A recent Daredevil: Born Again filming update spurred speculation that Mike Colter's Luke Cage could return from his Netflix series.
With Charlie Cox's Daredevil, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, and Jon Bernthal's Punisher confirmed to return in Daredevil: Born Again, the Disney+ series is placed to pull several of the actors from Netflix's Marvel shows in the main MCU. There have even been conversations about Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones possibly coming back.
Netflix's Luke Cage actor Mike Colter previously stated he sees his Marvel role as being "in the rearview mirror", and he doesn't see his potential return as likely, although he also noted he'd be "open" to returning in an MCU reboot.
The actor even made known his hesitancy to return to Marvel as he is "very happy doing what [he's] doing" as he explores more film roles, such as his recently-released action flick Plane with Gerard Butler.
Daredevil's New Filming Location Spurs Luke Cage Speculation
Following the start of Daredevil: Born Again's production in New York City, production of the Disney+ series is expected to travel to Harlem - famously the home of Marvel hero Luke Cage.
The update emerged thanks to "no parking" signs - via The Curious Uptowner - that appeared in Harlem confirming the show will be shooting scenes starting on Monday, March 13, with another sign noting further filming on Tuesday, March 14.
Born Again's latest shooting location has many fans convinced Mike Colter's Luke Cage may join Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Jon Bernthal's Punisher in reprising his Netflix role under the Marvel Studios reboot.
The original Daredevil series was filmed in various New York City locations to double as Hell's Kitchen, however, no significant filming took place in Harlem. Netflix's Luke Cage meanwhile conducted much of the shoot in Harlem given that the series mostly takes place in the Upper Manhattan neighborhood.
1stmoviemaster commented on a Reddit post that they "know [they] shouldn't get [their] hopes up" but are hoping this points toward Luke Cage's return:
"I know I shouldn't get my hopes up on something that probably won't happen, but I'm going to go ahead and pretend this means Luke Cage is back."
odiin1731 joked that they "wish there was an MCU character that was from there," obviously in reference to Luke Cage as the most famous Marvel character to hail from Harlem.
MarvelManiac45213 simply dropped Luke Cage's famous catchphrase "Sweet Christmas!" which stems from the comics and Colter uttered many times in his Netflix portrayal of the character.
Javierrodrigu73 suggested that Luke Cage could be married to Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again. The two did have several romantic encounters in their Netflix appearances and are famously married in the comics:
"Maybe Jessica and Luke are MARRIED IN 'DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN'??"
Just weeks ago in late February, Luke Cage actor Mike Colter and Jessica Jones actress Krysten Ritter were pictured together amid speculation of an MCU return for both Defenders superheroes.
@Pollos_Hernandy added their hopes on Twitter that "they at least namedrop Luke Cage," calling that the "bare minimum:"
"I hope they at least namedrop Luke Cage. I’m asking for the bare minimum here"
Is Marvel Reviving Netflix's Defenders in Daredevil: Born Again?
With Born Again set to have an 18-episode season that will shoot all the way until December 2023, Marvel Studios has plenty of time to fit in as many of these characters as it wants. With Daredevil being by far the most popular of these heroes, his solo series serves as the perfect vehicle to repopularize the others.
There were rumors about plans to include Jessica Jones, although scheduling conflicts apparently prohibited that and her role went to Bernthal's Punisher. While Jones may, unfortunately, have not made it into the Daredevil series, this signifies an interest in bringing back more of Netflix's Defenders.
Netflix's Marvel series introduced fans to five main heroes, two of which have already been confirmed for Born Again. As Daredevil and Punisher are back and rumors have pointed to Jessica Jones returning, the most questionable fates currently lie with Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
While Born Again filming scenes in Harlem may seem promising for the chances of Luke Cage making an appearance, fans should not get their hopes up. Filming taking place in Harlem doesn't even guarantee these will be for scenes taking place in that neighborhood, as locations are frequently used to double for others.
Nonetheless, the door is clearly not closed for Luke Cage, as Mike Colter still seems open to returning and Marvel Studios has already brought back several of the Netflix characters. The MCU is bound to want to use the character at some point, it's just a question of when and whether Colter will be the one in the role.
Daredevil: Born Again is currently placed to hit Disney+ in Spring 2024.
