16 votes

Netflix pulls the plug on ‘Luke Cage’ - No season three for Marvel’s Harlem hero

17 comments

  1. SleepyGary
    Link
    I was going to say this makes me sad, but stopping for a moment I really had to think about it to remember who the villain was that Luke had to fight. I suppose I would have liked one more season...

    I was going to say this makes me sad, but stopping for a moment I really had to think about it to remember who the villain was that Luke had to fight. I suppose I would have liked one more season for them to figure it out, same with Iron First, but season 2 was their chance I suppose and they both did not improve enough.

    8 votes
  2. [5]
    tomf
    Link
    Especially in contrast to Daredevil, the other Netflix Marvel properties don't even come close with regards to overall storytelling, pacing, fight choreography, villains, etc. I do think that the...

    Especially in contrast to Daredevil, the other Netflix Marvel properties don't even come close with regards to overall storytelling, pacing, fight choreography, villains, etc.

    I do think that the casting for Luke Cage himself was excellent, and I hope he gets some more screen time with future Daredevil and JJ seasons (if she gets the go ahead.)

    7 votes
    1. [3]
      nacho
      Link Parent
      I think one of the very real issues with these shows is that fight choreography is a large make-or-break factor of the shows themselves. You've lost a ton of people when you rely on silly action...

      I think one of the very real issues with these shows is that fight choreography is a large make-or-break factor of the shows themselves. You've lost a ton of people when you rely on silly action hero fights however amazing the actual story telling is.

      I speak to a lot of people who never get into these shows, and for almost all of them, it's the fight scenes that ruin their immersion. Many of them love science fiction. But the idea that one person person takes massive beatings and just brushes it off while a multitude of foes lie around crippled from exactly the same type of blows, that whole situation is a dealbreaker. Bring out the guns, or make the super powers/magic/scifi elements actually work so they can carry the confrontations on their own.

      4 votes
      1. demifiend
        Link Parent
        I'm sorry, but did you actually watch Luke Cage? They brought out the guns. They brought out lots of guns. 9mm semiautos, .45s, shotguns, AR-15s, Kalashnikovs, and whatever they used to fire the...

        But the idea that one person person takes massive beatings and just brushes it off while a multitude of foes lie around crippled from exactly the same type of blows, that whole situation is a dealbreaker. Bring out the guns, or make the super powers/magic/scifi elements actually work so they can carry the confrontations on their own.

        I'm sorry, but did you actually watch Luke Cage? They brought out the guns. They brought out lots of guns. 9mm semiautos, .45s, shotguns, AR-15s, Kalashnikovs, and whatever they used to fire the magical high explosive armor-piercing "Judas" round in S1. Hell, he even survived having a building dropped on him after it was blown up with a RPG. Cage shrugged most of that shit off with no greater inconvenience than the need to buy yet another hoodie.

        They even called attention to his near-invulnerability by identifying him as a cop's nightmare: a bulletproof black man. I think the real problem was twofold:

        1. The emphasis on bare-handed fighting in S2 vs the lone unarmed man facing down groups of gangsters packing heat felt like a letdown.
        2. They tried going for more character development, and tried to think through the moral implications of Luke Cage being the baddest motherfucker in Harlem because -- and please pardon the crossover -- he's probably the sort of guy who could say "not enough gun" to the Saint of Killers from Preacher. Because there's no outward check on his actions after the events of S2, Luke Cage was free to rule over Harlem as if it were his own personal fiefdom.
        3 votes
      2. nothis
        Link Parent
        Wait, people are mad about superpowers in a superhero franchise?

        Wait, people are mad about superpowers in a superhero franchise?

        2 votes
    2. nothis
      Link Parent
      I loved Jessica Jones season 1 because Kilgrave is, hands down, the scariest supervillain I have ever seen.

      I loved Jessica Jones season 1 because Kilgrave is, hands down, the scariest supervillain I have ever seen.

      2 votes
  3. cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    Well, crap. I thought Iron Fist was finally starting to show promise at the very end of the last season but was the weakest of the Netflix Marvel shows by far so it wasn't a surprise it was...

    Well, crap. I thought Iron Fist was finally starting to show promise at the very end of the last season but was the weakest of the Netflix Marvel shows by far so it wasn't a surprise it was cancelled. I quite liked Luke Cage though and the ratings were apparently pretty decent so this actually surprising and pretty disappointing news. Sucks that it was "creative/corporate differences" that apparently caused the cancellation. :(

    I know people keep warning about "superhero fatigue" eventually setting in and spelling the death for all these shows and movies... but I honestly still can't get enough of them, even after all these years. Ah well, at least we still have Jessica Jones, Punisher and Daredevil though... Daredevil's new season just came out Saturday too and I'm really looking forward to watching it, especially with Kingpin back.

    5 votes
  4. [2]
    Eabryt
    Link
    I wonder if any of this has to do with Netflix being upset that Disney is creating their own streaming service and will be pulling all their movies from Netflix in the near future.

    I wonder if any of this has to do with Netflix being upset that Disney is creating their own streaming service and will be pulling all their movies from Netflix in the near future.

    3 votes
    1. SlowRiot
      Link Parent
      I doubt it, honestly. If the properties were making money Netflix would keep them regardless of what Disney is doing. It would be a good way for them to keep Disney's streaming from being the only...

      I doubt it, honestly. If the properties were making money Netflix would keep them regardless of what Disney is doing. It would be a good way for them to keep Disney's streaming from being the only platform to watch Marvel on. The only reason they'll pull more Marvel properties from their lineup is if they have to.

      1 vote
  5. [6]
    Gaywallet
    Link
    I was not surprised about iron fist. Season one was straight garbage, and his character in defenders only started to show the smallest bit of promise. Season two was much better, but it was way...

    I was not surprised about iron fist. Season one was straight garbage, and his character in defenders only started to show the smallest bit of promise. Season two was much better, but it was way too late to fix at that point.

    Luke cage, on the other hand, was a pretty darn good show. It's biggest issue, if any, was that it targeted the black audience far too much. A lot of the humor, the problems, even the framing of the hero was alien to people who didn't understand black culture (at least anecdotally, it seemed, from my friends whom I knew did not have a great understanding of black culture), which is a huge shame, because it did a fantastic job. It doesn't surprise me that it failed to catch on with a broader audience as comic book show viewers probably skew white and male, but it is sad to see it go especially when season 2 ended with such promise (nearly all the comic book arks where a hero takes over a criminal enterprise to do good are fantastic).

    3 votes
    1. [5]
      demifiend
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Say what? We're talking about a character that was created to cash in on blaxploitation in a show made by black people that's basically a love letter to Harlem, a Manhattan neighborhood that black...

      Luke cage, on the other hand, was a pretty darn good show. It's biggest issue, if any, was that it targeted the black audience far too much.

      Say what? We're talking about a character that was created to cash in on blaxploitation in a show made by black people that's basically a love letter to Harlem, a Manhattan neighborhood that black people took over in 1905 and held as their own for the vast majority of the 20th century. Saying Luke Cage targeted black audiences too much seems as nonsensical as suggesting that Black Panther targeted black audiences too much.

      Regardless, it should be possible to relate to Luke Cage and the supporting cast even if you aren't black. I don't think any of us need to look far to find somebody like Cornell Stokes in our own lives, somebody who had to put aside the talents they had developed since they were young so that they could "step up" and take responsibility for their families.

      4 votes
      1. [4]
        Gaywallet
        Link Parent
        Have you browsed the IMDB page for luke cage, at all? We're talking about a show with black writers, created by a black person, with black producers, and with themes that affect black people. Is...

        Have you browsed the IMDB page for luke cage, at all? We're talking about a show with black writers, created by a black person, with black producers, and with themes that affect black people.

        Is it tainted by general blaxploitation in hollywood like nearly any black media that doesn't come out of sundance? Sure, but you could say the same about the portrayal of, well, literally anything in movies and TV.

        it should be possible to relate to Luke Cage and the supporting cast even if you aren't black

        It should be, but anecdotally I have noticed from my friends who are disconnected from the black community that it just did not "click" with them.

        2 votes
        1. [2]
          demifiend
          Link Parent
          I think we need to clarify what you mean by "disconnected". Do they... not grow up around black people? not talk to black people? not work with black people? not have any exposure to black-created...

          I have noticed from my friends who are disconnected from the black community that it just did not "click" with them.

          I think we need to clarify what you mean by "disconnected". Do they...

          • not grow up around black people?
          • not talk to black people?
          • not work with black people?
          • not have any exposure to black-created art/literature?

          I'm asking about this because I grew up on Long Island. NYC was just a train ride away. I've had black neighbors, black friends, and black co-workers. I'd collect demo tapes and singles from hip-hop artists in the area while waiting to see Iron Maiden at Madison Square Garden.

          Regardless, I don't see myself as "connected to the black community", but I still get Luke Cage.

          2 votes
          1. Gaywallet
            Link Parent
            I would consider any of those connected to black culture, given that they comprise significant enough time and importance in their lives. And yes, the people whom I seem to notice the disconnect...

            I would consider any of those connected to black culture, given that they comprise significant enough time and importance in their lives.

            And yes, the people whom I seem to notice the disconnect most with are the ones who haven't been immersed in black culture. For example, I do not think that working with black people, in and of itself is enough to understand black culture. It's possible for a black person to be working in a primarily white office, in a primarily formal job such as accounting. It's unlikely that a black person will be fully expressing their culture in such an environment. On the flip side, a white person could be working at a black-owned music label where they would be constantly bombarded with (and expected to understand) black culture.

            1 vote
        2. demifiend
          Link Parent
          Nah. Just watched the credits reel.

          Have you browsed the IMDB page for luke cage, at all?

          Nah. Just watched the credits reel.

          1 vote
  6. [2]
    SlowRiot
    Link
    I can't say I'm that shocked, or that disappointed. I really enjoyed the Defenders shows for awhile, but after the actual Defenders season I stopped caring for the most part. Luke Cage was a good...

    I can't say I'm that shocked, or that disappointed. I really enjoyed the Defenders shows for awhile, but after the actual Defenders season I stopped caring for the most part. Luke Cage was a good show, but I personally got tired of the style and storylines. I'd have to take some time to analyze exactly why, but I definitely felt fatigue from this franchise.

    1 vote
    1. SleepyGary
      Link Parent
      I feel the problem with comic book heroes is that the majority of them tends to have to fight like for like and that's boring. Luke Cage always seems like has to fight someone else that's nearly...

      I feel the problem with comic book heroes is that the majority of them tends to have to fight like for like and that's boring. Luke Cage always seems like has to fight someone else that's nearly indestructible, Iron fist has to fight some other really strong martial artist and/or lose his iron fist ability. They're like the Flash, the only villains that they go up against are faster/stronger than them and he just needs to dig deep and be faster/stronger. Their moral and morale battles feel skin deep and tacked on.

      Meanwhile Daredevil has fought fought a variety of foes but mostly they tend to be people that make him question his morals to the core. With Kingpin he's at odds with the system he's vowed to uphold, with the Hand he's questioning his vow to avoid killing, with Electra he's trying to figure out how to defeat her without killing her and somehow bring her back and somehow redeem her crimes. All the while his best friends hate what he does, his mentor and love trying to pull him over to the darkside. His only true neutral moral voice is a religion he's questioning.

      Jessica, is obviously a deeply flawed individual, lots of great avenues to explore and tonnes of room for her to grow. Like Daredevil her villains tend to side step her strength and attack her psychologically.

      They are the same reason why Batman is such a favourite, because they are flawed individuals with a code to be exploited by cunning villains not just brute force. It allows for a good variety of interesting villains, which tend to be the more interesting aspects of super hero shows/movies.

      7 votes