Luke Cage not to be marveled at

The cover photo of a Netflix Original series, Luke Cage

Luke Cage, one of the first African American characters in a mainstream comic book, was given these incredible strengths. The story line was minimized by the Netflix series Luke Cage and the originality and uniqueness was lost.

The season was undeniably intriguing, but it didn’t seem to be a Marvel production. Marvel Studios has brought us classics like The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. All of these movies have something in common: they contain superheroes saving people. Although Luke Cage is a television show, it should still have the characteristics of other Marvel films. Throughout the season Cage (Mike Colter) does save a few people, but not entire cities like other Marvel movies.

The characters and interconnections are very confusing to first time viewers. To viewers who already know the story of Luke Cage, the show might make a little more sense. Too many characters are introduced within the first couple episodes, but already knowing the story might make it less overwhelming.

Luke Cage makes a good crime and detective show, but since it has a Marvel tag, there should have been scenes with Cage using his abilities to save people. The background story was built well, but between Netflix and Marvel, there should’ve been more heroism.

A positive about the show is that it is easy to relate to some of the characters. The show takes place in Harlem, New York, and the people there feel real. The actors play their roles really well, and the hardships of the people come across clearly. There are also a number of strong female characters, like detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick), councilwoman Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard), and medical expert Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson).

Marvel’s Netflix series ventures began with Daredevil and Jessica Jones, which are both available on Netflix. The next show, Iron Fist, is to be released March 17, 2017. The Defenders, would finish off the series, at the end of 2017. The mini-series will revolve around Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Cage, and Iron Fist (Finn Jones), coming together to stop a large threat coming to their city, who was revealed to be played by Sigourney Weaver.

Overall, the show itself isn’t bad, but it doesn’t compare to other Marvel productions. With Cage set to return in The Defenders next year, he might reveal more of his heroism, but the Luke Cage series is lacking the Marvel feel.

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