Marvel’s Luke Cage Season 1 Review (NO SPOILERS)

Howdy ladies and gents, time for another one of those beastly reviews and today I’m reviewing something I’ve waited ages to see, I am of course talking about the first season of Marvel’s Luke Cage. The funny thing is, even though Mike Colter’s Luke Cage was one of the best aspects of Jessica Jones, I wasn’t too hyped about him getting his own show initially. However, over time when I watched and read interviews with the cast, producers and showrunner, my interest increased, but it was after the Comic-Con trailer dropped in July that I was down for this show. So now that I’ve seen it all, how is it? Well read on and find out!

So what’s the story for this show? Well our protagonist, Luke Cage is an ex-convict who was experimented on in prison and given super strength and durability, however he escapes and now resides in Harlem hiding in plain sight. However when problems arise in the city, Luke has to step  up and confront issues past and present in order to keep everyone safe.

What I appreciated the most about this show immediately its sense of identity, Luke Cage is totally different from Daredevil and Jessica Jones in style, tone and story, however, it shares enough similarities that in certain elements that it fits into the same universe as the previous shows. Straight from the beginning you notice the show’s sense of presence, charisma and sophistication that you don’t see with a lot superhero TV, and as someone who has been following this show long before the marketing started, it was fascinating and rewarding to see how showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker’s vision come to life in such a vivid manner after reading and watching all of those interviews. The show also does a really good job of telling its story slowly and methodically, having a lot of the key superhero story plot points, but also telling a story which felt smart, realistic and relevant to social and racial issues that are happening in the world today.

I would also like to note that Luke Cage might be the most consistent of all the Marvel Netflix shows so far, Jessica Jones‘ episodes tended to fluctuate in terms of enjoyment and relevance and the same can be said for this year’s Daredevil season 2, and even Daredevil season 1 there was a dip in quality in the final three episodes (not so much the finale though). As I was binging Luke Cage every episode had content that was felt compelling, fun, interesting, dramatic and most importantly relevant, none of it felt like filler, though I have heard some say that the final two episodes felt weaker than what came before and while I can see that point of view, at the same time they didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the show. I also liked how the show took some chances and made some surprising turns with the overall story and use of certain characters. Oh and the references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be my favourites so far with ties to specific characters, events and technology from a few of the films and previous Netflix shows being used to great effect in verbal and visual ways. With all that being said the show wasn’t perfect, firstly there was a misuse of certain characters over the course of the season. Secondly there were some plot points that were brought up but never got properly concluded or didn’t have as much of a satisfying pay off as one would expect. And for all the references that were put into the show, I felt like some of them were teasing certain things that never came to pass unfortunately.

Episode highlights include:

• Moment of Truth
• Code of the Streets (personal favourite)
• Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?
• Step in the Arena (personal favourite)
• Just to Get a Rep
• Manifest (personal favourite)
• Blowin’ Up the Spot
• DWYCK
• Take It Personal (personal favourite)
• Now You’re Mine

When it comes to the cast they were all really good, and I found it intriguing how a lot of them had surface level personas, but as the season went on you discovered their real selves, though some stood out more than others. Firstly there’s Mike Colter as Luke Cage, damn this guy is good! Colter bring such a sense of fun, charisma, subtlety, magnetism and depth to this character who’s already endured a lot in his life and has more personal struggles ahead of him with the villains and scenarios he gets into. I also adored how grounded and relatable Luke was, he was an every man, like he belonged among non-superpowered people unlike Jessica Jones and Matt Murdock who feel anything but normal and have questionable personality traits. Mahershala Ali was beyond great as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, here we had a character who is your standard villain but in all the right ways, he’s charming, intimidating, smart and has some really compelling personal history that enriches him as a character, and every time he was on-screen you wanted him to come back. Simone Missick as Misty Knight was also very good, at first I really appreciated her no-nonsense/cocky attitude, but it did take me a while to feel connected to her and thankfully due to the use of the character in the story and some terrific acting from Missick she ascended into my favourites department. Theo Rossi as Shades was someone I thought would be a throwaway character, but he quickly became one of my favourites due to his totally chilled out demeanour, sense of style and character motivations, plus Rossi’s acting made him so likeable.

Alfre Woodard was fabulous as Mariah Dillard, this lady was driven, committed and proactive, though the actions of Luke and Cottonmouth created some issues morally and personally for her as time went on. There was a lot more to this character than I expected, and the reason I liked her so much was because of Woodard’s acting, bloody hell I forgot how good she was and she has some really great material at certain points. Rosario Dawson did well as Claire Temple and had a fair amount to do, far more than I expected when it came to learning more about her and see how she fits into main story, and Dawson just brings that passion, charm and beauty that she’s known for in full effect. Then there’s Erik LaRay Harvey (who I remembered from Boardwalk Empire) as Diamondback and he was pretty good too, while his character wasn’t nearly compellng or fleshed out as the rest of the cast, at the same time he was pretty scary, perceptive and ruthless and it really helped that Harvey excels in these kind of roles. A powerful arms dealer who is Cage’s half-brother, and framed him for the crime that sent him to Seagate Prison. You also have Frank Whaley as Rafael Scarfe and Ron Cephas Jones as Bobby Fish, both characters have ties to the main characters (Scarfe with Misty and Fish with Luke), and they have some really cool, hilarious and notable moments in this show. And finally there are some wonderful cameos from characters who first appeared in Daredevil and Jessica Jones and they are used to wonderful effect, especially one key character who you’ll know when you see him. 😀

As for the presentation, it fabulous. Visually the show looks very nice and consistent with the previous shows, but I feel like there was a lot more attention to detail when it came to the framing of certain shots and general cinematography. I also loved the way the filmmakers captured Harlem in all of its areas, it makes you feel like you know the area and you get in on the ground level from the fancy areas to the dark back alleys. And I have to talk about the action scenes, while not as impressive as Daredevil (obviously because Luke’s no martial arts expert) I really enjoyed the way the show depicted Luke’s strength and durability, but also how he fought in his action sequences which were frantic, hard-hitting and sometimes hilarious. Oh and that intro with the visual imagery and song, fabulous! As for the soundtrack, composers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad made something damn special, their score for this TV show has such a beautiful sound that feels intricate to the show and has a variety in its sound, but calls a lot a 1970’s funk/disco sound with some hip-hop vibes. Oh and that the choices of music from real life musicians whether they were life performances or just placed within an episode were fantastic and captured the mood and style of the show so well.

In conclusion season 1 of Marvel’s Luke Cage is a damn good show and I would say it’s miles better than Jessica Jones, but not quite as solid Daredevil‘s first season, though it’s damn close! This show has a lot to say over with its themes, issues and story aspects which were explored in such a thoughtful, emotional and engaging manner, and with such fabulous performances and an incredible soundtrack it is impossible to deny this show’s quality. It does have some issues with the use of characters and unanswered story elements, and some may not enjoy the slower pace, but overall it’s some damn good TV which I highly recommend.

Rating: 8.5/10

So have you seen season 1 of Marvel’s Luke Cage and is so what do you think of it? And how would you compare it to Daredevil and Jessica Jones? Please leave your comments below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters. 🙂

 

Fall/Autumn TV I’m Gonna Be Watching!

Howdy people of the internet and fellow subscribers, its September and TV season is starting up again soon and I just wanted to update y’all on the stuff I’ll be checking out. Now for those who have been following me since last year you’ll know I started up a series called “What I’ve Been Watching” where I reviewed the TV I’d watched during that week, and while I wasn’t always consistent from week to week, it was a lot of fun to talk about TV and get some responses. Now there are some shows I’ve dropped or don’t care for as much as I used like The Walking Dead, Gotham and possibly some others, so yeah just thought I’d put that out there.

Anyway with all that out of the way here’s me preview:

Luke Cage (Season 1)

This show is just shy of two weeks away and I swear this wait has been almost as difficult as Daredevil season 2. Luke Cage went from being a show I was intrigued about to being something I was super hyped for, I think its been thanks to the great trailers and interviews about the way the showrunner and actors approached this show that got me so giddy. I’ve never been a big Luke Cage fan, but Marvel’s Netflix shows have made care for characters in an in-depth manner and I assume that’ll be the case for this show too. I want this show to be badass, I need to be, if it isn’t then I’ll be gutted. But I hope the show will work out.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Season 4)

I know a lot of people have given up on this show, but there’s a still a good few people that have a lot of love for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and that’s one of the key reasons it’s survived despite the low viewership and less than stellar perception from an outsiders perspective. AoS has been improving with each season and while not all of the stories and characters are great, it can definitely make for some entertaining TV. So now we have season 4 with a totally different landscape for all of our main characters and the introduction of frigging GHOST RIDER! Something I thought would never happen, and while it’s not the OG Johnny Blaze incarnation, I’m still hyped to see what they do with the character, and where things will go with the use of Inhumans, Coulson and company and Quake on her own solo adventures.

South Park (Season 20)

It is crazy to think that South Park is in its 20th season, man, just thinking about it makes me feel a lot older that I am. Anyway, even though the show’s already started, I haven’t checked out the first episode yet. I am curious to see what Matt Stone and Try Parker bring to the show this time around as season 19 had so many intriguing and refreshing changes to the basic formula to the show while still being as funny and as relevant as ever. So here’s hoping season 20 is a good one.

Star Wars Rebels (Season 3)

I love how Star Wars Rebels went from being a show I liked watched to being quintessential TV. Season 1 introduced some great new characters, story and mythology, while season 2 built upon that foundation and expanded it to a whole new level with more episodes, more character-driven stories, darker elements and ties to previous Star Wars film and TV material. And after the conclusion of season 2, I am more hyped than ever to see how this season unfolds with the introduction of Grand Admiral Thrawn into the world SW canon, getting more Maul, seeing more of Sabine and the Mandalorians and discovering what will become of Ezra as his Force abilities grow stronger.

The Flash (Season 3)

The Flash has been on of the most consistent TV shows in the superhero genre in recent memory and it went from strength to strength from season 1 to 2 to give audiences compelling and intriguing stories, characters, action and drama that was easily accessible and yet true to its source material. Season 2 was certainly more ambitious with the time travel material, doppelgänger characters and supernatural elements with the Speed Force and Zoom. And while The Flash some weak episodes around 2/3’s of the way into the show overall it was a stronger season and because of the way it ended, The Flash can now go anywhere and I’m curious to se if this show’s season 3 will be good or will be the start of a decline in quality like with what happened to Arrow‘s third season.

Lucifer (Season 2)

Ah Lucifer, what a crazy journey we went on last year. It is crazy how this show went from something I had no interest in, to being around 3 to 5 episodes in and really getting into. The show had an interesting balance of supernatural material mixed in with the standard police procedural genre, and while seeing certain common elements of the police drama side of things got a little tiresome, there was enough unique material to keep me watching. Plus it was the characters that was the main selling point of this show and the cast all did very well with a fabulous central performance from Tom Ellis as the charismatic and ever so charming title character. I’m really hyped to see where this next season goes especially with the introduction of Lucifer’s mother played by Tricia Helfer.

Blindspot (Season 2)

Blindspot ended up being one of my favourite new shows of last year and while each weekly episode was not always as captivating as it could be, it had an interesting story with characters I liked and a level of mystery, intrigue and surprise that made the show worth watching. I’ve just seen the first episode of season 2 and I’m liking what I’m seeing so far.

Arrow (Season 5)

With Arrow I’m almost ready to say taht I’m done with it considering how questionable the show’s gotten over the last two seasons with all the inconsistent, dull and uninteresting storylines, flashbacks and new characters I’ve had to endure. But it hasn’t been all bad and since I started thisshow back when it was good, I feel compelled to see it through to the end. I just hope that the showrunners can some new life into this show, but also get back to the core elements which made the show entertaining the first two seasons, because I do want to see this show bounce back.

Supergirl (Season 2)

At this point in time I haven’t finished Supergirl‘s first season because it was constantly a mixed bag of stuff I liked and things that irritated me. I found the show too similar to The Flash in tone, use of the soundtrack and overall format (probably the Greg Berlanti touch) but in addition to that the CGI was choppy, the fight scenes had no oomph or good choreography and the stories weren’t always too engaging. That being said I loved Melissa Benoist as Supergirl, most of the main cast are good, thee’s good world building and some cool reveals and the world the show inhabits has potential to grow and become even better. Season 2 seems to be delivering a lot of new material, most notably including Superman, so I’ll be curious to see how this show moves forward but also ties into the other CW DC shows.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Season 2)

I’m not gonna lie, I don’t love this show, but there’s enough redeeming qualities about it that makes me want to keep watching. While some of the repetition in the story and character relationships and personalities got a little annoying, I did really get attached to the characters (mainly the already established ones) and it was the actors/actresses that kept me coming back more than the stories. I hope that season 2 will have a more compelling central story, less annoying character and better fight scenes too.

So that’s my list, expect the reviews to start coming in as of next week I think possibly on Wednesdays or Fridays. I’d love to know what TV you’ll be watching from now until Christmas and if you have shows you’d like to recommend me then be sure comment below and let me know okay? Until next time, laters! 😀

 

My Highlights From San Diego Comic-Con 2016

Good day to you ladies and gents, once again another crazy session at San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, and if you’re fan of comics, film and TV then you’re more than likely hyped for this event. So between Thursday and Saturday this week us fans were treated to a plethora of information in form of interviews, trailers and descriptions of panels and footage, and man, it was an overwhelming amount of gorgeous announcements. While some of the stuff that shown off was expected, at the same time there were plenty of unexpected announcements and it was glorious as a fan of several of these different franchises to get all of this information. The hype is real right now and just trying to think of it all right now is boggling my mind! But like last year, I’m gonna try to show off my personal highlights from SDCC 2016 😀

Doctor Strange Trailer #2

Yo, this was the best thing I could have woken up to. I had heard rumours of a second trailer for Doctor Strange being released during Comic-Con, but I wasn’t sure it was going to happen, but sure enough it did and it was glorious! And while this wasn’t super amazing, it was certainly fascinating to watch. We got some additional details on Steven Strange’s path to becoming the Sorcerer Supreme with his training, use of magic and interaction with other characters, we also got to see more of the main cast especially with the extra scenes of Mads Mikkelsen as the villain and Benedict Wong as Wong. What I’m loving is how Marvel Studios are embracing the supernatural elements of the source material which is reflected in some of the dialogue and plot, but mainly with the visual presentation which is super trippy, colourful beyond comprehension and clearly got an Inception kind of feel but times twenty! Cumberbatch looks so cool especially with the way he puts on that cloak and I love that line at the end of the trailer with Baron Mordo giving Strange the Wi-Fi password, that was great. I’ve been hyped for this film for ages, but now the hype has gotten so much higher! 😀

Wonder Woman Trailer

Okay so the Wonder Woman trailer has finally been released and I have to say that I’m intrigued and definitely down for this film more so than before. The thing about Gal Gadot’s version of Wonder Woman is that she’s pretty, but I don’t find her intimidating or badass, and while she had her moments in Batman V Superman, I wasn’t in love with her. However this trailer really seems to be winning me over with the good chemistry between Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, the WWI setting and the action sequences that look pretty cool. Oh and the colour, I’m liking the use of colour especially in WW’s costume and some of those action scenes look pretty hardcore. Oh and the use of WW’s theme from BvS, nice! My only issues with the trailer was the use of slow motion during the action scenes, these days it feels a little excessive in action movies and seeing some of WW’s movements, it looked a little awkward, but other than that the trailer’s good and I’m ready for this film.

Justice League Footage

But this footage was the real surprise for me, Justice League is still in production as far as I know and for there to be such polished-looking footage already is crazy, but welcomed for me. This footage if anything proved one single thing, that Justice League will be a different kettle of fish from the last two DCEU films with humour, light-heartedness and colour. I liked how Bruce and Diana were on the hunt for their superhero team and how these moments of banter between Diana and Bruce about Aquaman’s recruitment or the conversation between Bruce and Barry Allen. Ezra Miller’s version of the Flash is one that I think I’ll like a lot and Jason Momoa looks tough as nails as Aquaman, and overall it looks like this film will be good session. I will admit that this trailer lacked the style, charisma and impact of a proper trailer like Wonder Woman, but since the film’s not done with principal photography I’m gonna let it slide.

Kong: Skull Island Trailer

Out of every trailer that dropped from SDCC, this was the one that really caught me by surprise. I’ve been looking forward to this film for a while, but to see some actual footage and the tone this film is going for, I was like “Damn, this needs to be in my system now yo!”  This film really has a Godzilla (2014) kind of vibe especially with that opening shot on the ocean with the use of colour and the dark clouds, but the style and tone feels more in line with a film from decades ago like the 1970’s. I also enjoyed seeing how big of a part Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman have with Jackson looking like the tough military guy and Goodman being some kind researcher familiar with the island. The visuals are looks very solid with some cool cinematography, big set pieces and King Kong, damn, how big is here? This film definitely establishes that Skull Island isn’t a place for humans, that it’s been around since the early times of Earth and that trespassers will meet their end, and that just excites me to see how dangerous this place and it’s inhabitants are.

Danai Gurira Joining Black Panther

This was one of the best small surprises for me, to have Danai Gurira from The Walking Dead come over to the MCU in the new Black Panther film? Hell yeah, she’s perfect to come into this film and to have her as the head Black Panther’s personal body guards it seems like a great role that’ll hopefully have some action material as Gurira excels at that in Walking Dead. And just in general to see Ryan Coogler talk so passionately about being a fan and working on Black Panther was great, but also seeing the current cast, Chadwick Boseman Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Danai Gurira together talking about their excitement for this new film was awesome.

Luke Cage & Iron Fist Trailers

And finally there’s the trailers from the first day of SDCC that got me all sweaty in the from of the trailers for the Netflix Marvel shows; Luke Cage and Iron Fist. And while there was this nice teaser for The Defenders, these trailers had actual footage and I’ve been hyped for these shows because of their potential in the future especially when it comes to crossovers. Firstly there’s Luke Cage and while there wasn’t really much in the way of story, this trailer definitely gives a look at the kind of tone, action and style of this show and how it’s different from Daredevil and Jessica Jones. I’m liking the action and how brutal/humourous it is with Cage just dispatching bad guys. And with Iron Fist there’s even less to see, but what glimpses we do get are pretty cool flashbacks to a young Danny Rand and his mum in a plane crash and then being found by monks in the snow, then fast forward to modern times with Rand being restrained in a bed and then smashing through that wall. I liked it, Finn Jones looks cool and with the music it really felt mystical and otherworldly.

And so that brings my highlights from this year’s SDCC to a close, what was your favourite material from Comic-Con this year? Whatever they are be sure to comment below and let me know and I’ll see ya on the next blog post, laters! 😀

 

LATE NEWS: Krysten Ritter To Play Jessica Jones & New Story Details Emerge!

Howdy people of the internet, I’m back again to blog about some news. It seems like the comic book news isn’t stopping any time soon as we now have some casting news relating to the upcoming Jessica Jones TV series. The following information comes from superherohype:

Just yesterday, word broke that Marvel Studios’ upcoming Netflix series “Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones” has selected “Breaking Bad” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23″ star Krysten Ritter to play the title role. Today, Marvel has officially confirmed the news and has also revealed that the series will follow “Marvel’s Daredevil” in 2015 with a 13-episode season.

The Jones character debuted in Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos’ 2001 comic book series “Alias,” which also marked the debut of Marvel’s Max imprint, a line designed to embrace R-rated storytelling. In the book, Jones was retconned to have been a former Avenger. The official TV show description of Jones reads as follows:

After a tragic ending to her short-lived Super Hero stint, Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.

“Krysten brings both the hard edge and the vulnerability the role demands,” says Executive Producer/Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg. “We can’t wait for fans to see her in action, coming to Netflix in 2015.”

“Krysten Ritter has the type of range, spanning the comic to the tragic, that makes for the stuff of the best Marvel heroes,” adds Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television. “As Jessica Jones, Krysten will bring one of the most beloved new characters of the past decade to life in a way we know will delight her longtime fans and introduce her to many more.”

Well this is certainly interesting. The more I’m hearing about these upcoming Netflix shows, the more intrigued I’m getting. Daredevil already sounds like it will be awesome, but it is the other characters that I’m more curious about. they’re nowhere near as mainstream as the current selection of big screen superheroes, but it seems like Marvel are pushing for them to be just as important, just on a smaller scale. This Jessica Jones character, I have no idea who she is or what her significance is in the comics, but the people at Marvel Studios seem to think she is important and are laying out the groundwork for these characters pretty quickly. The plot doesn’t sound overly orignal or enticing, but it’s a Marvel property so there is bound to be something I’ll actually like about it.

So how do I feel about the casting? I’m down with it, like I’ve said before, I’ve only seen Ritter in Breaking Bad and she was fine there, however if the people at Marvel are giving her praise then she must have some right? Also according to what I’ve read on ComicBookMovie, Mike Colter looks set to play Luke Cage in the upcoming show as well before appearing in his ow show later down the line. I’m okay with the casting at the moment, until we see them in action we can’t really pass judgement, and I’m seeing a lot of hate online about Ritter’s involvement and loads of people say that Alexandra Daddario should have gotten the role because she was prettier on the eyes. Really? It is a sad time we live in when all that some people look for in casting is how pretty the person is, what about the talent? You that still counts for something right? And then there’s Colter, I have seen him in anything so I can’t form an opinion, but he looks the part so there is that. Either way Marvel Studios have done well with their casting so far in terms of their films so I can only hope that it translates to their new TV shows as well.

So what do you think of this news? Please leave your thoughts below, laters! 🙂

 

The Actresses & Actors Up for Marvel’s Jessica Jones & Luke Cage

Howdy ladies and gents, time for some film news and once again it is Marvel-related. So with Daredevil well in the works now, it seems like Marvel Studios are finally moving ahead with the next set of Netflix characters with actors and actresses potentially up for the roles of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. The following information comes from superherohype:

Deadline brings word this afternooon that Marvel has begun testing actresses for the lead role in their Netflix series “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” and among those names are Krysten Ritter (“Breaking Bad”), Alexandra Daddario (“True Detective”), Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies) and Jessica De Gouw (“Arrow”).

The outlet also reports that two names have emerged as the front runners for the Luke Cage role: Lance Gross (“Crisis”) and Halo: Nightfall‘s Mike Colter. Cage will reportedly appear in seven of the 13 episodes in the “Jessica Jones” series before going on to appear in his own 13-episode series.

“Dexter” and Twilight scribe Melissa Rosenberg is set to executive produce the “Jessica Jones” series, which focuses on retired superhero Jessica Jones hanging up her tights and opening her own detective agency. Rosenberg is no stranger to female superhero shows either, having worked on the short-lived “Birds of Prey” series on The WB.

“Jessica Jones” is the second of five Netflix shows Marvel will roll out starting next year with “Marvel’s Daredevil.” Following the two will be both “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist,” with all four leading into a “Defenders” mini-series.

UPDATE:Deadline has learned that Marin Ireland (“The Divide”) and Cleo Anthony (“Transparent”) are also up for the roles of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, respectively.

So what do I think of these choices? Very interesting. I’m not fully familar with all of these people and their work but I am curious about the what each other could potentially bring to the table.

Jessica Jones Potential Actresses

So let’s start with the actresses up for Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter is someone I liked in Breaking Bad, however I haven’t seen any of her other work to be able to judge whether she would be a good fit for the character. Ritter has been in a good few films and TV shows so I guess she most be good for her to be considered for the role. As for Alexandra Daddario, she’s a lady I’ve heard much about but have never seen her in anything, besides a small role in The Squid and the Whale (but I barely remember that film). She’s apparently worth watching in True Detective but until I see more from her, I can’t pass judgement. Teresa Palmer was good in Warm Bodies) she’s been in a good few films, whether she would be a good fit for this character remains to be seen. Jessica De Gouw, yes. I loved this woman in Arrow, she was both gorgeous and deadly as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress and definitely had the acting chops to back up the action side of things. And finally there’s Marin Ireland, who was in Side Effects, but I don’t recall her in that film and the rest of her filmography is completely alien to me, however the amount of awards and experience she’s had in film, TV and theatre is pretty impressive.

Luke Cage Potential Actors

And then there’s the actors who don’t have a filmography nearly as impressive as the women. Firstly there’s Lance Gross who’s just been in Tyler Perry films, that just doesn’t bode well for me at all. Mike Colter is a little better with a more expansive filmography in film and TV, but nothing that’s really too notable for me besides his appearance in Men in Black 3 which I recalled from 2012. And finally there’s Cleo Anthony, this man has been in a few big things here and there but nothing too notable.

Conclusion

In the end these are some interesting choices. If I had to pick out of the actresses then I would pick either De Gouw because of her work in Arrow or Palmer because she’s pretty or possibly Ireland because of her wide experience. As for the men I would go with Mike Colter, he seems like he has the most acting experience, simple as.

So what do you think of these choices? Are they up your ally or do you think that they’re miscast? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to leave them in the comments below.

 

Marvel and Netflix Team on Four Series Leading Up to The Defenders!

Alrighty then its time for some Marvel/TV-related news and when I read it online I just had to talk about it on my blog. The following info comes from superherohype:

“The Walt Disney Co. and Netflix Inc. today announced an unprecedented deal for Marvel TV to bring multiple original series of live-action adventures of four of Marvel’s most popular characters exclusively to the world’s leading Internet TV Network beginning in 2015. This pioneering agreement calls for Marvel to develop four serialized programs leading to a miniseries programming event.

Led by a series focused on “Daredevil,” followed by “Jessica Jones,” “Iron Fist” and “Luke Cage,” the epic will unfold over multiple years of original programming, taking Netflix members deep into the gritty world of heroes and villains of Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Netflix has committed to a minimum of four, thirteen episodes series and a culminating Marvel’s “The Defenders” mini-series event that reimagines a dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters.

Produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Television Studios, this groundbreaking deal is Marvel’s most ambitious foray yet into live-action TV storytelling.

“This deal is unparalleled in its scope and size, and reinforces our commitment to deliver Marvel’s brand, content and characters across all platforms of storytelling. Netflix offers an incredible platform for the kind of rich storytelling that is Marvel’s specialty,” said Alan Fine, President of Marvel Entertainment. “This serialized epic expands the narrative possibilities of on-demand television and gives fans the flexibility to immerse themselves how and when they want in what’s sure to be a thrilling and engaging adventure.”

“Marvel’s movies, such as ‘Iron Man’ and Marvel’s ‘The Avengers’, are huge favorites on our service around the world. Like Disney, Marvel is a known and loved brand that travels,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “With ‘House of Cards’ and our other original series, we have pioneered new approaches to storytelling and to global distribution and we’re thrilled to be working with Disney and Marvel to take our brand of television to new levels with a creative project of this magnitude.””

Well damn! Did not even expect that. This is probably the best news that a lot of hardcore Marvel fans could have asked for. To have not only have Daredevil finally being handled under Marvel, but also have Luke Cage and Iron Fist? Two key characters that fans have been waiting on for AGES? YES! Praise the lord! It’s about bloody time. Now these characters have great potential and with Marvel finally bringing them into live action makes me smile and also shows that they’re ready to try out new things on the smaller screen rather than just making big blockbuster films all the time.

   Now while I’m not overly aware of who Jessica Jones is, Daredevil, Luke Cage (Power Man) and Iron Fist on the other hand I’m well aware of and I think the idea of having these characters in particular on TV rather than film has been talked about before, but I never thought in a million years that the people at Marvel would be smart or gutsy enough to take the plunge, but here I sit corrected and I couldn’t happier.

Also to have these characters separate with solo adventures and then bring them together in their own team just like the comics is just such a sexy feeling. My only concern right now is 1) Is this under Marvel Studios? 2) If it part of Marvel Studios then will it ever tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe films? And 3) Will there be enough interest to make these characters stand out?

I guess we’ll find out those questions and more as time goes on. So what do you lot think of this upcoming Marvel/Netflix TV deal thing?