With Luke Cage still fresh in our minds, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Mike Colter in the titular role of the hit series. A relatively unknown actor before Marvel and Netflix cast him opposite Jessica Jones in her eponymous show, he quickly won over fans with his dry wit, strong resemblance to his comic book counterpart, and his electric chemistry with Krysten Ritter. After his multiple appearances in the series, audiences were excited to see Power Man move uptown and face his own demons. The series not only saw Luke battle for his neighborhood and friends, but face the legacy of his origin story, earning Colter and his costars heaps of praise in the process.
There was a time, however, before Colter had the role locked in and a number of actors were vying to play the classic character. Over the years, many actors have voiced an interest in playing the iconic hero. Back in 2010, long before the series was ever announced, the likes of Idris Elba and Old Spice Guy Isaiah Mustafa threw their names into the ring to portray the Hero for Hire when he inevitably joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Elba ended up landing the role of Heimdall in the Thor franchise, but Mustafa went as far as collaborating with Marvel a pitching himself as Power Man for the company's What the--?! YouTube series.
While that effort ultimately proved futile, Comicbook.com has learned the actor is still interested in joining the cast for its upcoming second season. During their interview with him for his Freeform show Shadowhunters, they broached the subject of Luke Cage and whether Mustafa is still angling for a part.
"I mean, why not? Definitely, I'd play anything on that. I just love the characters so much that I really just want to be a part of it in some way. Just get an opportunity to just play in that world, but I think the direction they went was probably the best direction they could have went. But yes, I would love to be involved in any aspect of any Marvel production. It would just be fun."
Given the vague nature of his comments, it's safe to assume Mustafa isn't currently in talks with Marvel or Netflix to join the series. His role on Shadowhunters throws another wrench into those plans as well. Still, the video from 2010 proves he's on Marvel's radar, and Freeform is about to gain their own MCU show when Cloak and Dagger premieres. Knowing all of that, and the actor's desire to join the production, it's not hard to imagine Mustafa and Marvel sitting down and discussing a part for him moving forward.
Like Colter, Mustafa is a new name to the world of acting. His turn on Freeform's genre show, though, is certainly a step in the right direction in terms of joining the Marvel/Netflix universe. Barring that, he could easily hop from Shadowhunters to Cloak and Dagger, if he's so inclined. The CW and ABC both have long histories of cycling actors through their various projects, so Freeform could certainly follow suit if all involved are game. If Mustafa does end up joinng Luke Cage or another Marvel project, you'll hear about it here first.
Daredevil seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, and Luke Cage season 1 are now streaming on Netflix. Iron Fist will premiere on March 17, 2017. The Defenders and The Punisher will arrive in 2017. Premiere dates for the newest seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been announced.
Source: Comicbook.com