Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 established that Luke Cage has gotten tangled up with the wrong people, teasing that he will be featured in a dark storyline during his first official MCU appearance. However, that plotline will set the MCU's version of a popular superhero team from the comics. Many fans rejoiced when Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock made his MCU debut, as it confirmed that the actors and characters from Netflix's Marvel universe would be integrated into the MCU. Some characters (like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Frank Castle) have already made extensive appearances in the franchise, but others, like Danny Rand, are being saved for the next season of Daredevil: Born Again.
In an episode of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones confirmed that Mike Colter's Luke Cage was working overseas for Matthew Lillard's Mr. Charles, a shady CIA operative working under Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. It was established that Luke Cage was performing work for Mr. Charles in order to keep her and their daughter, Danielle, safe.
However, Colter actually made an on-screen appearance in the Born Again Season 2 finale, as he was reunited with his wife and daughter, leading the pair to reopen Jones' Alias Investigations. This scene teased that Luke had left Mr. Charles and the shady CIA work behind, especially since it was also revealed that Mr. Charles had found a new partner in Wilson Bethel's Bullseye.
Just because Luke Cage has left that work behind him, though, doesn't mean that he didn't go through an extremely dark period during the events of Daredevil: Born Again. Most likely, he will have to deal with the work he did for Mr. Charles mentally and go on a path of redemption to be able to forgive himself and become the hero he once was.
One would have to assume that this plotline will be fleshed out in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3. Most likely, fans will figure out exactly what kind of work Luke Cage had to perform for Mr. Charles while he was overseas, which would tap into a darker side of the character and allow fans to question whether what he was doing was moral, even if he was doing it to protect his family.
It wouldn't be surprising if Born Again Season 3 even featured flashbacks to what Luke Cage had to do while working for Mr. Charles, especially if he ends up dealing with PTSD, or any other kind of post-trauma condition.
While this will undoubtedly explore Luke Cage's darker side and allow fans to see him in a different light, it could also be setting up something from the comics that Luke was closely tied to — Heroes for Hire.
Will Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 Feature the Beginning of the MCU's Heroes for Hire?
In the comics, Luke Cage is part of an organization called Heroes for Hire. Essentially, the team is made up of superheroes who can do genuine good for everyday people, but get paid for it. Most of the time, the heroes that are part of this organization are street-level, and the work that they do is on a smaller scale compared to teams like the Avengers.
Notably, Heroes for Hire was started by Luke Cage and Danny Rand in the comics. Both of those characters are going to have major roles in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, according to set photos and rumors. Now, Born Again Season 2 didn't confirm what Danny has been up to like it did with Luke Cage, but it is possible that he could also be in need of a bit of a pick-me-up, just like Luke.
If that is the case, it would make perfect sense for Marvel Television to use Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 to establish the Heroes for Hire team. Not only would it bring two of the Defenders (Luke Cage and Iron Fist) back together and give them purpose, but it would also allow them to do some genuine good in the world and make them feel as though they are worthy heroes again.
At least in Luke's case, he will probably need something like that, because he will undoubtedly feel a lot of guilt after working for someone like Mr. Charles.
