10 Problems With The MCU On TV (And How To Solve Them)
2. The Iron Fist Problem
There were four fundamental issues with Iron Fist season one: a problematic characterisation for the protagonist, Danny Rand; a lacklustre story; dull, inconsistent action; and an awkward lead performance.
So: a terrible story, about a terrible person; poorly told, by a poor actor. As discussed, most of that can be fixed in the writing, and a mask will do away with the need for all those fast cuts. But, short of a hard reset through recasting, what about Finn Jones?
Well, Finn Jones doesn’t need to be a world-class actor to anchor a show about a dragon-slaying slice of kung fu white bread - he just needs to be playing someone engaging, someone likeable.
It would help if Danny lightened up… but there are some things he needs to take more seriously. That’s where a guest-starring Luke Cage comes in. The Defenders proved that the future Heroes For Hire had plenty of chemistry.
Having established Danny as decent but immature and thoughtless, Marvel needs to lean into the issue of his privilege. There’s no Marvel hero as socially conscious as Cage; have him teach Danny a thing or two about staying woke, and their bromance can help Iron Fist finally get over with the audience.
By the end of Iron Fist season two, we have to want to see Danny Rand again.