With Marvel Studios currently decimating the Superhero movie scene at the moment, after the huge success of Captain America: Civil War, and the critical failure of DC’s Extended Universe, with Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad taking a beating from critics and fans (for which I hold Zack Snyder personally responsible), it’s easy to forget that Marvel Studios are doing some pretty impressive work on the small screen, some of which even surpasses some of their Silver Screen outings *cough* Iron Man 2&3 *cough*. Say what you will about Marvel, but they sure know how to get the best out of lesser known characters, such as Black Panther (who was an instant hit with fans and critics in Civil War), Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and most recently, everyone’s favourite “Hero for Hire”; Luke Cage….
To start, I’m actually going to be a bit mean here; I didn’t like Luke Cage when he appeared in last year’s Jessica Jones. However, I don’t think that’s anything to do with Mike Colter; he’s a wonderful actor whose portrayal of Cage is pitch perfect. Nevertheless, he was very under-utilised in Jessica Jones, and was overshadowed by Krysten Ritter’s marvellous portrayal of Jones and David Tenant’s unforgettable Kilgrave. Luckily, Colter had his chance to shine in his own series and while it may not be as good as Jessica Jones or Season 1 of Daredevil, Luke Cage carries an extremely important (if sometimes pedantic) message that is increasingly relevant in today’s society.
The Good
As with their previous series, Marvel have once again proven that they know how to cast their heroes. Mike Colter is fantastic as the Power Man and he really makes the character his own, without straying to far away from the Comics. I was utterly convinced and thoroughly impressed by Colter’s performance of the character. I will admit that I was sceptical about both him, and the series as a whole. But yet again I must go eat some humble pie. However, it is with great shock that I have to profess that Power Man was outshone by Simone Missick’s performance as Misty Knight. She was just incredible. Like I stated previously, Marvel really know how to make the best out of lesser known characters and they’re continuing to do so in their Netflix series. Missick stole the show fair and square and I cannot wait to see more of her in Marvel’s The Defenders.
The return of Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple AKA Night Nurse was also a highlight for me. The series managed to find a new and interesting take on the character and gave her a strong direction. While she is not set to appear in Marvel’s next Netflix series, Iron Fist (which I’m super pumped for), there was a little nod towards her taking up Martial Arts training with Colleen Wing, a character who will make her debut in Iron Fist. Hopefully we’ll see more of a kick-ass Claire Temple.
The Bad
I’m gonna say it; the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a villain problem. Too many of their films feature throw-away, generic, and forgettable bad guys like Whiplash, Malekith, Aldrich Killian, Yellowjacket etc. Very rarely do you get villains that make a lasting impression like Loki, Ultron, and most recently Zemo. The reason these villains are memorable is that they bring out the best in the heroes.
Loki’s menacing and mischievous ways act as a perfect contrast to his heroic and noble brother Thor. Ultron served as a Frankenstein’s Monster for the Avengers (well, Iron Man) and the aftermath of his plan was a pretty shattering blow for the team. Zemo was so good due to the fact that he didn’t want to end the world or even rule it; he wanted to destroy the Avengers because while he was digging through the ruins of Sokovia to find his family, The Avengers did nothing. He got them to destroy each other and now the team is fractured beyond repair. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that Marvel movies don’t do very well with their bad guys.
Marvel TV shows on the other hand get it right every time. Vincent D’Onofrio’s turn as Wilson Fisk in the first season of Daredevil was truly a force to be reckoned with and was always one step ahead of Matt Murdock. David Tenant’s Kilgrave was terrifyingly brilliant in Jessica Jones. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Elodie Yung’s Elektra were the heart and soul of Daredevil Season 2, and Marvel have pulled it out the bag again with the vilians of Luke Cage. The three key villains were all superbly well done which only fuels my frustration at Marvel not being able to get the villains right in movies as they seem to do it with ease for their TV shows.
Mahershala Ali’s portrayal of the mob boss Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes served as a welcome addition to the Marvel Rogues Gallery. He was menacing and devious, but at the same time, charming and actually quite likeable and Ali nailed it. Although the character bit the dust half way through the season, he certainly left a huge impression on me, and I was actually sad to see him go. The guys he left behind, while no match for Cottonmouth, were still pretty great. Alfre Woodard plays the corrupt politician Mariah Dillard extremely well and the evolution of her character from a minor player to the Queen of Crime in Harlem was very well done and felt like a natural step for her character to follow. Finally, the third major villain in the series was the mysterious Diamondback. Not much was known about this character prior to its release but he made for a very enticing villain when he finally showed up. Hopefully he’ll make an appearance in Season 2 as Coldfire if things go in the direction of the comics.
The Ugly
Obviously, no series is perfect (unless you’re Season 6 of Game of Thrones), and there were elements of Luke Cage that could and should have been a lot better. The main negative aspect for me was the writing; there were times when the dialogue was very poor, often relying on the use of extreme profanity, the ‘N-word’, or just monologues about African American history that felt out of place and unnecessary.
Also, while the neo-noir/blaxploitation style of the series was very well done, the usual stereotypes surrounding the relationship between African Americans and the Police Force felt overdone. We’ve seen it all before and the series could have taken a different angle, especially with recent goings on with the police in America.
The Consensus
Overall, I really enjoyed Luke Cage and the heart that it brought to the Marvel/Netflix Universe. It was certainly a big surprise for me, seeing one of the most interestingly complex characters that Marvel has to offer brought to life so well, and the introduction of Misty Knight gives me a lot of hope for the possibility of seeing a Heroes for Hire-esque story in Season 2. Luke Cage definitely gets the Cody seal of approval and has cemented itself as one of Marvel’s greatest triumphs.
Words by Anthony Cody