that resulted in his firing, by saying he thinks Gunn will be brought back and that he doesn't believe everybody should be punished for old comments.

Mike Colter's comments have been echoed by many in the week plus since it was announced by Disney that they were severing their relationship with James Gunn in regards to his directing of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and his work on the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While nobody has defended the jokes that were made, many feel that considering Gunn had apologized previously for the comments, and they were made nearly 10 years ago, when Gunn was, by many accounts, a very different person than he is now, he should be able to move forward without being punished for the person he used to be.

The support of the MCU's Luke Cage comes after James Gunn received the support of the entire cast of the movies he directed when all of the core Guardians of the Galaxy cast signed and published an open letter which supported Gunn. While the letter itself never specifically asked Disney to reconsider its decision to fire Gunn, several of the actors supported the idea in their associated posts. A petition asking Disney to rehire the director has amassed 360,000 signatures.

While Disney had made no indication that they might rehire James Gunn at this point, they've also made no other public move regarding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, so it's anybody's guess what will happen next. The film was scheduled for release in 2020 and was very likely to be the next MCU film released after Spider-Man: Far From Home in the summer of 2019. Gunn had finished at least a first draft of the script for the project and at this point, Marvel Studios could try to start from scratch, hire a new director to film Gunn's script, or scrap the entire movie. We just don't know.

At some point, Marvel Studios will announce something. It may be the rehiring of James Gunn, it may be the hiring of a new director, it may be a slate of planned movies that simply doesn't include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The MCU is bigger than one man and it will certainly carry on, but how it will look when it does is impossible to say right now.

Marvel Studios has had a number of successes since the launch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2008, and their run of Netflix shows is no exception. It began with them launching the best live-action interpretation of Daredevil we've seen, and then critical acclaim for the first adaptation of Jessica Jones. The streak very much continued with Luke Cage in Fall 2016, and we couldn't be more excited to see the bulletproof hero back in action for a second season.

Luke Cage Season 2 is admittedly one of many balls that Marvel Studios is currently juggling, but, like many of you, we're hungry for details. What can we expect in terms of story? How will it fit into the world post-Defenders? What characters can we expect to return, and who will be introduced? To keep track of all the answers to those questions and more, we've put together this handy What We Know So Far guide. Read on and learn a bit about the sophomore season of Luke Cage!

What Have We Seen From Luke Cage Season 2?

Luckily, we've finally been treated to the first full trailer from Season 2 of Luke Cage, and it's got everything we could have hoped for. We've gotten a look at Bushmaster (a new villain for the upcoming season), Misty's shiny new bionic arm, badass fights, fire and a lot of poor, innocent hoodies getting destroyed left and right.

Luke Cage (Mike Colter)

Even after his introduction to audiences in the first season of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage remained mostly a mystery as he entered his own solo series -- and a whole lot of interesting information was revealed about his history in those 13 episodes. We not only saw his superhero origin story play itself out -- with Carl Lucas undergoing experiments in prison that would make his skin impenetrable -- but we even learned about his upbringing in Atlanta and some uncovered dark secrets about his reverend father and family.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the lid has been fully pulled off on Luke Cage, and there is plenty more for us to learn about the character and where he's been (for example, we still don't know anything about the frame-up that landed him in prison in the first place). And, in the aftermath of The Defenders, Luke Cage will be a full blown Harlem-based hero with quite the fan club on his side.

Returning to the part of Luke Cage will be Mike Colter, who has become a favorite amongst devotees. Prior to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he had significant roles on shows like The Following and The Good Wife, but he has now become fully associated with his superhero role, and fans are excited to see him back in the part.

The Showrunner

Taking the reins of Luke Cage, television veteran Cheo Hodari Coker was given the opportunity to leave a very individualistic stamp on what a superhero show could be -- and he very much did that. The music used in each episode is as influential as the work that James Gunn did on Guardians of the Galaxy, and the stories explore new and different avenues that we've not seen before in the genre. And, from the trailer, it looks like we'll be treated to more awesome music, along with cool storylines and villains. This is likely due in no small part to the fact that Coker will be back to steer the bulletproof ship in Season 2.

When Marvel and Netflix announced that we would be getting a Luke Cage Season 2, it came as a video that merely noted that another set of episodes would be "coming soon." While it took a while for the show to confirm that the main players in front of and behind the camera would be back on board for the new season, response to Season 1 was so positive (overall) that it was always hard to imagine that anyone would be replaced. Aside from the controversial decision to kill off Cottonmouth Stokes half way through the season, people loved what Coker and his team did with the characters. As such, it's great that Coker is, once again, in charge.

The Story

In Season 1 of Luke Cage, audiences watched as the titular hero set up roots in Harlem, tried to stop the corruption taking it over, and had an epic personal spat with his half-brother. As for what we'll see in Season 2... we really don't know. From the recently released trailer we can gather that Luke is the big man around Harlem these days, with scores of people admiring him publicly. We also see that Mariah Dillard, who was able to turn some of New York's most influential people against the bulletproof hero, is back and up to no good. And, while Diamondback is in custody instead of dead, and it's entirely possible that he could make a comeback, the bigger threat seems to be new villain Bushmaster, who's a bit bulletproof himself.

While we'll get more into it later in this feature, one presence who could certainly shake things up post-Defenders is Danny Rand a.k.a. Iron Fist. In the comics, Luke Cage and the Kung Fu hero are not only best friends, but co-owners of a Heroes For Hire business -- which is something that is hinted at by Bobby Fish (Ron Cephas Jones) in Luke Cage Season 1. After the two men met in Defenders, it sounds like they continue to hang out in Luke Cage Season 2. Mike Colter has confirmed that we will get at least a taste of the Heroes for Hire dynamic with the new friends, which is something fans have been looking forward to.

Misty Knight (Simone Missick)

Misty Knight has persisted as one of the most badass heroes in the Marvel universe, and that tradition was continued by Simone Missick in the making of Luke Cage Season 1. Portrayed as a hard-working detective in Harlem, she proved herself a key asset for the show's titular character and for justice in her district of New York. And, the trailer fully confirms that she'll be back in Luke Cage Season 2.

So, what will Misty Knight be up to in the second season of the superhero show? There were a whole lot of people who wanted to see her lose her right arm, and, they got their wish at the end of The Defenders. In the comics, the character is famously outfitted with a bionic limb courtesy of Tony Stark after she loses her arm in the line of duty. This was teased in a big way during Season 1, but The Defenders finally gave people what they wanted when Misty lost her arm in a fight with a katana-wielding member of The Hand. Maybe her new super-limb will help her take on an old high school rival who ends up taking over her job at the precinct. We'll have to wait and see.

Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard)

Luke Cage faced down three very different kinds of villains in the first season of his own show. Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes (Mahershala Ali) was a crime lord -- using his connections in politics and crime to flood the streets of Harlem with drugs and weapons. Then there was Diamondback -- a psychotic killer with a personal vendetta. The third was Alfre Woodard's Mariah Dillard -- who used her influence and power to turn the world against the eponymous hero. While Luke was able to outlive Cottonmouth and defeat Diamondback, it was Dillard who wound up claiming victory by the time the 13th episode was over, not only getting away with murder, but watching as Luke was taken back to prison.

Right now, we can't say for certain where we will find Mariah Dillard in Luke Cage Season 2, but we're going to make a leap and all but guarantee that she will have a dangerous role to play. Given her big win in Season 1, it's not hard to imagine Luke Cage returning to Harlem and doing everything he can to make sure she is taken down and thrown in prison. Of course, we expect that this narrative will be combined with some fresh threads that will be pulled over the course of the season.

Shades Alvarez (Theo Rossi)

Mariah Dillard most notably carved a path towards victory in Luke Cage Season 1, but a lot of credit is due to Theo Rossi's Shades Alvarez for successfully reading the tea leaves. While he initially was just an agent for Diamondback sent to keep an eye on Cottonmouth, he got a very strong whiff of the way the tide was turning after Mariah killed her cousin, and established his real alliances. Expect Shades to still be attached to her at the hip during Season 2.

Shades is definitely a character who we want to see more from in the second season of Luke Cage. Throughout the first 13 episodes, he played a Littlefinger-esque role in manipulating the various chess pieces on the board, but we never really got to see him really go for the brass ring. He hit a low point when he got his ass kicked by Claire Temple and Misty Knight before being carted off to jail, but he's back on the streets at the end of Season 1, and it will be interesting to see what damage he can do with Mariah Dillard backing his every move.

Diamondback (Erik LaRay Harvey)

Erik LaRay Harvey's Willis Stryker a.k.a. Diamondback caused quite a bit of chaos in Luke Cage Season 1, not only introducing a weapon that can legitimately kill the hero, but also executing a plan for vengeance that he had been planning for years. Unfortunately for him, his specially-designed armor wasn't enough to defeat the bulletproof hero, and he was taken away by the police to be thrown in prison.

Diamondback may be locked up, but there's every chance that he could still wind up having a massive influence and presence in Luke Cage Season 2 (just look at what Daredevil did with Kingpin). We still want to know the details of how he managed to get Luke Cage thrown into prison in the first place. He probably won't be front and center in Luke Cage Season 2, but we still fully expect Diamondback to make some kind of appearance in an episode or two.

Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson)

To date, Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple has been the glue that has kept all of the Marvel Netflix shows together, and her role in Luke Cage Season 1 was her biggest since Daredevil Season 1. On the 2016 show, Temple not only saved Cage's life, but the two of them also started a romantic relationship, and this appears to still be going strong by the time the new season rolls around. But, what else should we expect from her in Luke Cage Season 2?

The most recent trailer for Luke Cage Season 2 doesn't give us much in the way of Claire's storyline beyond her being fully on her bulletproof boyfriend's side, but it's hard to imagine that Rosario Dawson isn't given a part to play in the story that's bigger than that on the next season of the show. Regardless of what happens on the romantic side, it's always a good thing to have a medic around when Luke Cage is doing his hero business. And, we know that Claire has never been afraid to get her hands dirty when she feels like an injustice is being done, so she'll likely get in on the action in her own right..

Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir)

Luke Cage came up against a powerful physical opponent in Season 1 and the new season will be no different. This time around, he'll have to deal with John McIver, a.k.a. Bushmaster, who's looking for vengeance against those who've done bad things to (and in) Harlem, and, as you might expect, even though his goal sounds worthy, he's not going to be gentle. In the comics, Bushmaster was a crime boss who had gone through the same experiments as Luke Cage, and from what we see of him stopping bullets with his chest in the trailer, he certainly seems to be similarly powered as the superhero. We also see that Bushmaster can really give Luke an unexpected beat down, so watching these two battle it out is sure to be intense.

Tilda Johnson (Gabrielle Dennis)

Unfortunately for Luke, even though Tilda is a holistic physician from Harlem, she may not be on his side for much, if any, of the new season. In the comics, this scientific genius always managed to have trouble find her, and eventually became a crime lord using the name Nightshade. In more recent years, the character has found her calling as a hero, now going by the name of Nighthawk, but it's unlikely we'll see the character come full circle in just one season. Right now, we haven't been given any details of how she'll fit into Season 2, so we'll have to wait and see.

Rosalie Carbone (Annabella Sciorra)

Season 2 is throwing yet another bad guy at Luke Cage, and this one sounds like someone who could give Mariah Dillard a big run for her money. Rosalie Carbone is being described as a "dangerous downtown criminal underworld power player" who's got some major plans for Harlem, and we can only assume that those plans will put Luke (and possibly the rest of Harlem) on high alert. In the comics, Rosalie took over her crime family after the death of her dad and when her uncle went missing, so this villain (who typically vexes The Punisher) is definitely well-connected and poised to do a lot of harm if Luke can't stop her plans.

After almost two years, Luke Cage will finally return to Netflix for its second standalone season, and fans are as pumped as ever, since Season 2 could potentially unlock a Heroes for Hire spinoff with Iron Fist. Those same fans wonder if Season 2 will address the biggest criticisms from Season 1, which largely revolved around killing off Mahershala Ali's Cottonmouth Stokes and granting Erik LaRay Harvey's arguably lackluster Diamondback half of the big bad mantle with Alfre Woodard's Mariah. Turns out showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker is quite familiar with those criticisms, and here's what he thinks.

Cheo Hodari Coker makes a lot of sense with his answer there, which was given during an interview with Empire's PilotTV magazine (via ComicBookMovie). As Cottonmouth, Mahershala Ali carried with him an immeasurable gravitas shared by Alfre Woodard's Black Mariah, and every move he made carried the weight of the character's ego combined with the weight of what Cottonmouth stood for within Harlem. Killing him off in the middle of Season 1 wouldn't have felt nearly as meaningful or shocking if the villain was immediately replaced with a character that shared all the same championable qualities as Ali and/or Cottonmouth. Not that we're saying anyone else could have done it with quite the same excellence, but it's smart that the producers didn't even try for anything comparable.

Fans who knocked Luke Cage for Willis "Diamondback" Stryker's introduction likely won't be completely won over by Cheo Hodari Coker's words, possibly arguing that keeping Cottonmouth alive would have been the easiest way to not have to worry about who to replace him with. But as Coker put it, killing off a major character in the middle of Season 1 was a way to show fans no one is guaranteed safety in this universe. In his words:

Cottonmouth's death had the biggest impact on fans during Season 1, though Pop's death early on was the catalyst for Luke Cage's actual superhero journey. And that kind of ominous line only makes us wonder what will happen to all the Season 2 characters new and old. New stars include Mustafa Shakir as John McIver, Gabrielle Dennis as Tilda Johnson, and Annabella Sciorra as the Season 2 villain Rosalie Carbone. (These names may admittedly be temporary pseudonyms for the actual character names.) So anyone there is a potential victim. We're pretty sure Rosario Dawson's Claire and Simone Missick's Misty are going to survive, but everyone else is ripe for the offing.

Luke Cage himself, Mike Colter, also addressed the fan response to how the first year played out. His tone was just as understanding, and came with the advice that Season 2 might very well be the cure for Season 1 woes.

Though the release date was kept hidden for quite a while, Luke Cage Season 2 is set to make its big premiere on Netflix on Friday, June 22, at 12:01 a.m. PT. To see what else is on the way soon, head to our Netflix premiere schedule, our midseason premiere schedule and our summer premiere schedule.

Netflix's latest trip into the small screen MCU gave viewers Frank Castle's intense and stressful first live-action series, but since The Punisher didn't tie in with the Defenders heroes, it was the super-bloody outlier. Thankfully, a more interconnected New York City will return with Jessica Jones Season 2, which will be the first official follow-up season for any of the Marvel shows beyond Daredevil. And, like most Marvel projects, a cloud of mystery has hung over the production, keeping fans from knowing too much.

Well, the wait for Krysten Ritter's boozy brawler is shrinking by the day, and we're gearing up for Season 2 by laying out all the Jessica Jones knowledge that has come out already. From premiere dates to plotlines to casting additions, it's all here. Now let's start off by learning when we can finally watch the damned thing.

Needless to say, there will be spoilers for Jessica Jones Season 1 from this point forward.

When Does Jessica Jones Season 2 Premiere?

Jessica Jones Season 1 premiered all the way back in November of 2015, so fans have been waiting an insanely long time for Season 2 to get here. (Admittedly, the wait was buffered by the release of The Defenders, but it wasn't the same.) But, we finally know when we'll get more door-smashing fun, and Netflix will bring all 13 Season 2 episodes to fans on Thursday, March 8, at 12:01 a.m. PT.

Dropping Jessica Jones out on a Thursday is quite an interesting change-up from the norm, which sees the majority of Netflix's biggest titles getting Friday morning releases. Perhaps this is the streaming service's version of movie theaters releasing movies earlier and earlier on Thursday evenings to drive up weekend grosses. Whatever the reasoning, we're not going to complain about getting Jessica Jones a day earlier than normal.

What Have We Seen So Far From Jessica Jones Season 2?

As it usually goes with Netflix shows, Jessica Jones still hasn't dropped any big extended trailers just yet, even though Season 2's launch is just a month away. That said, once the visual marketing gets started, it'll be a steady stream of denim-clad super-powered action until the new season goes live. Thankfully, Netflix hasn't kept us completely in the dark, offering up the images seen throughout this feature, as well as a mysterious and awesome trailer. You can check it out below!

The Plot

Unsurprisingly, Netflix is keeping a pretty tight lid on what to expect from the plot of Season 2. The major plot thread left hanging after Season 1 was the mysterious organization IGH, which not only supplied Will Simpson with his Combat Enhancers but also paid Jessica's medical bills following the car crash that killed her mother, father and brother. The trailer indicates that Season 2 will definitely delve into the crash, what happened after, and how Jessica got those special abilities of hers. It's still unclear whether they were the ones who caused the crash or if they even somehow gave her those special abilities. Now that Trish has those files she received from her mother, she and Jessica should be able to dig up some information.

Aside from IGH, the only other thing that's guaranteed is Jessica protecting her section of New York City from another threat, whether that threat has special abilities or is simply resourceful. It's difficult to image a villain darker and more terrifying than Kilgrave, but Jessica Jones may be able to pull it off.

What New Characters Will Jessica Jones Season 2 Introduce?

A new female character who will be a regular is listed as "Ingrid," although she may in fact be Typhoid Mary. She'll be played by Leah Gibson of The 100 and The Returned. The character is a bisexual nurse with street smarts. If she is indeed Typhoid Mary, Jessica and her pals are going to be in a lot of trouble given Mary's three distinct personalities.

J.R. Ramirez of Power and Arrow fame will play a single father named Oscar. He moves into Jessica's building as the new superintendent, and his son takes a shine to Jessica. Ramirez will be a regular, so we should see a fair amount of him. Will he be Jessica's new love interest?

Oscar-nominee Janet McTeer will appear as a character that will "have an enormous impact on Jessica's life." Jessica Jones hasn't let any details about her character leak just yet, which hopefully means that she'll be such a game-changing character that the folks behind the scenes don't want her spoiled in any way, shape, or form.

A male scientist in his 60s is on the way as a regular. The casting description named him as "Dr. Kirby," but the odds are pretty good that he's actually a Marvel Comics mad scientist by the name of Karl Malus and has an affiliation with IGH.

A male described as "intelligent" and "self-assured" will be on board as a fractional series regular, which means that we may not see him in every episode. His character is listed as "Presley," but rumor has it that he's actually Paul Denning/Paladin, who in Marvel Comics is a lothario private detective with a code of honor.

A series regular named as "Oliver" will debut as well. He's paternal, scruffy, and potentially an adaptation of the comics character Otis Johnson, who ended up with Luke Cage-esque powers after a chemical accident.

What Characters Are Returning For Jessica Jones Season 2?

We can count on a bunch of familiar faces in Season 2, although we'll have to wait and find out for ourselves if any Defenders show up. Krysten Ritter will, of course, be back as Jessica, and Rachael Taylor will reprise her role as Trish Walker. Eka Darville will return as (a hopefully clean and sober) Malcolm Ducasse, and Carrie-Anne Moss can be seen kissing a mysterious woman in the trailer as Jeri Hogarth. Also, in a twist that is pretty fabulous for viewers but pretty awful for Jessica, David Tennant will be back as the evil Kilgrave.

Where We Left Off: Jessica Jones

Over 13 episodes, we saw how much Kilgrave's manipulation had tainted Jessica's life, and once she discovered he was still alive, she immediately set out to stop his reign of terror. While originally intending to simply imprison him and have him confess his crimes, Hope's death pushed her to end him permanently. It helped that he no longer had any control over Jessica, allowing her to deceive him into trusting her and snuffing out his life in an instant. The monster who ruined her life was finally gone.

Unfortunately, post-traumatic stress doesn't just go away, and even though Kilgrave is dead, he's still going to loom over her life. Along with the other tragedies she's dealt with, Jessica is a hardened individual, and that's not likely to change. So, while following her career as a private investigator, Season 2 will also continue to explore her struggling with her inner demons. While it's doubtful she'll ever fully embrace being a superhero, maybe she can at least move closer to feeling more at peace with the world.

Where We Left Off: Trish Walker

After Jessica was first controlled by Kilgrave, she cut off contact with Trish Walker, her best friend and adoptive sister, to keep her safe. When the madman returned, Trish helped out as best as she could this time around, using her radio show as a platform to let people know about Kilgrave and assisting Jessica and Will Simpson with ops. In the Season 1 finale, she was nearly turned into Kilgrave's sex slave, but, fortunately, Jessica was able to eliminate him before that happened. We also saw in flashbacks that Trish was pushing Jessica to use her powers to help others, so if anyone can convince the private eye to go full-superhero, it's her.

Speaking of being a superhero, comic book fans know that on the printed page, Trish Walker also fights crime as Hellcat. Rachael Taylor recently expressed interest in becoming Hellcat, and Trish's martial arts training in Season 1 could surely set her up to battle goons by herself. The trailer certainly teases that Jessica Jones could take her down that path. Maybe if Luke Cage doesn't come back to Jessica Jones, the show can fit in a second superhero. Trish was also investigating IGH near the end of the season, meaning that she could be the one to find the next clues about what this organization is.

Where We Left Off: Jeri Hogarth

Jeri Hogarth started out strong at the beginning of Jessica Jones. As one of New York City's top lawyers, she was either respected or feared by everyone around her, and she was leaving her wife, Wendy, for her young secretary, Pam. Unfortunately, her refusal to acknowledge how dangerous Kilgrave was sent her life spiraling downward. Mistakenly believing she could use him to force Wendy to sign the divorce papers, he instead commanded Wendy to kill her during one of his escapes, and the only reason Jeri survived was because Pam killed Wendy. Now Pam is languishing in prison for defending Jeri and refuses her help after seeing how ruthless she is. The only thing Jeri has left is her career, and even that took a beating over Season 1.

Where We Left Off: Malcolm Ducasse

When we first met Malcolm, he was a junkie living in Jessica's building with whom she had occasional run-ins. We later learned that his drug habit was thanks to Kilgrave, who was also forcing him to spy on Jessica. Once Jessica was able to free him from Kilgrave's control, he gave up the drugs (though one can never be fully cured from addiction) and began helping others who had also fallen under Kilgrave's control. His relationship with Jessica had its ups and downs, and at one point he considered excising her from his life, but he stuck with her to the end.

The way he answered her Alias Investigations phone in the final moments of Season 1 made it seem like he was staying with her for the foreseeable future, either just as a friend or also helping her out with the business, and his role in The Defenders proved that he wasn't going anywhere.

Where We Left Off: Kilgrave

For 13 episodes, Kilgrave, originally named Kevin Thompson, antagonized everyone in Jessica Jones' life, not to mention a decent-sized portion of New York City. He used his mind control whenever he pleased and didn't give a damn about ruining the lives of others. Despite Jessica and Co. catching him in a vulnerable position a few times, it didn't seem like it was possible to end his reign of terror. Fortunately, when Jessica realized she'd developed an immunity to his control because of all that time with him, she knew she could finally stop him once and for all, and after some trickery in the Season 1 finale, she finally snapped his neck.

Kilgrave was pretty clearly dead at the end of Season 1, so unless Jessica Jones wants to go with a resurrection in Season 2, we can bet that his appearances in the new episodes will be via dream or hallucination. It would only be natural for Jessica to still be haunted by him and perhaps even seeing him around her.

Where Can I Watch Jessica Jones Season 1?

Since Jessica Jones is one of Netflix's original series, Season 1 will likely always be available to stream in full within the streaming giant's library. Season 1 should obviously be viewed before Season 2 comes around, not only because it makes sense for keeping up with the storyline, but also because Krysten Ritter and David Tennant are one of the best hero and villain pairings on TV.

Jessica Jones is set to launch Season 2 on Netflix on Thursday, March 8, at 12:01 a.m. PT. While waiting to learn more details about what we can expect, head to our trifecta of related small screen schedules: our 2018 Netflix premiere schedule, our 2018 Superhero schedule, and our midseason premiere schedule.

With the (generally well-received) release of The Defenders earlier this fall, all of the essential pieces of the Netflix Marvel universe finally fell into place. The four core heroes made their introductions with one another, and groundwork is in place for them to continue lending each other a hand when it's needed. As it turns out, that idea will come front and center in Luke Cage Season 2, and series star Mike Colter recently opened up and admitted that Danny Rand's inclusion in the season would allow them to explore the iconic Heroes For Hire dynamic. Colter said:

These remarks came during a recent interview with Blackfilm.com in which Mike Colter addressed Danny Rand's involvement as the Immortal Iron Fist on the upcoming season of Luke Cage. He explained that the show would explore their dynamic as the Heroes for Hire, which is the duo's moniker in the comics. The two developed an uneasy friendship/rivalry during the events of The Defenders Season 1, and Luke Cage Season 2 will pick things up from there to continue exploring how these two very different heroes learn to combine their abilities into something even more powerful.

That development builds off of ideas that have already been presented in The Defenders universe. Luke has consistently proven himself as one of the better team players in the gritty Netflix version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and pairing him with Danny Rand seems like a natural progression away from the now-defunct romance that we saw between him and everyone's favorite hard-drinking private detective during Season 1 of Jessica Jones. (He's currently involved with Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple.) If these crossover arcs continue to be successful, then it will only make sense for Netflix and Marvel to keep cross-pollinating these properties whenever it makes sense.

For longtime Marvel fans, the promise of a Heroes For Hire subplot in Luke Cage Season 2 has to be exciting, as Luke and Iron Fist have a long history of working together in the comics. Initially starting off with Luke Cage's singular Hero For Hire business, the independent venture eventually becomes profitable for Luke, and he enlists Iron Fist to help him with his security/investigation firm. As a result, we get some great street-level buddy-cop adventures between two wholly mismatched heroes as they try to fight their way through the gritty turf of Harlem. The Heroes organization has expanded over the years, and it has even included characters like Misty Knight (who is on the verge of getting her bionic arm), The Punisher (who is about to get his own series), and Elektra among its ranks at various points in time. She probably won't be interested in the Netflix shows, though.

It's worth noting that this doesn't necessarily mean that Heroes For Hire will become a central plot point as Season 2 of Luke Cage comes together. Colter's comments make it sound like they're attempting to dip their toes in the Heroes For Hire water without investing in a full-blown spinoff series yet. Finn Jones' Danny Rand is going to show up to lend a hand (or a glowing fist) here and there, and if successful with fans, this could pave the way for another season-length crossover to take place further down the line.

Luke Cage Season 2 is expected to debut on Netflix sometime next year. Until then, you can check out all of The Defenders series currently available to stream on the service, and take a look at our fall TV premiere guide to get more information on anything and everything set to debut within the next few months.

Given the close relationship between Luke Cage and Iron Fist on the pages of Marvel Comics, their tag-teaming interactions are one of the most anticipated elements of the upcoming The Defenders, where the two characters are played by actors Mike Colter and Finn Jones. But if you're expecting the two superheroes to immediately be totally buddy-buddy when they first meet in the series, the reality is that you're dead wrong. In fact, the earliest interactions between the two feature the Harlem hero legitimately putting the rich boy with the glowing hand in his place. As Jones recently put it,

Most of the stars of The Defenders and co-showrunner Marco Ramirez participated in roundtable interviews at San Diego Comic-Con last week, and it was while sitting down with Finn Jones and Mike Colter that I had the opportunity to ask them about their characters' first meet-up. Having seen four episodes of the new show, I asked them specifically about the dynamic between Luke Cage and Iron Fist when they initially converse, and Jones noted that Danny Rand very quickly figures out that he has a lot to learn from his soon-to-be teammate.

Continuing Finn Jones' sentiments, Mike Colter explained that a big reason behind their differing philosophies is simple experience. As we saw in Luke Cage Season 1, the unbreakable hero has gone through a whole lot in his life as a superhero, and it has provided him an important context when he goes about fighting evil. What he has seen and what he can do very much define his actions, and it's something that he immediately finds himself explaining to Danny Rand when they start to talk. Said Colter,

Taking things a step further, Mike Colter also noted that Luke Cage and Iron Fist are used to fighting very different enemies prior to The Defenders. While the latter's primary opponents are deadly ninjas who are trained to kill, many of the criminals that the former has dealt with are individuals without options and merely exist as bottom rungs on the ladder. (Catch some of that fighting in the newly released trailer from Comic-Con.)

Thankfully, The Defenders do care about going after the top of the crime food chain, and as such the series will find Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Daredevil and Jessica Jones going head-to-head with Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra Reid. And it won't be long until audiences get to see this showdown for themselves, as the brand new Marvel Netflix series will be going online Friday, August 18th. Check out what Charlie Cox had to say about Matt Murdock's wariness to keep his Daredevil persona going, and then head to our summer premiere schedule to see what's hitting the small screen in the meantime.

When Luke Cage returns for Season 2, its first episode will be helmed by a familiar face. Marvel enlisted actress Lucy Liu to direct the premiere to Season 2 of the series, and Mike Colter was apparently a big fan of having her on set. Colter talks about what it was like having Liu direct Luke Cage below:

Mike Colter dropped a lot of adjectives to describe Lucy Liu, and not one of them was negative in the slightest. Of course, as he mentions in his quote to Collider, a lot of this seems rooted in the fact that Liu is an actress stepping into the role of director which gives her the experience of being on both sides of the camera. While a good chunk of great directors have made due without acting in front of the camera, Liu's ability to empathize with and influence actors on set seems to have left a positive impact on Colter.

It also probably helps that Luke Cage was not Lucy Liu's first rodeo when it came to directing. Liu has done a handful of episodes for her CBS series Elementary, the series Graceland, and got her directorial debut with the 2011 film Meena. While all of those projects are an entirely different beast than directing a Marvel series the level of Luke Cage, it looks like Liu was up to the task and at least did well enough to win props from Mike Colter!

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Lucy Liu had a part to play on screen in the upcoming Season 2 of Luke Cage, but it's probably best they didn't force it if there was nothing there. Perhaps, if the experience was as positive for everyone else involved as it was for Mike Colter, this means Liu will have a future in directing more episodes of Luke Cage or perhaps one of Marvel's other shows. With each show looking ahead to the next season, who knows who could snatch her up again to call on her directing skills?

Luke Cage Season 2 is expected to premiere in 2018. Hopefully more information about the upcoming season will continue to roll out as San Diego Comic Con continues. For more on Luke Cage and its new season be sure to read up on the actor tapped to play a villain in the series. Also get excited to see Luke Cage in The Defenders which is due out on Netflix Friday, August 18th. For news relating to summer programming and a guide on where to find all the hottest shows of the summer, visit our summer premiere guide.

The summer months come with quality summer TV, and this season is going to be a particularly exciting ones for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because after two years and four separate shows, Netflix's MCU heroes will unite to save New York City in the Defenders miniseries event. This will be a major payoff for MCU fans, and will validate their years of viewership and support. Now just a few months away, we're starting to get new information and footage of the highly anticipated series. And Mike Colter has revealed one major new struggle that the unbreakable man will have in The Defenders.

Mike Colter has played Luke Cage in both his titular series and Jessica Jones, and will reprise his role once again in The Defenders. Regarding Luke's current struggles, Colter revealed that his notoriety and lack of a secret identity will weight heavily on the character.

This statement (which comes from MCU Exchange) seems like an interesting aspect of Luke Cage's struggle. In the first season of his series, Luke made it a point to be visible and present in Harlem. While trying to clean up the borough's corruption, he took it upon himself to be a shining example of goodness and lawfulness. But this also relinquished the budding hero's anonymity, leaving both he and his allies vulnerable. And while he managed to take down Diamondback, it came with a price.

In the Defenders trailer, we see Luke Cage still serving his time for his previous crimes. Through the events of The Defenders, it's safe to say that the crisis against Sigourney Weaver's mysterious villain will reach a boiling point, and Luke will need to break himself out of prison in order to properly join the fray. But since his arrest is public knowledge, this would turn Luke into an instant fugitive. And since neither Jessica Jones or Danny Rand use masks to obscure their identities, the rest of the heroes may quickly become accomplices. This is why Daredevil wears the costume, people!

I honestly couldn't be more excited for The Defenders to hit my TV screen. I've been sorely missing characters like Jessica Jones, and am eager to see all four heroes kicking ass and taking names. And after all, who doesn't love a crossover?

The Defenders will be released in its entirety on August 18th over at Netflix. In the meantime, check out our summer premiere list, and don't miss your favorite show's return to the small screen!

Reporters have been hitting up Luke Cage actor Mike Colter pretty frequently for any and all details regarding The Defenders. For the most part, he's been pretty good about only teasing and revealing what little he can, but he apparently slipped up recently and revealed a previously unannounced returning villain from the other MCU shows. Colter was with Finn Jones at a panel for Comicpalooza in Houston when he accidentally confirmed a particular Daredevil villain as being in the recently released Defenders trailer, who wasn't actually in the trailer:

As MCU states, Mike Colter's words very much sound like a confirmation that we're going to be seeing Wai Ching Ho's heroin trader Madame Gao. Of course, if you saw the events of Iron Fist and Season 2 of Daredevil, you could've guessed the head of the NYC chapter of The Hand was going to be making an appearance. If Colter had watched The Defenders trailer perhaps one more time just before answering, he would've noticed that the only villains we see, other than faceless thugs, are whoever Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra really is, and then possibly Elektra. Gao's confirmation would seem to imply The Defenders miniseries will be a heavy HANDed adventure, but what does her return really mean?

Spoilers if you're one of those who stopped watching Iron Fist before the finale, as the ending saw Gao listening in on a conversation between Joy Meachum and Danny Rand's K'un-Lun friend Davos, who offered to find Rand and kill him. Madame Gao was previously detained by another member of The Hand named Bakuto, who was looking to take Gao's place, at least until he met his presumed end by Davos. Bakuto was thought to be dead, but with The Hand quickly recovering his body, we can't tell for sure. In either case, Gao's appearance in The Defenders has to make you wonder if she'll have Davos and Joy Meachum in tow, perhaps with a bewitched Bakuto tracking her down.

If nothing else, Mike Colter confirmation of Madame Gao's presence would appear to indicate she plays a sizable role in the miniseries. At least, sizable enough for Colter to think she should have been in the trailer. Colter mentioned not long ago that the entire Defenders ensemble would be taking on one enemy who was behind each hero's other conflicts, and while many of us assumed that would be Sigourney Weaver's Alexandra, Gao showed us during Iron Fist that she's down with the dark magic. Who knows what those old bones could do if she were given some more power?

We'll find out who's really pulling the strings, as well as some more confirmations, as The Defenders launches on Netflix August 18th. Until then, distract yourself with new summer television and check on your old shows and make sure they aren't canceled!

Netflix is home to some of the most intense and action-packed superhero series on the small screen, and most of them so far have been well-received by fans and critics alike. Mike Colter made his superhero debut as Luke Cage on Jessica Jones in 2015, then moved up in the Marvel world with his own series in 2016. The first season of Luke Cage was pretty epic, and many fans have been waiting and waiting for news of when the second season (with some brand new characters) could premiere. Now, Mike Colter has an answer of sorts:

Well, Mike Colter wasn't able to reveal an exact premiere date, but "early next year" sounds good to me. Even if he doesn't seem to know for sure when Luke Cage Season 2 will debut, his timeframe is certainly encouraging. His comments at Houston's Comicpalooza (via MCUExchange) at least indicate that we might be getting more details about the second season in the not-too-distant future. After all, filming will apparently get into gear next month.

Of course, "early next year" is still pretty far off. Still, we'll get to see Mike Colter back in action before Season 2 kicks off. He'll star in The Defenders this summer, alongside Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, and Finn Jones as Iron Fist. We obviously won't get as much of Colter as we would in a season of Luke Cage since he shares the spotlight, but some is better than none. Besides, the trailer actually looks pretty epic, and Mike Colter makes it sound fantastic.

Luke Cage Season 2 is only one of the Marvel projects in the works at Netflix. Jessica Jones and Daredevil also have new seasons on the way at some point, and The Punisher with Jon Bernthal will need to debut as well. Throw in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Inhumans on ABC and Cloak & Dagger on Freeform, and Marvel will have plenty of projects on the small screen in the next year or so.

You can catch Mike Colter back as Luke Cage when The Defenders becomes available on Netflix starting on Friday, August 18 at 12:01 a.m. PT. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in superhero news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.

We're about three months out from The Defenders' debut on Netflix, and we still know little to nothing about Sigourney Weaver's villain and how she ties into all this. Now, thanks to Luke Cage star Mike Colter, we may have a little more knowledge about both her and the rest of Marvel's streaming series:

Mike Colter gives a lot, while almost giving us nothing at the same time, in his quote to TV Guide. We've seen the obvious connections between Daredevil and Iron Fist with The Hand being prominently featured in both, but what about Jessica Jones and Luke Cage? I'm very interested (and puzzled) regarding how the antagonists from Jessica Jones and Luke Cage's worlds both play into Stick's approaching war. It's hard to imagine Black Mariah and Kilgrave being guided by the same overarching hand.

It could just be that the Big Bad is simply threatening to destroy New York, which is not something Luke Cage or any of the other street-level heroes would want to happen. Other villains' arrivals, along with how Sigourney Weaver's character plays into all the plotting, remain a mystery. But we could easily start listing off new and returning foes we'd want to see.

And what a mystery Weaver's Alexandra is, with her first picture showing someone with the class of Wilson Fisk that perhaps houses far darker intentions on the inside. While Mike Colter teased "several entities," it's been stated that she's the ringleader to this big event, and things sound like they could get pretty serious for The Defenders. Just how serious could something get, though, without requiring the help of the Avengers?

It appears as though things will get serious enough for Daredevil to suit up midday, Colleen Wing to leave New York City, and for Elektra to be raised from the dead. Mike Colter mentioned in his interview that there were a couple of fight scenes in particular that will be exciting for comic book fans to see. Considering he said all this after The Defenders trailer was released, one hopes he's referring to much more than the showdown between Danny Rand and Luke Cage, which already has me even more excited for what's to come. The trailer also had a cool hallway battle sequence, one that hearkened back to Daredevil's Season 1 fight scene, that I really want to see played out in full. I would also love to see some new characters introduced, although given that this adventure is already so jam-packed with people, I won't get my hopes up too high.

The Defenders will join forces to save New York City beginning August 18th on Netflix at 12:01 a.m. PT. If you're always hazy on dates and when your shows will premiere be sure to bookmark our summer premiere guide as it is a must have resource for all shows new and returning to television. It's also a great idea to bookmark our finale guide as it can help you keep tabs on when all your favorite shows are drawing to a close.

If the Peabody nomination didn't make it clear, the world is wanting more Luke Cage. Lucky for us, it seems Marvel is already putting their nose to the grindstone, and has put out two casting calls for series regulars in Season 2 of the series. Here's what we know so far about two new series regulars, Byron and Tamara.

According to MCU Exchange, Byron is described as a middle-aged man of African or Caribbean descent. A natural leader, smart, and strong, Byron sounds like someone who is being built up to be a rival to our hero Luke Cage. As for Tamara, she is described as an "earthy" African American female in her 20s or 30s. Tamara is described as someone who always finds trouble, and her casting description made an important note that she must be a good singer. So who are these new characters exactly?

The popular rumor for Byron at the moment is that whoever this character is will probably undergo the same process Cage did to achieve his powers. The foreign emphasis on Byron's character has lead to speculation that he could be the original incarnation of the villain Bushmaster. In Marvel comics, Bushmaster underwent the same experiment as Luke Cage and gained the exact same abilities as Harlem's hero. In later storylines, Bushmaster would be brought back and gain the ability to absorb the energy of others.

The inclusion of Bushmaster in Season 2 of Luke Cage would bring in a nice crossover with Danny Rand in Iron Fist, as the villain has a history with both characters. Before you get too excited, keep in mind that this is still a rumor and it's worth noting that the comic's Bushmaster is named John McIver and not Byron, although casting notices usually change the characters' names to avoid spoilers.

So who is Tamara? That's a tricky question to answer as Tamara's description is a character that appears to be completely unique to the Luke Cage franchise, although there are some additional clues that indicate who she could be. A casting video (which has since been pulled) featured dialogue that gave folks a reason to suspect that Tamara could be the sister of Luke Cage. The thought here is that Tamara would be the gender-changed casting for Cage's brother in the comics, James Lucas. Once again, these are just rumors, but I'm far more skeptical of the speculation surrounding Tamara than Byron.

The only thing we know for sure is that Byron and Tamara are key roles for the upcoming Season 2 of Luke Cage. There's still no release date for that new season, but we'll let you know when Marvel reveals the date. The good news is that the casting process is beginning pretty early, which could mean Season 2 could be coming sooner than we expect.

Speaking of which, we've added a lot of shows to our renewal guide in case you're unsure whether your favorite show will be coming back or not. Check that out and also give our midseason premiere guide and summer premiere schedule a look for all shows on the horizon!

All of us here at CinemaBlend hope that you had a wonderful Christmas season. Between presents, delicious food, and not having to go to work, it was definitely a jolly good time. We're apparently not the only ones who wanted you to have a good holiday season as well; Marvel Entertainment released a Christmas video featuring the entire Luke Cage cast exclaiming Luke's yuletide-themed catchphrase, and it was absolutely as awesome as it sounds. Check out the video below to see it for yourself.

Marvel Entertainment released that video yesterday in honor of the most wonderful time of the year. Despite the inherent darkness and grittiness of the Netflix Defenders universe, I will never tire of the joy incited by watching the entire cast of Luke Cage saying the titular protagonist's iconic "Sweet Christmas" catchphrase over and over again. It really cuts to the core of the show's campiness, and fully embraces its Blaxploitation comic roots. To put it bluntly: it's awesome.

Of course, the video obviously saves the best for last and allows Mike Colter to send it out with his own utterance of the legendary catchphrase. Charlie Cox and Krysten Ritter seriously raised the bar incredibly high with their respective performances as Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones, and Colter managed to live up to that high standard in wonderful fashion, expanding his JJ supporting role into a formidable lead. He had the unenviable task of adapting one of the seemingly least adaptable characters in the entire Marvel mythos, and he completely pulled it off. With the character now fully established in his Netflix-based Harlem home, we have a distinct feeling that Luke Cage will soon utter his catchphrase with even more regularity -- and we are completely on board with that idea.

Luke Cage's catchphrase has become one of the most signature aspects of the character over the course of the last few decades, and it has evolved with the hero over time. It went through a number of different variations over time, ranging from "Holy Christmas," to "Sweet Sister," before ultimately solidifying at the legendary "Sweet Christmas." It's been a long journey to a fully realized live-action universe, and the hero's newfound popularity likely means that sweet Christmas isn't going anywhere.

CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant information concerning the future of The Defenders universe (as well as the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) as new information becomes available to us. For example, get all your Luke Cage Season 2 news here. In the meantime, Finn Jones' Danny Rand will be the next hero to join this universe when Iron Fist debuts on March 17, 2017. Stay tuned for more awesome details!

For more information related to all of the most high anticipated spring television debuts, make sure to check out our comprehensive midseason premiere guide and fill out your TV viewing schedules accordingly!

Marvel has done a phenomenal job with regards to casting the heroes in its Netflix universe. From Charlie Cox, to Krysten Ritter, and now Mike Colter; they're all uniformly excellent. But despite how well these actors fit into their characters, it turns out that Colter initially felt hesitant about taking on his role as the titular hero in Luke Cage. The actor explained:

Mike Colter opened up recently during an appearance on the Off Camera podcast (via MCU Exchange) and admitted his initial trepidations about taking on the role of Luke Cage. He had some major concerns about being pushed into taking the character in a direction that he didn't want to go, and he also apparently felt very against taking on a role that would primarily be physical. It was only after he was allowed autonomy to make the character his own that he felt genuinely comfortable taking on the part of Harlem's favorite hero. The rest, as they say, is history.

Looking back, these concerns almost seem completely unfounded. Mike Colter did a phenomenal job with the role of Luke Cage, and the character ended up becoming far deeper than a simple, powerful hero. As a series, Luke Cage broached very sensitive topics like race and systemic oppression, and Colter's personal performance grounded everything in a very human spirit. At this point it's almost impossible to imagine another actor taking on the role of the legendary hero.

It's a good thing that Mike Colter finally agreed to the role of Luke Cage, because the character is going to be around for quite some time. CinemaBlend will bring you more information concerning the future of the Defenders universe as more details become available to us. The Defenders will debut on Netflix next year.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an ever expanding place. In addition to the 13 films that have already hit theaters, there are also tons of TV programing- the best of which are produced by Netflix. Since the Netflix heroes have become so popular, fans have been pleading and hoping that they would eventually crossover and appear in one of the upcoming films- especially Infinity War. While Marvel has maintained that this type of move is extremely unlikely due to the timing and legal logistics associated with it, that hasn't stopped fans from pondering which characters they'd like to see teaming up. And with so many press junkets and interviews it now appears that the actors portraying said characters can't avoid the question either.

Mike Colter, who plays title character in Luke Cage, recently appeared at Stan Lee's Los Angeles Comic Con where he did a Q & A panel. During said panel (via Screen Geek), a fan asked which superheroes Luke should team up with, to which he responded:

That's right, Luke Cage wants to play with the biggest heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain America and Iron Man. Mike Colter already commented as to which side Luke would have picked in the Civil War, but now it appears he wants the gang back together so he could team up with both leaders. Good call, Colter.

Out of the two choices, I'd probably most like to see Luke Cage interacting with Iron Man. They're both packing some serious attitude, and it would be great to see Luke Cage's general indifference paired with Tony's bravado. They also represent polar opposites in regards to privilege and socioeconomic status. Tony was born into money, has been shown to live a life without consequences due to the luxuries affording by him. This is all good in terms of having the resources to save the world and make super suits, but it's the opposite of what Luke's experience was. This juxtaposition would presumably make for great entertainment value, and could possibly bring up a conversation in the MCU that represents the inequalities in reality.

But then there's Captain America. Steve Rogers, like Luke, generally punches his way out of problems. Both heroes are the subjects of medical experiments which granted them abilities and strength unlike anything they'd seen before. They would be one kickass duo in battle, as they brawled through enemies in contrasting fighting styles.

While Tony and Luke would have great dialogue, I just wanna watch he and Cap kick some ass.

You can expect to see Luke Cage back in action during the Defenders miniseries on Netflix.

SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains spoilers for Marvel's Luke Cage series on Netflix. If you have not yet had the chance to watch the show, and don't wish for any details to be ruined beforehand, we suggest clicking away to another one of our wonderful articles.

Superhero costumes have smartly evolved in comics over the years, with modern trends often creating looks for characters that are completely different than the get-ups they started with. Luke Cage is a perfect example of this. While most Marvel readers nowadays recognize him wearing a simple yellow T-shirt and jeans, he was introduced as a pure product of the 1970s, his ensemble including a chest-exposing long-sleeve shirt, a hefty chain for a belt, and silver gauntlets and a headpiece that tied it all together. As seen above, it's a ridiculous look and one that would never fly for a hero introduced in the 21st century - but Marvel Studio's new Netflix series Luke Cage has done an honestly great job bringing back and paying tribute to the original costume.

In episode four of Luke Cage's first season (titled "Step In The Arena"), we see the culmination of the titular character's origin story in Seagate Prison. A savage beating at the hands of some fellow inmates (including Theo Rossi's Shades) leaves Mike Colter's Carl Lucas on the edge of death, and Parisa Fitz-Henley's Reva Connors no choice but to try and save him with the help of experimental treatments. Of course, it's this sci-fi bath that winds up giving Lucas his unbreakable skin -- and it's an ability he uses to punch through the wall and break out of jail. Wandering around and still sporting the head and wrist braces from the lab, he grabs some random clothes off of a clothesline, creates a makeshift belt, and... ta-da!

Admittedly the glorious moment is pretty short-lived -- mostly because it doesn't take very long at all for Carl Lucas/Luke Cage to get a look at his reflection and realize how stupid his get-up is. That being said, it's still a great way for showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, his crew, his star, and the series in general to pay tribute to the entire legacy and history of the beloved character in the comics. The appearance of the 1970s costume is a fun way to remember just how long Luke Cage has been a part of pop culture.

Furthermore, it's just nice that the original costume isn't something that Luke Cage treats like the plague. While we've seen some franchises do everything in their power to steer away from key aesthetics from the source material, fearing that a close correlation would turn mainstream audiences away from the nerdy world of comics, this is a perfect example of the opposite. The truth is that the show didn't need to include a live-action version of Luke's first costume, but we're super happy that it did.

What did you think of the appearance of Luke Cage's original costume? Did you appreciate it like us, or have different feelings about it? Hit the comments with your thoughts, and be sure to stay tuned for much, much more of our Luke Cage coverage!

As soon as Luke Cage popped up for his first scene in Jessica Jones, it was clear that actor Mike Colter was one of the best casting choices the Marvel Cinematic Universe had going for it. He was so good, in fact, that he completely changed up the schedule of the comic company's Netflix slate. The martial arts drama Iron Fist was originally supposed to be the third series produced, but that all got filpped, and here's the TV creator Cheo Coker's explanation for why the switch was made.

Marvel gets no complaints out of us for that one. Mike Colter is exactly what you want to see from a live-action superhero. He's got the musclebound, clean-cut stature. His smile is imbued with charisma and his glare will stop someone in their tracks. And, perhaps most importantly, he just looks so damned cool doing everything. Even when he was making alcohol orders at his bar, he probably gave Tony Stark a run for his money in the smoothness department. So yeah, I get why the powers that be would want to put Colter's superhero on the fast track.

While we will never know if there's a "right" way for this all to have gone, the early buzz puts Luke Cage as one of Marvel's best efforts yet, with Mike Colter getting a whole lotta love alongside that stacked cast, which also includes Mahershala Ali, Alfre Woodard, Simone Missick, Theo Rossi and more. (Read our glowing review here.) Just about everything the show has to offer is getting praised, from the embrace of diversity to the hip hop-driven soundtrack to the fight scenes to the real-world inspirations to everything else. It is, of course, possible that Luke Cage would have been just as incredible coming out next year instead of in a few days, but we'll never have to know.

Cheo Coker had a lot of other positive things to say about Mike Colter's work, too. Here was a particularly booming compliment he shared with Complex.

You hear that, Timothy Dalton? You'll never make it as a superhero in Harlem! I think that was the point Coker was making there.

So while it sucks to have to wait for Iron Fist to come around, that's just spoiled behavior. There are still so many more Marvel shows coming in the future, it's hard to complain about anything involving comic book television. I mean, it's super easy to complain, really, but you know.

Luke Cage will finally storm his way onto Netflix when Season 1 debuts on Friday, September 30, at 12:00 a.m. PT. We'll be waiting more months for Iron Fist and the rest of the Marvel streaming shows, but in the meantime, you check check out our Netflix premiere schedule and our fall TV schedule to see everything else you could be watching.

Marvel Studios’ Defenders universe has become one of the most engaging parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one of the best sources for content on Netflix. Daredevil and Jessica Jones blew us away, and that was just the beginning. That tradition of excellence seems poised to continue with the long-awaited Luke Cage series, which will premiere in September. Luke Cage is a hero with a rabid fan base and a long, colorful comic book history but – according to series star Mike Colter – that won’t stop Marvel from making certain changes to help him feel at home in a modern, realistic world.

As a comic book hero created during a bygone era, Luke Cage’s origins harken back to the time of Blaxploitation – something which might not translate well for a modern audience. Like Mike Colter explained in his statement to EW, his solo series will certainly acknowledge all of the vital elements of the hero that fans want to see whilst maintaining the contemporary feeling that Netflix has established. He uses the iconic color of the hero’s shirt to make his point; no longer the bright yellow we have come to expect, Marvel has opted for a more muted, “mustard” tone.

This revelation shouldn’t come as a major surprise to any Marvel fan that has kept up with Marvel’s Netflix properties. Although some truly outlandish characters have started to populate the burgeoning Defenders universe, the studio has endeavored to keep everything as grounded and realistic as possible while maintaining the integrity of the characters.

Although Daredevil eventually gave Matt Murdock his iconic red suit, Jessica Jones kept things credible by actively mocking the titular heroine’s comic book outfit. Luke Cage will seemingly maintain that tradition by acknowledging certain flamboyant aspects of the Harlem-based hero’s mythos while grounding him within the tone of the greater universe.

Luke Cage premiered during last November’s Jessica Jones, and fans seemed immediately enamored with Mike Colter’s take on the character. While Marvel Studios and Netflix will make some necessary changes to Luke Cage, we have faith that those decisions will serve the greater Defenders universe.

We will see how those changes come into effect when Luke Cage finally premieres on Netflix later this year on September 30. For all other information concerning upcoming TV premieres be sure to check out our summer TV schedule to learn more!

During Jessica Jones, Luke Cage was able to maintain a low profile despite getting involved in some sketchy activity with the lead heroine. Even though the show didn’t delve deeply into his past, it was clear this was a guy that didn’t want a lot of attention drawn to him. Fortunately, even after falling under Kilgrave’s control and being discovered as as a powered person at a hospital, he managed not to draw any attention to himself from unwanted parties. Luke will continue to keep this low profile in his solo series, but new set photos indicate he won’t be able to stay hidden for long.

Warning: spoilers for Luke Cage are ahead!

About three weeks ago, Mike Colter was photographed on the Luke Cage set shooting a scene with his titular ass-kicker taking on a group of NYPD officers. You can check out the pictures over at ComicBookMovie, but the scene involves several officers with their guns pointed at Luke. He then manages to get close enough to knock them unconscious, but carries one of them off the street so that they don’t get hit by any cars. The last photo also shows Colter wearing one of the cop’s jackets near one of the police cars, so we may see Luke hightail it out of the crime scene disguised as a police officer.

It’s unclear how exactly Luke will draw police attention in that scene, but it’s safe to say that they’ll catch him in some act that looks worse than it actually is. Getting the wrong idea, they’ll presumably attempt to arrest him, but Luke will prove how futile that is. It’s also worth noting that there are “blood stains” on the front and back of Colter’s sweatshirt following his confrontation with the police, so he will endure some gunfire.

Like in the comics, the MCU’s Luke Cage is a convict who escaped prison after going through the experiment that gave him his super strength and indestructible skin. That explains why he wanted to live a quiet life before meeting Jessica. Since he’s a fugitive, showing off his abilities was going to draw attention, and once the police notice him, they’ll realize he’s an escaped prisoner and try to haul him back to prison. So long, quiet life. Hello, citywide manhunt.

This police confrontation looks like it will place Luke more in the anti-hero category for Luke Cage. He’s still a good person and wants to stop the villains at work (namely Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes), but now that the authorities are on his tail, that’s going to make his job a lot harder. Even once his conflict with the central criminals is finished, there’s no guarantee that the police won’t stop looking for him. In order to protect the law, he’ll have to keep working in defiance of those who enforce it.

Luke Cage will premiere on Netflix later this year, with the latest rumor implying it might arrive in November.

When comic book characters make their way to the world of TV, it’s understandable that not everything from the page gets adapted for live-action. But when we’re talking about a relatively simple costume choice, it shouldn’t be that difficult to port it over, right? In the case of Netflix’s upcoming Marvel series Luke Cage and the hero’s signature yellow shirt and boots, we will probably see it, but star Mike Colter was being…cagey…when asked if the costume wasn’t shown on Jessica Jones because it was being saved for later.

An interesting answer, even if it seems like he’s just beating around the bush for secrecy’s sake. I mean, it’s easy to get why Daredevil was weird about unveiling costume news, considering Matt Murdock stuck with his black duds until donning the actual comic costume for the Season 1 finale. And it also makes sense why the same thing happened for Jessica Jones, since she just basically wore street clothes the whole time, only pulling out the comic costume for a quick Easter egg.

So will Luke Cage do something similar to those shows? Will he go to a clothing store and try on a yellow shirt and boots, only to dismiss them for something that fits in more with the street-level grittiness of Netflix’s Marvel shows? Will he wear his usual clothes until later in the season when he makes the decision to wear a specified costume? I can’t imagine the creative team would just leave it out altogether, and Colter also cryptically explained to the L.A. Times how the writers are handling things.

Maybe he’s talking about the costume in that last part, or maybe he’s talking about flashbacks to his past. Or maybe he’s talking about just walking around shirtless all the time, as I’m sure a large section of the fanbase would be perfectly fine with that.

Costumed or not, Luke Cage will be hitting Netflix and some villains’ faces at some point in 2016.

Marvel Studios is currently batting a thousand on Netflix, having completely nailed gritty street level adventures with Daredevil and Jessica Jones earlier this year. However, we’ve only reached the halfway mark on the way towards seeing the full roster of The Defenders get their own series. Next up is Luke Cage, and according to star Mike Colter, the series will certainly stand out against its peers.

Colter went into detail regarding how his character and his solo series will feel different from what Marvel has already done on Netflix in an interview with Collider. Here's what he said.

There exist certain fundamental differences to these characters that almost guarantee they will seem distinct from one another. With regards to Jessica Jones – whose titular heroine isn’t exactly the most approachable or likeable person – Luke Cage could be considered a much more respected member of the community that people can turn to when they need help. The central conflict of Jessica Jones was also smaller in scale, focusing on a personal battle between her and the obsessive Kilgrave, while Luke Cage’s will see him do battle with the criminal underworld on a larger scale. Jessica Jones was a great platform to introduce Luke Cage to audiences as a character, but ultimately that sort of series is not what the character needs to tell a story true to his own origin and spirit.

On the other hand, while Matt Murdock also took on the criminal underworld in Daredevil, it seems that the way Luke Cage goes about it in his series will differ from what has already been done. Daredevil uses a secret identity; he fights crime from the shadows and the courtroom, which is not something Luke Cage really needs to do – see: unbreakable skin. He’s the sort of badass who can fight crime in broad daylight with impunity – after all; the character’s origins are very much a product of the Blaxploitation era, a time when characters like Shaft were popular.

So it looks as thought Marvel is opting not to take the safe route and merely recycle what they know already works. Luke Cage’s solo series is expected to become available on Netflix sometime in 2016.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fantastical place filled with aliens, unusual technology and magic. However, over on the Netflix side, things have been kept in a more realistic setting. Although the main protagonists in these shows each have their own set of unique abilities, the tone of these series has been less outlandish and more gritty. In the case of Luke Cage, whose powers include super strength and unbreakable skin, things won’t be any different for him on Jessica Jones or his own show.

During an interview with ComicBook, Luke’s star Mike Colter said that he likes that the Marvel Netflix shows are being kept grounded, specifically by using the “less is more” angle. In his words:

Daredevil set the precedence for how powers are tackled in the Marvel Netflix shows. Think back: that infamous radar sense of his was only ever seen once throughout all of Season 1, and his other enhanced senses never took away from watching him beat up the bad guys. Obviously there are still unusual threats that Luke and the others have to deal with in the streets of New York, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s all being handled as realistically as possible. Luke’s a powerhouse, to be sure, but you won’t see him charging into the same type of battles the Avengers do on the big screen, and his abilities won’t detract from who he is as a character.

When viewers meet Luke Cage in Jessica Jones, he’ll be a man with a mysterious past that Jessica runs into during one of her investigations. He’ll already have his powers, and like Colter said, he’s trying to protect his Harlem community. Following Jessica Jones, Colter will lead the Luke Cage series, which also stars Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard, Theo Rossi as Shades, Mahershala Ali as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes, Simone Missick as Misty Knight and Frank Whaley as Rafael Scarfe.

We’ll see Colter’s Luke for the first time when Jessica Jones premieres on November 20, and his solo series (currently in production) is expected to air sometime in 2016.

Airing a show off-network has its benefits. In Marvel’s case, their Netflix programming allows them to tell darker and more violent stories compared to what general audiences see in the movies. For actor Mike Colter, who will be playing super-strong hero Luke Cage, that and his series' deep character exploration are the primary reasons he was drawn to join the MCU on a smaller scale.

Colter expressed his enthusiasm to IGN over how Luke Cage and the other Netflix shows will not only be directed more towards adults, but how the stories are able to be more in-depth and focused. Said Colter:

Unlike the movies or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s Netflix series will be focusing on the street-level heroes of the MCU fighting urban crime. Hence the gritty tone that Colter and other creative talent have repeatedly mentioned for these shows, an aesthetic that’s harder to accomplish in the bigger budget productions. The movies have to make sure they can be accessible to people of all ages, whereas with Luke Cage and the others, adults are the primary demographic, so the creative teams are allowed to take more risks.

Colter, who is quite familiar with the comics, is also eager to start what makes Luke tick, and one of the greatest advantages TV has over movies is deeper study of a character’s psychology. The actor didn’t mention it, but he’s also probably excited to punch stuff. That’s one of the greatest things about playing a superhero!

Luke Cage's character will be introduced in A.K.A. Jessica Jones as a man the titular character meets during one of her investigations with "secrets that will dramatically alter Jessica in ways she could never have imagined.” Colter will then lead the standalone series Luke Cage that will be released after Iron Fist.

Aside from Daredevil, which comes out on April 10, no release dates have been given on the other shows. But if Netflix is indeed planning on releasing each series a year apart, then fans probalby won’t see Luke Cage until around 2017 or 2018.

When the mountainous mass of muscles that is Terry Crews wants something, it seems perfectly plausible to me that he should always get it. But he’s never been able to land the long-sought after role of superhero Luke Cage (a.k.a. Power Man), a character that will play a major role in the upcoming Netflix series Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. (Duh.) The role was recently given to The Good Wife star Mike Colter, and while it wouldn’t be crazy to assume Crew destroyed a few buildings in a fit of rage when he found out, his reaction was a tad more civil.

Not one to hold grudges over things that he had no control over, Crews graciously sent Colter a shout out via social media, congratulating him for getting the part. Here’s what he posted to his WhoSay account.

Definitely kind words coming from a guy who has wanted the part of Luke Cage for ages now. (As did Idris Elba and Michael Jai White at different points.) Crews tried to back out of it all at some point, but there he was again back in August, months after Netflix’s announcement of their Marvel slate, campaigning once more to take on the role. And no one was listening but his fans, sadly.

Not to knock Colter’s talent or anything, but he just doesn’t command the same amount of attention that Crews does. At 46, there’s no denying the former NFL star is a little long in the tooth for the role, especially if all the Netflix series go multiple seasons, but the world needs to see Terry Crews kicking supervillains’ asses at least once. And The Expendables movies don’t count for that. Hell, I’d even like to watch him throw down with Andy Samberg on Brooklyn Nine-Nine for part of an episode, assuming they were both wearing masks.

While Crews will remain a strong presence on that Fox comedy, Colter will be playing Luke Cage in not only the two aforementioned series, but in the crossover miniseries The Defenders. That eight-parter will hit Netflix after all four of the standard series have finished their runs, including Daredevil and Iron Fist, a series that Cage would presumably feature in as well, since he and Iron Fist teamed up for a while in the comics.

Do you guys think Terry Crews’ classy reaction was the best one, or do you think he should have run over to Netflix and Marvel Studios while swinging a chain in the air? I know my answer.