The long-rumored casting of Halo: Nightfall actor Mike Colter as Luke Cage in Marvel’s live-action Netflix series has been confirmed.
Marvel.com made it official this week, and announced that Colter will make his debut as the super-strong, near-invulnerable superhero Luke Cage in 2015’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones, the miniseries that precedes the Luke Cage solo series. Recently announced A.K.A. Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter had reportedly been reading opposite Colter during her audition for that series, as the pair both feature prominently in each series.
“Fans have longed to see Luke Cage and in Mike we’ve found the perfect actor,” said Marvel’s Head of Television, Jeph Loeb, who will serve as an executive producer on the Netflix series. “Viewers will get to meet Luke Cage in Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones, and experience why he is such an important super hero in the Marvel mythos.”
There’s currently no schedule set for the debut of A.K.A. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage on Netflix. Four separate miniseries planned before the main characters of each series converge for a crossover series, with Marvel’s Daredevil series planned for a May 2015 debut, to be followed by A.K.A. Jessica Jones, then Luke Cage, and finally, Iron Fist, before The Defenders brings them all together.
“Mike embodies the strength, edge and depth of Luke Cage,” said A.K.A. Jessica Jones showrunner Melissa Rosenberg. “We’re excited to have him bring this iconic Marvel character to life.”
