The casting news for Marvel and Netflix’s Luke Cage is heating up. After yesterday’s announcement about Theo Rossi and Rosario Dawson that we reported on here, two new members were announced.
Mahershala Ali (House Of Cards) and Simone Missick (Ray Donovan) are joining the growing cast of Luke Cage, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Simone Missick has reportedly been cast as Misty Knight. Knight is former NYPD officer who gets a bionic arm from Tony Stark after losing hers while on the job, according to Deadline. She sets up a detective agency that helps out Luke Cage at times in the comic books.
Ali will be joining the show as a villain. Ali has been cast as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes. Cottonmouth is a Harlem nightclub owner whose criminal dealings lead him to unexpectedly be at odds with Luke Cage. Luke Cage has been collecting enemies with Alfre Woodard and Theo Rossi reportedly playing foes as well. Dawson’s Claire Temple (from Daredevil) has joined the series likely as a love interest for Cage as well.
Luke Cage stars Mike Colter as the title character. He becomes a hero for hire in NYC after an accident that left him with super-strength. Cage will appear in Jessica Jones before his own show premieres on Netflix. Jessica Jones is expected on Netflix later this fall. Luke Cage and the second season of Daredevil are coming to Netflix in 2016.
Luke Cage is the third series that is a part of the Marvel and Netflix collaboration that includes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and after Luke Cage, Iron Fist. The characters from the four series will appear together as a part of a miniseries tentatively titled The Defenders.