If you have a Netflix account (or if you've been borrowing someone else’s like a true blue American) you have more than likely heard about Marvel’s latest addition to their television series roster, Luke Cage. Created by showrunner Cheo Coker, Luke Cage stars Mike Colter as the title character whose performance is backed by an exceptionally talented and entertaining cast including Mahershala Ali, Rosario Dawson, Simone Missick and Alfre Woodard.
The show, not unlike Daredevil and Jessica Jones who preceded this series, has 13 episodes telling a linear story of a hero finding their purpose in a much more scaled down Marvel Universe. We’ve seen The Avengers and are familiar with the much referenced to “Battle of New York” that involved a full-scale alien invasion. While the Netflix Marvel shows also connect to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), one thing that is notable about these particular series is that they focus on the smaller, often referred to as “street-level” heroes. Daredevil doesn’t showcase its lead hero fighting monsters or aliens or tag teaming with demi-gods and hulking green giants. Instead, the focus is on the gangsters and the crime lords that secretly run this fictionalized version of New York City from the underworld. Luke Cage is no exception to this.
Our story opens up with Luke Cage whom, as the story progresses, is revealed to be not only an indestructible human being but a fugitive of the law. You can imagine why throughout the series he prefers to keep a low-profile. So it’s no shock that he is opposed to the idea of being a superhero (kind of hard to stay out of the public’s eye if there’s a headline about you each and every time you did a heroic act.) But after time passes, Luke finds himself reluctantly getting dragged into the hero role. But what is interesting about Luke Cage is that he isn’t just a superhero, but the neighborhood’s superhero. He isn’t out here fighting homicidal robots or extraterrestrials; he’s out here going up against crime bosses, corrupt politicians, and more importantly, the police.
As superhero movies continue to dominate the big screen, we are introduced to a unique combination of sci-fi fantasy and realism. Now “realism” isn’t usually the word one would apply to certain comic book stories (nothing real about shooting lasers out of your eyes and being able to bounce bullets off of your skin) but as more and more superhero movies come out there is the task of grounding these fantastical characters in a reality that is somewhat believable to audiences. And what Cheo Coker and his team of writers did with Luke Cage is just that.
Luke Cage’s villainous roster consists of the devilishly charming Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, a nightclub owner and crime boss who is not afraid to get his hands dirtier than they already are; corrupt Councilwoman Mariah Dillard who is just as dirty as her cousin, Cottonmouth; and Willis “Diamondback” Stryker, a man with a particularly personal vendetta against Luke. While these characters do exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s interesting to note that they are some of the few people without any superpowers, so it makes sense that they’re more accustomed to carrying out and executing smaller level crimes, such as extortion and arms dealing.
But besides the actual criminals, the world itself that Luke Cage exists in is one that may be very familiar to a lot of its viewers. Harlem is the epicenter of this series, and Cheo Coker and his team of writers (consisting of a majority of African-Americans) make sure you know it. While other shows and movies within the MCU aim to bring the world of superheroes to New York, Coker does the opposite and brings New York to the world of superheroes. Yes, Harlem definitely felt the effects of the Battle of New York that is often mentioned, and even after this life changing experience, the borough and its residents simply continued on with their lives and operations. Especially the criminals. You would think the existence of aliens and Asgardian warriors would make some people reevaluate some things in life but hey, the show must go on.
So with that being said, who is going to take care of the drug dealers while Captain America is battling Ultron? Who is helping residents being forced out of their homes while Thor is hammering away at menacing monsters? (See what I did there?) We need heroes that are able to defend the little guys and take on active roles in their communities. It’s refreshing to see a superhero show these days where the good guy doesn’t always have to stick to the shadows or even wear a mask; hell, all of Harlem is on a first name basis with Cage. It’s this familiarity depicted in the show that makes it so inviting, particularly for myself as a black man.
Everybody knows each other in this community; from Pop to Cornell, everybody knows each other. It reminds me of the neighborhoods I grew up in and the communities I was a part of. Everyone had a Pop. The local barbershop where you could go and not only get a haircut, but your fellow brother’s ridiculous outlook and opinion on current events were there. But it doesn’t just end there. What Luke Cage manages to do as well is touch on the Black Lives Matter movement and the issue of police brutality within the black community. This could have just been your run of the mill “WAM! BAM!” superhero show, but with the subject matter being an indestructible black man it was a bold move to spin it in the direction it went in.
Despite all he does for the neighborhood, it takes little to no effort for Luke to become vilified within the media for crimes he didn’t commit. This leads to a crackdown by the police on any and every black or brown man walking the streets in a hoodie, as they search for their suspect. Mistaken identity? Harassed by police? Media crucifixion? These all sound way too familiar. But what is even more interesting (and beautiful) is how the citizens of Harlem come together and in a move of solidarity, stand in support of Luke Cage by wearing hoodies with bullet holes. It was one of the coolest “we got your back” moments I’ve ever witnessed in life! It mirrored the protests and demonstrations that have been executed in America today as a result of the reports of police brutality towards African Americans. The image of the hoodie itself not only pays respects to Trayvon Martin (or any other black person that has been harassed for their choice in clothing) but it represents a prevalent issue about the perception of the black man in society. It’s these themes that are typically overlooked when it comes to adding realism to comic book movies. Often the focus is to make these films look real, but Marvel’s Luke Cage does a great job at making it feel real.
