Marvel Studios‘ Luke Cage is finally getting a proper sequel story within the MCU on Disney+. Behind Mike Colter’s portrayal, which has lasted more than a decade, Luke Cage remains a key figure among the MCU’s Defenders, who are finally being fully integrated into the larger Marvel story after years of uncertainty. The same is true for possibly the group’s strongest character from a physical perspective, whose unbreakable skin serves as a huge advantage for these heroes.
2027’s Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is set to feature Mike Colter in a big supporting role as Luke Cage on Disney+. This will be the first time Colter has played a role of this capacity in the MCU since Season 2 of his Luke Cage series on Netflix, which aired in 2018 and was canceled along with the rest of the Defenders Saga in 2019.
Colter was first brought back in a cameo in the final moments of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which reunited him with Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones. However, this scene only gave him about a minute of screentime as he came back from a mysterious overseas job that had him working for Matthew Lillard’s Mr. Charles.
Prior to this, Colter was one of the four founding members of the Defenders on Netflix, joining the franchise in 2015’s Jessica Jones Season 1 alongside Ritter. He would later play a leading role in the lone season of The Defenders, and his last appearance came in a cameo from the Season 3 finale of Jessica Jones.
Colter will reunite with the other three Defenders for the first time since 2016 in Born AgainSeason 3, with Finn Jones’ Danny Rand making his first appearance since then as well. This comes after Ritter appeared in Season 2, including a moment with Colter and Annabelle Ivlev’s Danielle Cage-Jones, Luke and Jessica’s daughter.
How Luke Cage’s Story Will Continue in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3
Looking back at Luke Cage’s last full appearance in the Defenders Saga, there are a few major plot points that viewers are hoping Born Again follows up on.
First and foremost is Luke’s position as the owner of Harlem’s Paradise, which was left to him by Alfre Woodard’s Mariah Dillard at the end ofLuke Cage Season 2. This nightclub also served as an Easter egg in Born Again Season 1, confirming it is still in play. Considering the club’s shady nature, along with Luke’s work for Mr. Charles before his return, this could explore the darker side of his story as he works his way back toward hero status.
Also to keep in mind are new developments for Luke Cage and Finn Jones, who unite for the first time since Luke Cage Season 2. That season teased them as a new duo in the MCU, bringing the Heroes for Hire storyline from the comics into live-action for these two Defenders stars. Born Again Season 3 will supposedly feature new material with Cage and Rand on Disney+, setting them up to potentially operate as a powerful combo in the MCU for years to come.
Another powerful duo fans are hoping to see back in action is Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing and Simone Missick’s Misty Knight, both of whom were last seen in Iron Fist Season 2. In the comics, these two form a powerful pair called the Daughters of the Dragon and operate an investigation/bail bonds agency called Knightwing Restorations Ltd. They also work closely with the Heroes for Hire on occasion, and with both Henwick and Missick open to returning, the time seems right to make this happen.
Another longtime Marvel veteran open to coming back is Rosario Dawson, who starred as Claire Temple (the Night Nurse) in five of Netflix’s six Defenders Saga shows. She almost made her comeback in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, filming a scene that didn’t make it to the final cut. She now has a chance to reunite with Matt Murdock, Luke Cage, and her other cohorts for another season of street-level action, making her return after almost a decade the feather in the cap for this franchise.
