Marvel’s casting net continues to catch new stars and the latest is Mike Colter, who will play Hero for Hire Luke Cage….
The ambitious Marvel TV schedule in 2014 will first ramp up with Daredevil starring Charlie Cox before rolling into ‘AKA Jessica Jones’ starring Krysten Ritter and now she has a recurring co-star, who will then swoop into his own series as well.
Mike Colter — best known for roles in ‘The Following’ and ‘The Good Wife’ — has been cast as Luke Cage for appearances in ‘AKA Jessica Jones’ before taking over his own series on Netflix.
Colter was one of several actors being considered for the part, but much like Ritter landing the job, Marvel ultimately decided he was the best person to portray Luke Cage on screen.
Luke Cage was a character first created in 1972 while also being one of the first prominent African-American superheroes in the Marvel Universe. In his origin story, Cage is sent to prison after a childhood friend turned crime lord sets him up for drug possession and once he arrives in jail he becomes the subject of experimentation, which results in his super human powers. Luke Cage has super human strength and and stamina as well as nearly impenetrable skin.
In the comics, Luke Cage is romantically tied to Jessica Jones, which is likely why he will be introduced in that series first before eventually moving over into his own show.
Details about when Luke Cage will debut on Netflix remains a secret for now, but look for Colter to appear in ‘AKA Jessica Jones’ when that series debuts in the near future.
