Fan Expo Dallas: Mike Colter on Luke Cage’s future, an Avengers meet-up, and more

At Fan Expo Dallas, Mike Colter discussed hopes for a Luke Cage season 3, how Luke would handle meeting up with the Avengers, and more.

When it comes to the MCU, most of us as fans want to know everything possible. From the juiciest gossip to how the actors themselves feel, we want the answers. And if ever there was a time when we wanted answers the most, it would have to be when we heard news that Netflix had cancelled not only Luke Cage, but all of their Marvel properties. So, when Mike Colter hit the stage at Fan Expo Dallas, that was easily one the first questions the actor was asked.

It turns out that we are not alone in feeling disappointed by the cancellation news. In fact, if the series were to be given a new home, then the actor would be willing to return to the role of the titular superhero.

Mike Colter opens up about Luke Cage cancellation

According to Colter, he knows about as much as we do when it comes to the fate of the series. He told his Fan Expo Dallas audience that he has heard the same rumors of possibly Hulu or something else. But, at this point, there is simply no real news about what comes next for Luke Cage or if anything will come next. And of course, even if there was news, he wouldn’t really be able to share it yet.

However, there is always hope. And that hope is only increased by the fact that Mike Colter shared with the audience at Fan Expo that Luke Cage was originally being greenlit for a third season, which meant that there were actually a number of episodes that had already been written when the cancellation news was handed down. (I don’t know about anyone else, but this is something I did not know, so I was definitely surprised to know there were already episodes written that could have potentially been filmed.)

Colter touches on representation in media

Another topic that Colter touched on was watching heroes when he was younger and relating to them. While he is in no way downplaying the importance of representation, the actor made it clear that watching someone like Bruce Lee in movies still allowed him a chance to envision himself in Lee’s shoes.

It wasn’t about looking like the other man or doing the things he did, but rather being able to dream about being able to do those things. People like Bruce Lee inspired him to dream and think about making that his profession. (Clearly it worked since he became Luke Cage, the hero with unbreakable skin.)

Could Luke Cage become an anti-hero?

As one of the first fan questions to be asked from the audience, Mike Colter was asked to talk about how season 2 ended, and if that was the potential start of something like Luke becoming more of an anti-hero or if he would have walked a darker path in the third season (RIP Luke Cage on Netflix).

According to Colter, it really was a potential start of something new for our hero. And that something new may even have been lines being crossed that Luke Cage normally would never cross. But, as the actor pointed out, “good people do bad things, and bad people do good things.”

Mike Colter was also asked what his favorite scene to film in Luke Cage was, and while that can be a hard question to answer, the actor explained that for him it can change depending on the day. However, the scene he discussed for this panel was one in which he was running away from the law in order to avoid them, but when he sees two men going into a bodega to rob them, he can’t keep running. Instead, Luke goes in to stop the men.

While some heroes may do things for the glory, Colter said that for Luke it is never about getting attention. In fact, if he could avoid it he probably would. Instead, it is all about “doing the right thing.”

How Luke Cage reflects our world right now

One of the many topics that was discussed when Luke Cage first began streaming on Netflix was about how it was very timely and how it seemed to be an accurate depiction of current events. However, it seems this was not something that was at all planned.

Mike Colter explained that when they first began filming the series, it was not about the things happening in the world. But once the show was released, they quickly realized that it was in fact a reflection of the real world in many ways. So, while it may not have started out as a political statement or reflection, it ultimately worked that way.

Luke Cage and the Avengers

Finally, we all know that Luke Cage is technically set in the same world as the Avengers, and while the street level New York heroes never actually meet the Avengers and other members of the MCU, they all exist within the same world. So, when a fan asked Mike Colter about the Avengers and potentially surviving Thanos’ snap, the actor said he believes that there might be a sense of awe if Luke were to meet the Avengers. (And yes, it seems he does think that Luke Cage could survive the snap.)

What makes Colter think there would be a sense of awe is that the Avengers have a lot of gadgets and toys they get to use as heroes, whereas he and the other members of the Defenders don’t have all of that technology. That being said, he thinks that Luke would find Thor to be “weird” and be in awe of Wakanda.

In fact, Colter thinks it would be awesome to be in Wakanda, and he could see Luke wanting to stay there for a while. (And yes, we actually got to hear Mike Colter say “Wakanda Forever” thanks to a fan asking him to say it – and it was everything!)

Listening to Colter talk about Luke Cage was very bittersweet. It is still sad knowing that the series was cancelled, especially with the promise of a season three and the potential of seeing Luke team up with Danny Rand’s Iron Fist again in the future.

At the same time, he was the kind of celebrity that you want to hear more from. And perhaps my favorite moment was when he discussed the fans and how they come to these conventions, giving up their weekends for these events.

What do you think will happen to Colter’s Marvel show, Luke Cage? Would you want to see a season 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!