The first time Iron Fist and Luke Cage meet in The Defenders won’t be all fun and games. We all saw the scene in the first trailer where Iron Fist punches Luke Cage in the face, but even though comic book fans know the two are destined to become BFFs, Finn Jones told Player.One their initial conversation is a little contentious because of their difference in life experience.
“How we first start off is a bit surprising. The first time we see each other there is conflict and it grounds and roots the characters which is really interesting,” Jones said.
This interaction really changes Iron Fist’s mindset, which forces him to approach his heroism in a different way.
“That's the great thing about our coming together. We really learn from each other. One of the things he learns from Luke is to understand who he is a little bit better and take his responsibility a bit more seriously. The fact I have this enormous power because I'm the head of this company, I can use this in a more intelligent way other than just punching stuff.”
Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Daredevil will join forces to face Alexandra in The Defenders, but Jones thinks there are many more lessons for his character to learn from Mike Colter’s down the line.
“That’s why Heroes for Hire would be a great television show, because you could go deep with that conversation. Having someone like Danny Rand who is from a white privilege background and then someone like Luke... think about some of the conversations and the themes and stories you could really tackle with that. That’s just speculation.”
“That’s 2025,” Mike Colter quickly added.
Jones said Danny has never grown up in a community and comes back into his wealth acting like a “kid in a candy shop” in Iron Fist Season 1.
“He needs to realize his actions have repercussions,” Jones said. “You’re like, ‘Hey dude, what the fuck are you doing, get real.”’
Luke Cage’s solo series addressed systemic racism, exploring the adverse consequences of the criminal justice system for people of color, and his character was a vehicle and symbol of social justice. Iron Fist was perceived as the exact opposite, to its detriment. Jones agreed his character’s conversation with Luke taught Danny Rand a lesson, but Mike Colter says his series and The Defenders will only “scratch the surface” compared to documentaries like 13th.
“We have a burden of being a superhero show first and we also have to be a conduit for what change happens in society, especially in Harlem. This is a very specific community we are talking about. While he’s a black superhero, he still has to deal with everyday problems that are not something that is black or white or Spanish or latino, it’s just a problem with being a guy with a bit of history. It’s an American issue. People saw the documentary 13th. They saw other documentaries about the judicial system and how it works. Trayvon Martin... these are issues we are dealing with. The second season, we are going a whole different direction, but still keeping some of that.”
Neither Colter or Jones confirmed Heroes For Hire is happening, but Jones does admit the two eventually do become best friends despite their differences.
“Because it is so iconic, I don't think you want to put too much pressure onto it or oversell it. I think we just played it very truthfully and luckily Marco Ramirez wrote some incredible scenes for us, got into the nitty gritty, about why these two eventually become best friends.”
Check out our review of the first four episodes of The Defenders. The series arrives on Netflix Aug. 18.
- Funny interactions
- Team action sequences are on point
- Slow start
- Left with many questions
