Luke Cage

## Production

### Executive Producers

Charles Murray, Paul McGuigan (1x01 only), Cindy Holland, Allie Goss, Alison Engel, Kris Henigman, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Dan Buckley, Jim Chory, Jeph Loeb, Cheo Hodari Coker

## Series Chronology

### Next

Iron Fist

Marvel's Luke Cage, or simply Luke Cage, is an American web television series created for Netflix by Cheo Hodari Coker, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise and is the third in a series of shows that lead to *The Defenders* crossover miniseries. The series is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios, with Coker serving as showrunner.

## Plot

When a sabotaged experiment gives him super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive attempting to rebuild his life in Harlem and must soon confront his past and fight a battle for the heart of his city.

## Cast and Characters

* Mike Colter as Luke Cage:
Former convict Carl Lucas was given superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, and now fights crime under the name Luke Cage.[3][4][5][6] Colter portrayed the character differently in the series than he had previously in *Marvel's Jessica Jones*, explaining, "You're not always the same person around everyone you know ... you might not necessarily behave the same way around your mom that you would with your wife or your boss".[7] The character uses his signature catch phrase 'Sweet Christmas' from the comics in the series,[8] but sparingly, with the character often "opting instead for pensive silence"; composer Adrian Younge said, "He's a black superhero, but he's a different type of black alpha male. He's not bombastic. You rarely see a modern black male character who is soulful and intelligent."[9] Colter put on 30 pounds (14 kg) of muscle for the role.[10] David Austin and Clifton Cutrary portray a young and teenage Lucas, respectively.
* Mahershala Ali as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes:
The owner of the Harlem's Paradise nightclub and the cousin of Mariah Dillard who deals in illegal operations.[11][12][13] Ali described Stokes as "a *Godfather*-type villain",[14] while Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loebreferred to him as "the other hero of the story", continuing the tradition of previous Marvel Netflix villains Wilson Fisk and Kilgrave.[15] Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, a former music journalist, said that the attitude of rapper Biggie Smalls particularly influenced his version of Cottonmouth.[15][16] Ali took the role knowing that Stokes would die early on in the series, saying the experience "was like shooting a film ... I found myself excited by a character's departure, because I felt like this was something I could give my all to for a period of time before saying 'peace' to him".[17] Elijah Boothe portrays a young Stokes.
* Simone Missick as Misty Knight:
A Harlem NYPD Detective with a strong sense of justice, who is determined to learn about Cage.[18][19] Missick said, "She's her own person. She's not the wife. She's not a girlfriend. She's not a sidepiece or a sidekick."[15]Missick described Misty Knight as "a person who has a very strong moral compass who is absolutely dedicated to protecting her community", adding her proudest moment in playing the character, was the fact that she "believes in the system, even though... [with] our current times, it's difficult to believe in the system."[20] In the series, Knight has what Missick called a "superpower" referred to as 'Misty Vision' that allows her to look at a crime scene and deduce what happened.[21]
* Theo Rossi as Hernan "Shades" Alvarez:
A relentless, menacing, smooth and manipulative, street smart criminal working for Diamondback with ties to Cage's past.[19][22][23][24] Loeb called Shades "kind of the Littlefinger of *Luke Cage*", "the ultimate opportunist".[15]
* Erik LaRay Harvey as Willis Stryker / Diamondback:
A powerful arms dealer who is Cage's half-brother and the one who framed him for the crime that sent him to Seagate Prison.[25][26] Harvey talked about the character's illegitimacy, saying being "called a bastard his whole life... [is] what drives Willis ... He gets sent away because of his father's actions and then once he's in the jail system, he just gets tortured. After all that, his mind's been twisted and warped, and he's developed this sensitivity that's almost psychopathic." The character is always seen smiling when killing or defaming Cage's name, which is "just his way of dealing with his pain. He smiles through his pain."[26] Jared Kemp portrays a teenage Stryker.
* Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple:
A former nurse in Hell's Kitchen, whose friendship with Cage will affect both of their lives. Dawson reprises her role from the previous Marvel Netflix series.[19][23] "Because she plays a nurse that basically seems to be in the right place at the right time, and she's very good at helping out superheroes who are in need, and I think you will see some of that in *Luke Cage*," said Colter. "Ultimately I think she's going to be a very good companion for Luke. I think she's someone that Luke needs in his life at this time."[27]
* Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard:
A local councilwoman and Stokes' cousin looking to bring change to Harlem, whose life is "thrown into turmoil" by the actions of Cage and Stokes.[1][15] Though Dillard is not necessarily a criminal herself, she does feel a responsibility to her family, including Stokes.[22]Woodard, who lives in Harlem, was convinced to join the project after Coker proved his love of Harlem and its culture.[9] The series' version of the character is significantly different from the comics' Black Mariah, but Coker wanted to pay homage to her origins by using "Black Mariah" as a nickname. It is ultimately used by Stokes as a personal insult from their past growing up together, in retaliation to Dillard verbally attacking him.[28] Megan Miller portrays a young Dillard.
* Gabrielle Dennis as Tilda Johnson: An holistic doctor and the daughter of Mariah Dillard who cannot stay out of trouble in Harlem.[29]
* Mustafa Shakir as John McIver / Bushmaster: The leader of a Jamaican gang called the Stylers, who uses folk magic to gain powers almost equal to Cage's and who obsessively pursues revenge against the Stokes family.[29]

## Seasons

* Season 1 (2016)
* Season 2 (2018)