Daredevil and Jessica Jones have proven themselves as successes for both Marvel and Netflix over the last year. Intent on riding that wave, Luke Cage will soon arrive with his own solo series, after making his debut in Jessica Jones this past November.

Although the upcoming Netflix series will take place firmly within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will apparently endeavor to set itself apart from its recent contemporaries. Luke Cage star Mike Colter recently sat down with the Los Angeles Times to discuss certain elements of the character's adventures. One of the first aspects of the series he discussed was the setting of the show, which will move away from Hell's Kitchen to New York's Harlem neighborhood.

In the interview, Colter stated:

"Luke Cage is going to have soul, it's going to have intensity, it's going to have dark parts to it. I think what's going to make it unique is also the musicality of it. There's going to be a musical taste that you found a little bit in Jessica. It defines itself through sound that you can feel when you're watching the scenes, whether it's something that's actually a song that they're playing or actually just the pulse of the music that they choose thematically. Luke Cage is going to define itself in that way, and it's going to define itself in the locations that we're doing. It's no secret that you're going to find Luke Cage uptown after the [Jessica Jones] series is over, so the things that happen to him and Jessica will affect him. And then when you find him months later in Harlem, you'll see him in a different setting. That's going to be a setting that's surrounded with different characters and different light all unto itself."

So, from the sound of things, Luke Cage will most certainly take place after the events of Jessica Jones, and the events of that series will hold a serious bearing over the events of his own story. Having been affected by the what transpired in Jessica Jones, Cage will move his own personal operations to Harlem. As a historically black neighborhood of New York, one could expect Luke Cage to bring in a new set of characters that honor the blaxploitation roots of the source material -- without feeling exploitative in their own right.

Following that, the actor opened up regarding whether or not Cage's iconic yellow shirt would show up in the solo series:

"Jessica is her series. Anything that's primarily Luke Cage we want to save for Luke Cage's series. I'm not saying that you're going to see the yellow shirt, but if you're going to see it, it'll be in Luke Cage's series."

Despite how ambiguously the actor is speaking, it feels very much like he's trying to say something without saying it. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has thus far done a decent job of bringing fans faithful adaptations of characters, so the smart money is on Luke Cage donning his iconic yellow shirt at some point during his upcoming solo series. The reason he has yet to do so could have something to do with the fact that the version of Luke Cage fans saw in Jessica Jones was a fledgling version of the fully realized hero fans know and love.

Colter also discussed the concept of being faithful to the source material, while still keeping the upcoming Netflix series grounded in what fans of the MCU have come to know and love:

"I'll say it this way. The writers have been very clever and very on point with the way they allowed this to be grounded in realism [while] paying homage to the comic book and what comic book fans know to be their world. We're trying to bring it to the screen. I think we're going to satisfy everyone. We're not going to give them exactly what they want, but I think everyone will be ecstatic about what we're willing to do for them. We know what side our bread is buttered on. To try and not give the fans what they want would be a mistake;that being said, it's going to be a unique way of delivering it. But they're going to get what they want eventually."

One of the advantages that Luke Cage has going in to its first season is the fact that audiences have already met and become accustomed to Luke Cage -- as well as his particular set of abilities. Without having to worry about setting the table for audiences, the series can focus on setting a tone that fans of the source material -- as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- will appreciate.

Daredevil season 1 and Jessica Jones season 1 are now available on Netflix. Luke Cage season 1 and Daredevil season 2 will debut on Netflix in 2016. Release dates for Iron Fist and The Defenders on Netflix have not yet been announced.

Source: LA Times