Mike Colter is open to the idea of returning to the role of Luke Cage in the MCU. Colter first appeared as the Marvel hero in Jessica Jones before getting his own spinoff series that ran for two seasons; he was also a featured player in The Defenders. While the Marvel series that aired on Netflix were all canceled, the return of Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Vincent D’Onoforio as Kingpin, and Jon Bernthal as The Punisher certainly has people hoping for more of the Defenders to return.

Colter talked with Comic Book about his potential return to the role of Luke Cage in the MCU. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like there are any plans, but Colter is open to the idea of returning. It all depends on the story they want to tell. Colter said:

“I would love to explore it, if they found some story, some way, somewhere, to take it. And I’m happy that Charlie Cox and those are getting it rebooted, but I don’t have any [idea if Luke Cage is getting rebooted]. I’m not holding anything back.”

He also weighed in on Marvel Television reworking Daredevil: Born Again to bring it closer in tone to the original Netflix series.

“I think that’s the right move. They should have never tried [to reboot it.] No, no, I don’t know what that was about. I’m like, ‘Well, yeah, duh,’ It was not broke, so don’t fix it.”

Luke Cage Release Date September 30, 2016 Seasons 2 Studio Netflix Franchise Marvel Expand

Where and How Luke Cage Could Return

Colter’s openness to returning as Luke Cage stands in sharp contrast to his thoughts in 2023, when he said the character was “in his rearview mirror.” He said then that he would be open to a return, but due to his schedule with his latest television show, Evil, a full return as Luke Cage outside of a cameo seemed difficult. Evil is set to air its final episode in two weeks, now freeing up Colter’s schedule. While many were hoping he might appear in Daredevil: Born Again as a potential political rival for The Kingpin (in the comics, Luke Cage becomes Mayor of New York), that seems unlikely.

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Colter could easily return as Luke Cage in a number of Marvel projects. His status as a New York hero makes him an easy pick for a role in Spider-Man 4, yet Sony might want a bigger Marvel name to market to audiences. Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is set to begin filming soon, and that season could be the best place to bring in Defenders like Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter, who played Jessica Jones, has teased her own return to the MCU, and with Luke Cage and Jessica Jones being one of the most prominent relationships in Marvel Comics, the duo could be paired on their own.

Whatever Marvel has planned for the future, they should start considering a role for Colter’s Luke Cage, given the character’s status in the comics and the popularity of the television series on Netflix. Demand was so high that Netflix servers crashed the day it premiered. Given the rapturous reception to Charlie Cox’s Daredevil return, bringing back Mike Colter as Luke Cage would certainly get fans’ attention.