It’s safe to say that Iron Fist hasn’t been an easy character to sell to modern audiences. Given the response to the Netflix series about Danny Rand and the overall response to his history as a character, modern Marvel fans did not want to deal with another “white savior” story. Fans even petitioned that Netflix change the character to an Asian-American before Finn Jones was cast in the role. The Iron Fist series ended up being panned, along with Jones, though appearances in the second season of Luke Cage and The Defenders did help to improve some fan reactions. Marvel also responded in the pages of the comics, though, killing off Rand and making Chinese hero Lin Lie, formerly known as Sword Master, Marvel’s new Iron Fist.
With the return of Daredevil and the addition of the Netflix productions to Disney+ — with the characters now joining with the MCU proper — does Iron Fist deserve a second shot? Despite its critical troubles, Netflix said Iron Fist had high viewership numbers. Finn Jones also shared his hopes during an appearance at the LaConve anime convention in Mexico.
“I’m very aware of the critiques of the character and my role in it,” Jones said. “My response to that is like, give me a f—king chance, man. I’m here and I’m ready. I want to prove people wrong. So I would love to see that happen.”
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will reintroduce Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones to the fold, with rumors pointing out that Mike Colter’s Luke Cage and Jones’ Iron Fist may be rejoining, too. But what type of changes should come with any return? Will he be the same billionaire martial arts expert with mystical powers from a mysterious Asian city? Without too many concrete details, speculation and hypotheticals should be fair game for discussion. And with that, we think there is a perfect idea to both bring them back to the comic world and introduce them to the main MCU on Disney+.
Heroes For Hire
Marvel Television could have its hands on the character with a blank slate. That is already a key benefit for introducing the characters to the MCU and bringing them back together for the comics. Combine that with the benefit of hindsight for the Netflix era and the path for a return becomes clearer.
Any series needs to focus on Iron Fist’s relationship with Luke Cage. These are characters that referred to each other as best friends in the original comics. We saw some sparks and hints of this with their first meetings during The Defenders, but is that version of Rand Cage’s “best friend” on Netflix? That needs to happen. And a good way to reintroduce them in modern comics and back to the MCU is for Rand and Cage growing into closer friends with a brotherly relationship, working together as the Heroes for Hire.
The original Power Man and Iron Fist comic was always on the lighter side for a Marvel story. Despite some memorable early stories, like Luke Cage traveling to Latveria to retrieve $200 Doctor Doom refused to pay, both characters were unable to support their own solo title enough for Marvel. That’s when Power Man and Iron Fist were combined into one title, with Jo Duffy taking the reins near the end of the ’70s, delivering a more lighthearted tone and turning them into a comic book version of Simon and Simon. David Walker and Sanford Greene seemed to lean into this tone when they revived the duo in 2016 before disbanding again after Rand gave up the Iron Fist moniker and Cage became Mayor of New York. Comics always take a wild turn.
Hard Traveling Heroes
From the comics world, there are some great examples that should be used as guides for a new Heroes for Hire comic story and any MCU return. Look back at something like Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Traveling Heroes as a good place to start. The classic DC Comics story follows the two heroes as they travel across America to dig down into what it means to be a superhero. With their political and philosophical beliefs on full display, the pair travel the nation — and space — as a sort of superpowered odd couple.
“Hard Traveling Heroes” is now considered a classic, and one that holds up with the modern era. The framework it provides a potential return of Heroes for Hire seems ripe for the modern era. Open up a news site or read social media, you’ll quickly notice our current world has plenty of issues just waiting to be addressed. We also already saw some of what’s possible with Luke Cage’s Netflix series. Put them on the road, make them heroes that are for hire, but are also friends that are trying to rebuild a relationship that fell aside due to the circumstances out of their control. If Green Lantern can come down to Earth and travel with Green Arrow to get to the heart of America, so can Cage and Rand.
Buddy Comedy?
A mix of light-hearted storytelling and an interesting pairing are great seeds to plant for any story. Classic television is full of similar tales, filtering out into other forms of media. For Iron Fist and Luke Cage, a few more dials need to turn to facilitate the story. A big one is turning Rand into a former billionaire once again. In the original comic, Rand’s money opened a wide gulf with Cage that was often mined to create some tension between the two.
Rand has always kind of bounced around in Marvel Comics, dying a few times, undergoing a few retcons, and even just stepping away from the role of Iron Fist. Another additional layer of characterization shouldn’t hurt too much. Taking away the money doesn’t remove the character’s backstory or history. But losing it would make him vulnerable, and make him far more likable to the audience. Likeability is paramount for a comic return, but also key for any Iron Fist retry in the MCU.
With Colter and Jones being spotted in New York during the current Daredevil: Born Again season two production, many folks think the duo will make their return with Jessica Jones on the series. If that happens, couldn’t we at least get a special one-shot on Disney+? You could even introduce the new Iron Fist into the mix, even as a MacGuffin to just get Rand and Cage on the road.
If these are heroes for hire, who is to say someone doesn’t hire them to go cross country to bring Lin Lie back home to New York. Rand could sense potential in Lie to train as the next Iron Fist, viewing it as a way to revive Kunlun’s teachings and connect to the way his Netflix series ended. Cage is along for the ride, grows his relationship with Rand to where it was on the comic pages, and also creates a unique niche for the characters to occupy.
Not every story requires world-ending stakes or shocking deaths. Sometimes you just need to hit the road, cut to the core of what being a hero looks like, and see where the characters can go. If Rand and Cage are best friends on the page, let’s get there with the MCU.
Do you think a road trip is a perfect vehicle to bring back Heroes for Hire? Would it plant seeds for the MCU to take to the screen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
The post Luke Cage and Iron Fist Need a Heroes For Hire Road Trip Comic (And It Could Be Good for the MCU) appeared first on ComicBook.com.
