Netflix’s Luke Cage release date is here. All 13 episodes of Luke Cage stream on Netflix Sept. 30. We met Harlem’s bulletproof hero in Jessica Jones Season 1 , but now it’s time for his own origin story.
The final Luke Cage trailer proved Mahershala Ali’s Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes will be a relentless season-long villain . He’ll do anything to maintain his power over the streets, his club, and his gun-slinging organization. After Luke Cage (played by Mike Colter) threatens his rule, he plots with corrupt local politician Black Mariah (played by Alfre Woodard) to find Luke Cage’s biggest weakness -- the two ladies in his life -- Misty Knight (Simone Cook) and Nurse Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). But if the all the teasers are any indication, that won’t slow Luke’s roll. He’ll destroy anything in his path to make Harlem a better place to live amid all the daily adversity and political corruption.
We won’t only see Luke Cage in present day. Season 1 will delve into his origins from being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to years in Seagate Prison, to how he gained his powers, and how he was able to escape -- none of which was explored in Jessica Jones Season 1. Hopefully the series will also answer some lingering questions surrounding Luke Cage’s late wife, Reva Connors, who was murdered by Jessica Jones while she was under Kilgrave’s influence. Jessica lied to Luke Cage even though the two were hooking up. Once he found out, they broke off their romantic relationship. It remains to be seen whether Jessica Jones will make the subway trip to Harlem at some point in the 13 episodes.
Cottonmouth may prove to be Luke Cage’s most persistent adversary, but there’s a few more guys he has to worry about. Erik LaRay Harvey plays Diamondback. A childhood friend of Luke’s also known as Willis Stryker, his nickname is a nod to his love for knives. In the comics, Luke and Diamondback were associates, but Diamondback framed him, ultimately sending him to prison. Shades, played by Theo Rossi, will also pose a threat. Like Diamondback, Shades also has ties to Luke Cage’s mysterious past before he became a hero.
That mysterious past will be explored in the fourth episode. Mike Colter revealed at San Diego Comic-Con he believes the episode is pivotal to the story. “Episode 4 is one of my favorite episodes because it answers so many questions and gives you so much backstory,” he said.
Luke Cage starts streaming on Netflix at 12:01 a.m. PDT. For folks on the East Coast, that means you'll have to wait until 3:01 a.m.
Will you be binging tonight? Let us know in the comments below!
