'Luke Cage' Set Photos: Luke Cage Confronts Villainous Ex-Friend, Diamondback, In Harlem Street

We know absolutely nothing about the plot of Marvel’s next Netflix series, Luke Cage. Aside from Mike Colter’s assurance that it’s going to be utterly badass, we know it’s coming out Sept. 30, it’s filmed entirely in Harlem, and if that’s not enough to get you hype, A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad is handling the music.

Now there’s one more thing to get excited about: Erik LaRay Harvey’s Diamondback. As seen in set photos (via SuperheroHype), Willis Stryker (aka Diamondback) appears on the street in the middle of what looks to be an altercation with Luke Cage.

Diamondback isn’t Luke Cage’s only adversary. He likely find some trouble in Mahershala Ali’s Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes , a Harlem nightclub owner who will become an unexpected foe when his criminal activities threaten the neighborhood. Shades, played by Theo Rossi , could also pose a threat. He’s a ruthless criminal with ties to Cage’s mysterious past.

Stryker, Cage’s childhood friend, was also born and raised in Harlem. His alias, Diamondback, is a nod to his love for knives. In fact, Luke Cage was at one point involved with Stryker’s criminal antics, but was sent to prison after he was framed by his former friend over the attention of Stryker’s love interest, Reva Connors. When he finally got out of prison after an experiment gone wrong, he took on the name Luke Cage (formerly Carl Lucas) and started using his newfound powers to eradicate his former criminal organizations in Harlem. Stryker’s also known to be a good friend of Shades.

Luke Cage is also going to have some help from his old comic book friend (and interestingly enough at one point Iron Fist’s girlfriend), Misty Knight, a justice-driven Harlem police detective. Rosario Dawson will also reprise her role as Nurse Claire Temple. Her blossoming friendship with Luke Cage will have a major impact on both characters’ lives. It’s still unclear if Jessica Jones will make the subway ride to Harlem.

Mike Colter describes Luke Cage as a fugitive tale exploring how a man goes from being a wrongfully convicted felon to a superhero, so this won’t be your average live-action comic adaptation. Culturally competent superhero show meets The Wire twisted with a 90’s hip hop soundtrack is destined to be a long-awaited dream come true.

Are you excited for the debut of Luke Cage on Sept. 30? Let us know in the comments!