On November the 6th of this year, Disney and Marvel announced that a Defenders miniseries will air on Netflix from 2015 after initially introducing four superhero members in four separate series. The three entertainment giants will combine to create a ground-breaking endeavour. Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones will each get their own run before they form a street-level adaptation of the superhero team (which has, in fact, included the likes of Hulk, Doctor Strange, Namor and the Silver Surfer in the comic books) as a unique extension to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Luke Cage, in particular, is a character who has been touted for introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for quite a long time, with numerous actors having been linked to the role. An extremely streetwise individual, Luke Cage underwent an experimental procedure, originally intended to generate immunity to all illness. However, it inadvertently granted him steel-hard skin and heavier, enhanced muscle instead. As a result, he became a heroic enforcer, working for and alongside teams such as the Avengers, Heroes For Hire, the Fantastic Four and the Defenders (and someone who you do NOT want to owe money to). In this article, we'll be looking at six actors (of varying levels of profile) who could potentially play him in the Defenders miniseries (which could potentially lead to a role in future Marvel Cinematic Universe movies)...
Honourable Mention: Idris Elba
Idris Elba has expressed an interest in the role of Luke Cage and there's no doubt he could pull it off brilliantly. Unfortunately, however, he already portrays Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and having one actor portraying two major characters in the same continuity just wouldn't sit right with me (or many others, I'd imagine), so I'm not going to include him in the main list. Now, let's move on to that main list...