Over the past few weeks, Marvel fans have flocked to Disney+ to revisit the six shows formerly hosted on Netflix that joined together to make the Defenders Saga. From Charlie Cox's Daredevil to Mike Colter's Luke Cage, these shows are making a return to prominence after their streaming move. However, not all the press surrounding the transition is positive.
When the series jumped from Netflix to Disney+, some interesting changes were made, even though none of the brutal violence was taken out. The Netflix logo was removed from the opening sequences for all six shows, bringing laughs with the new visuals, but one big removal has some fans up in arms.
A tribute to the late Stan Lee was removed from the Season 2 finale of The Punisher, as was a similar tribute to Reg E. Cathey from the last episode of Luke Cage Season 2. Now, this move has induced questions on the matter from the showrunner who helped bring Luke Cage to life.
Luke Cage Showrunner on Disney+ Change
Luke Cage showrunner and executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker took to Twitter to share his disapproval of the tribute to the late Reg E. Cathey being removed from the Season 2 finale.
Coker called Cathey "part of the heart and soul" of his season on the series. Although Cathey passed away after his work, Coker admitted that this was far from the only reason the team dedicated that season to him:
"I mean, why do this? Reg E Cathey was part of the heart and soul of Season Two. We didn't feel obligated to dedicate the season to him just because he died -- we felt obligated because we loved him and he was a galvanizing force."
Reg E. Cathey took on the role of Luke Cage's father, James Lucas, in seven episodes of Season 2, although he passed away just a few months before the season arrived on Netflix in 2018. Coker's comments show just how impactful his time on the set was, making it confusing why exactly his tribute was removed when the show started airing on Disney+.
Disappointment in Luke Cage Tribute Removal from Disney+
When this streaming move became official, it seemed inevitable that the former Netflix shows would go through a few changes before they joined their MCU counterparts on Disney+. Even with that expectation, this one came as something of a shock, especially to the people who helped make Luke Cage over the past few years.
Fans are hoping this change is only temporary while the shows find their footing at their new home, especially with Cathey having become a fan favorite during his time on Luke Cage. This whole endeavor is uncharted territory for Disney as it works the Netflix stories onto Disney+ and possibly into the MCU, and it would surely be disappointing if this tribute was removed for good.
Both seasons of Luke Cage are now available to stream on Disney+.
