‘Jessica Jones’ Spinoff: Luke Cage Gets His Own Netflix Series
Fans of Marvel’s Jessica Jones are in for a treat! Netflix is already producing a spin-off of the popular series starring Luke Cage, the super-human boyfriend of Jessica Jones.
In Jessica Jones, Luke Cage is introduced as a bartender in Hell’s Kitchen who becomes a possible romantic interest for Jones. Later, it is revealed, however, that Jessica is only initially interested in Luke because of something she did in her past. Last month, Mike Colter, who portrays Cage in the Netflix series, spoke to Access Hollywood about how Jessica, played by Krysten Ritter, and Luke become a couple.
“He gets pulled into Jessica Jones’ world because they share a common ground, they share a history that they both discover later,” he said.
Colter also explained the dynamic between Jessica and Luke, and why it works.
“The relationship is opposite. Opposites attract, it’s like ying and yang. Jessica is the trippy one, the cocky one, the one that wants to fight. And Luke is kind of in his own thing, he’s grounded, he know’s who he is.”
Colter also spoke to TV Guide recently, confirming the spin-off and giving a few details about what fans should expect from the upcoming series.
Unfortunately for fans of the Jones/Cage romance, the first thing Colter revealed was that Luke Cage is leaving Hell’s Kitchen and moving to Harlem, where he will use his super-human abilities to become a “hero for hire.”
“We know the long story is that he becomes a hero for hire, but what’s the journey and how does that come about?” Colter says. “So, that process is what we’re going to discover as we start the Luke Cage series.”
If the Luke Cage series, which does not yet have a name, is anything like the other two massive Marvel shows on Netflix, Jessica Jones and Daredevil, it is sure to be a hit.
Jessica Jones seems to be at the top of everyone’s “Netflix binge” list since its premier last week, and it seems as if no one can stop talking about how edgy and un-kid friendly the show is. After all, the plot of the series revolves mostly around rape, violence, alcohol/drug addiction, and murder. According to executive producer Melissa Rosenburg, the show’s dark theme is all thanks to Netflix, CNN reported.
Rosenburg, who was a co-executive producer of the Showtime hit Dexter, says Netflix gives Jessica Jones the freedom to go to dark places.
“The only thing we couldn’t do was drop f-bombs, which we wanted to,” she said.”One of the things that’s unique about this character is that (Ritter) is not afraid as an actress, and Marvel as a studio, to let her make some stupid decisions, to be wrong, to look ugly as a character.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3UYWK2jeX0
While Jessica Jones is certainly an edgy character, most fans of the show would agree that it is the villain, Killgraves – portrayed by Doctor Who’s David Tennant – that makes the series so dark.
“He’s truly terrifying and represents our worst, most selfish instincts to get whatever we desire, at whatever cost,” said Allison Keene of Collider.com.
According to Aaron Sagers of Blastr.com, this steer toward darker material in the comic book world is hardly a new concept. Films like The Dark Knight, Man of Steel, and even Netlfix’s hit series Daredevil were all made with a focus on adults, unlike the old versions which were all considered “family-friendly.”
“Marvel’s Daredevil was a large step forward with its street-level storytelling, gritty violence, and heretofore unseen brutality (in the Marvel universe),” said Sagers. “But Jessica Jones raises the bar even higher and will be regarded as the best thing Marvel has done.”
Sager, like many others, said he was skeptical that the Netflix series would be able to handle the subject matter of the Jessica Jones comics. “I didn’t think they’d be able to pull this one off because of how heavy it gets. I am pleased that I was wrong,” he said.
[Photo by David Kotinsky/Getty Images]
