Over the past two years, Marvel and Netflix have redefined the superhero landscape on the small screen. It began with the story of a blind, yet able lawyer who also serves justice on the streets as a vigilante in DaredevilIt was followed by Jessica Jones, a series that focused on the title character dealing with the internal and external scars left behind by an abuser. A few months ago, Luke Cage broke the internet, with the series that followed the adventures of Cage in his Harlem neighborhood. And rounding out the quartet will be Iron Fist, which is expected to debut this spring before all four shows combine for a mini-series event called The Defenders.

This new corner of the Marvel cinematic universe has its own unique flavor and selection of colorful characters. The world is now familiar with Pops (Frankie Faison), Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), and Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor). While the superheroes teaming up in The Defenders are the big draw to the series, it will also include many familiar faces from all four show's supporting casts, including one of the most memorable players, Claire Temple, played by Rosario Dawson.

In anticipation of the arrival of The Defenders this summer, Luke Cage's Mike Colter spoke with EW about Cage and Temple's relationship that began with a kiss in the season finale and where the pair are in the upcoming event series:

“Anytime you’re smitten with someone and hanging out with them for the first time, there’s a spark. That newness makes everybody excited.”

Colter then goes on to expand on their growing romance and if Cage will be jealous of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who shared a night of passion with Temple in Daredevil's first season:

“Daredevil didn’t have a romance [with Claire], we didn’t see that...I didn’t see it. My story is that she spent the night and then she slept in another bedroom. So I’m sorry, I need some kind of evidence that Claire and Daredevil did it. This is just hearsay. She’s my girl.”

Luke Cage and Claire Temple kiss

It sounds as if Luke Cage may be in serious denial, which could potentially lead to tensions between he and Murdock. Cox was recently quoted as hoping the two could share a rooftop burger at some point. So it will be interesting to see how their friendship will be forged and if it will start off on rocky ground in the upcoming mini-series event.

In two separate shows, Cage has managed to woo Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Misty Knight (Simone Missick), and Temple. It would seem that his tangled love life will provide additional drama for the Hero for Hire in The Defenders. Last week, EW released new stills from the show featuring Detective Knight interrogating Jones while in police custody. With that in mind, it's easy to imagine that Cage's biggest adversary in the show won't be Sigourney Weaver, but his own impulses and past relationships.

Claire Temple is the connective tissue for all four superhero Marvel/Netflix series. As the nurse has separately saved the lives of both Daredevil and Cage, with the assistance of Jessica Jones for the latter. Dawson will also be appearing in Iron Fist this spring, who was last seen grabbing an ad for Collen Wing's martial arts instruction in Luke Cage's season finale. So it's clear that Marvel has bigger plans for the character than to simply be a love interest or damsel in distress in the near future. We can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Daredevil season 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, and Luke Cage season 1 are now available on Netflix. Iron Fist will premiere on March 17. The Defenders and The Punisher will arrive at some point this year. Premiere dates for the newest seasons of Jessica JonesDaredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been revealed.

Source: EW