Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 confirmed a massive twist for Mike Colter's Luke Cage that could change the game for him moving forward. Until recently, Colter's bulletproof Defender had not been seen in the MCU since Netflix's Defenders Saga came to an end. While Colter had expressed openness to returning to the role under the right circumstances, his seven-year absence became somewhat glaring, especially as other Defenders stars returned to play.
The Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 finale confirmed why Mike Colter's Luke Cage had been absent from the MCU for such a long time. This was his first appearance in the MCU in seven years following 2019's Jessica Jones Season 3 finale.
In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Luke returned to New York after working overseas on shadowy black-ops assignments for Matthew Lillard's Mr. Charles, who has deep ties to Julie Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina Allegra de Fontaine from Thunderbolts*. This also comes after he was named manager of Harlem's Paradise nightclub in Mariah Dillard's will in Luke Cage Season 2, putting him in a position to oversee the crime world in New York City as part of the MCU's latest twist.
The last time fans saw Luke Cage was in the Jessica Jones Season 3 finale, where he showed up in a tailored yellow suit to fit his new role as a Harlem kingpin. Luke helped Jessica work through her latest challenge, as she decides to take down her best friend, Trish Walker, after Trish went too far in her own vigilante ways.
Even though Jessica and Luke's relationship was complicated at this point after hooking up in Jessica Jones Season 1, Luke compared his situation with his brother, Willis Stryker/Diamondback, from his own solo show, to what Jessica was going through with Trish. This helped show Luke to be navigating the ethical ramifications and challenges of his new position in Harlem, as he was still trying to be a hero while watching over the crime world.
In Jessica Jones's final episode, Luke was seemingly deep into his work at Harlem's Paradise, showing a "down to business" kind of demeanor when discussing Jessica's troubles with Trish Walker. Donning a full yellow suit and tie, he showed he still cared about Jessica and appreciated her care for him, proving he still had his heart, even while he was doing some shady work.
Comparatively, Cage seemed to be looking to take a new step in his life in his return in Daredevil: Born Again, giving his daughter and Jessica big hugs upon coming back to New York and wearing a suit with no tie. Having put in plenty of work overseas with people like Mr. Charles and seeing what had happened to New York, this seems to show an evolution in him to where he may be looking to go back to his more heroic roots moving forward. He may even be setting up a political twist to his story, with a run for mayor not out of the question after Wilson Fisk's departure from office.
Daredevil: Born Again is Marvel Television's second live-action release of 2026, picking up with Daredevil on the run from the law. Starring Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Michael Gandolfini, and Krysten Ritter, the story shows Matt Murdock assembling a team to take down Wilson Fisk, who has put New York under martial law as part of his reign as mayor. Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is streaming on Disney+.
Where Mike Colter's Luke Cage Will Go in the MCU
Following Colter's return in Born Again Season 2, he is already confirmed for Season 3, which will mark the first full reunion for the entire Defenders team. Finn Jones will also be back to play Danny Rand alongside Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones.
The question for Luke is whether he will be positioned as a potentially antagonistic character, considering his shady allegiances with Mr. Charles and, by extension, Val. However, he will also bring a brand-new dynamic as a father for the first time in the MCU, as his relationship with both Jessica and his daughter, Danielle, is sure to be explored further when he returns.
Considering Luke is seen in a suit once more in the Born Again Season 3 photos, fans expect a deeper look into his work at Harlem's Paradise, which will show how he navigates that world and his more heroic nature. Given that he did not get any lines of dialogue in his most recent appearance, he will be a major point of focus moving forward as the New York landscape changes in the aftermath of Born Again Season 2's explosive finale.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
