With all of the cancellations as of late, it is nice to see such a talented creator find himself some more stories to tell in that of Cheo Coker (showrunner of Luke Cage season 2) agreeing to a TV development deal with Amazon Studios. Coker led the acclaimed Netflix series to critical and audience success, and the show was most regarded for Mike Colter’s clam and charismatic performance as the titular hero. Coker presumably had plans for a third season, but with Netflix letting go of the show, and its future remaining in the realm of uncertainty, for the time being, it’s not hard to ponder as to why he reached out to find a floatie in the midst of the storm.
Although Disney+’s Kevin Mayer stated that they are “open to revamping the Marvel shows” during an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Coker wanted to stand on solid ground, I think. And Amazon opens up an exciting list of possibilities for the young creator, as the Co-head of TV at Amazon Studios, Vernon Sanders, expressed his excitement for the news by stating: “We’re very excited to welcome Cheo to the Amazon Studios family. From Notorious to Luke Cage, Cheo is a provocative, revolutionary storyteller, and we’re happy he’ll be creating those kinds of bold new series exclusively for Prime Video.”Coker will join an acclaimed list of storytellers, teaming up with the likes of Jordan Peele, Reed Morano, Neil Gaiman, and Robert Kirkman.
Many believed the move to be brought on by strained relationships with both Disney and Netflix, but Coker said otherwise, and is merely in support of Amazon’s philosophy, exclaiming: “Amazon is the future, and their bespoke, specific approach to building groundbreaking shows offers an amazing opportunity, one that I’m incredibly thankful for. I can’t think of a better place to launch the first shows developed under my Seattle-based Fighting 99th Entertainment banner and am excited for people to see what we have in store.”
Whatever Coker brings to the table, he is one of those few creators that I am sure will undoubtedly surprise me with his wit and ingenuity.