Daughters of the Dragon Should Replace Luke Cage Season 3

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS Below for Iron Fist Season 2!

Marvel's Iron Fist season 2 unleashed the Daughters of the Dragon and proved a series about the two female heroes should replace Luke Cage season 3. Sure, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) is a major character and brand name Marvel has built up since introducing him in Jessica Jones season 1, but the bulletproof man is poised to face the Daughters of the Dragon soon, making this the perfect time for Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) and Misty Knight (Simone Missick) to get the spotlight - or at least share top billing with Luke Cage when they eventually clash.

Switching up Danny Rand's story, the vastly improved Iron Fist season 2 delivered a major upheaval to its status quo. Danny Rand (Finn Jones) lost the power of the Iron Fist to Davos (Sacha Dhawan) early in the season and didn't regain it until the final scene of the season finale, which was set 'months later'. Instead, Rand accepted his own failings and he not only asked Colleen to train him to become a better fighter, he asked her to take the Iron Fist from Davos. After rejecting the idea at first, Colleen decided she did want the Iron Fist and together, she and Danny defeated Davos and magically transferred the heart of the dragon to the katana-wielding heroine. The boy billionaire then left for Asia on a personal quest while Colleen remained to protect Chinatown as the new Immortal Iron Fist.

Even before Colleen possessed the Fist, however, Iron Fist season 2 finally presented a proper Daughters of the Dragon team-up. By the end, they outwardly teased that Luke Cage will be their future target. Here's why Luke Cage season 3 should really be Luke Cage Vs The Daughters of the Dragon (and even renamed so):

This Page: The Defenders Shake-Up
Page 2: Luke Cage Vs The Daughters of the Dragon

Daughters of the Dragon Was The Best Part of Iron Fist Season 2

In Iron Fist season 2, the Daughters of the Dragon stole the show. Although Colleen Wing met Misty Knight in The Defenders and saved her life from Bakuto (Ramon Rodriguez) - Misty lost her right arm to the Hand's leader's sword - they really didn't know each other very well before Iron Fist. Colleen visiting Misty in the hospital, helping her cope and train to fight with one arm (before getting in a bar fight), and then delivering Misty specs for her new Rand Tech bionic arm in Luke Cage season 2 was the most quality time the duo had spent together.

This time, the team of "Knight-Wing" finally went off and had their own adventures. After Danny lost the Iron Fist and was recuperating from his injuries, it was Misty and Colleen who spearheaded the investigation into how Davos was able to magically steal the heart of the dragon from Danny. Colleen and Misty went on stakeouts, battled the Crane Sisters together, and as they got to know one another they realized they liked and respected one another. Iron Fist had to perform some narrative gymnastics to explain why Misty was in Chinatown away from her normal beat in Harlem, but the detective brought a needed credibility to Colleen and Danny's vigilante methods. Meanwhile, Colleen relished having a partner who was mature, level-headed, and tactical, especially after she spent so much time and effort having to constantly keep Danny's temper and bull-headedness in check.

In short, the Daughters of the Dragon's humorous banter and eye-popping ass-kicking was the most fun part of Iron Fist season 2. Colleen and Misty's magic together was a proof of concept that the Daughters of the Dragon deserve their own spinoff with both of them as the marquee heroes. But just as importantly, they outright teased that Misty will soon call the new Immortal Iron Fist up to Harlem to deal with what could be a huge new problem: Luke Cage. With this plan set in motion, the best move then would be to combine Luke Cage's third season with the Daughters of the Dragon spinoff.

The Defenders Series Are Being Shaken Up

A second Defenders series isn't in the cards and one of the reasons is that all of the series are undergoing major shakeups that change the landscape of the Marvel Netflix MCU in intriguing ways. Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have now completed their second seasons, with Daredevil about to launch season 3. But each series has radically changed their original concepts and became very different from the format that allowed the Defenders to assemble.

Daredevil season 2 set the stage for The Defenders, but it also demolished the original season's law firm of Nelson & Murdock and set Daredevil (Charlie Cox) on a much darker season 3 path. In her second season, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) faced the truth about her origins and ended up more isolated than ever. But it's Luke Cage that really created a radical reworking of its original status quo, with the unbreakable hero becoming a crime lord. Iron Fist pulling a switcheroo by making Colleen the new Living Weapon and planting the seeds for her to face Luke "sooner than later".

The Defenders were always dysfunctional but even though they still keep in touch, the four core heroes have never been more fragmented than they are now. Meanwhile, Colleen and Misty have risen up to become top-name superheroes in their own right, but set at odds with the bulletproof Defender of Harlem. Their potential future showdown should be the next step in revolutionizing the Defenders universe.

Page 2 of 2: Luke Cage Vs The Daughters of the Dragon

Luke Cage Should Be The New Villain...

Misty Knight summed it right up in the Iron Fist season 2 finale "A Duel of Iron" when she told Colleen: "Last time I saw Luke, I did not like what I saw." Colleen didn't hesitate to reply: "You've got my number. Use it." This exchange promises fans that the new Immortal Iron Fist will soon get summoned to Harlem. And Luke Cage's season 2's surprisingly cool ending has turned him into exactly the right villain the Defenders universe needs right now.

The Defenders have always intriguingly operated on shaky moral and ethical grounds. In season 2, Luke was troubled by how he ineffective he was as Harlem's self-appointed 'sheriff' when he was caught in a war between Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) and Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir). Cage ended up crossing the line and embracing the dark side; he accepted his arch enemy Mariah's dying wish that Luke become the new crime lord of Harlem. Cage inherited Mariah's money, underworld connections, and her office perch atop the Harlem's Paradise nightclub. Luke said he intends to use his new power to keep Harlem crime free, but just like the ending of The Godfather, Luke found himself immediately morally compromised and surrounded by criminals, even if they are now his underlings.

Essentially, Luke is now Harlem's version of Wilson Fisk - he's the new Kingpin of Crime. No matter how noble his intentions might have been, Luke controlling all of Harlem's crime is suspect, and the signs point to his inherent heroism being constantly compromised, if not stripped away entirely. A hero everyone liked and trusted - one of the main Defenders, no less - gradually turning into The Enemy is a great story, but just as cool is that it's Colleen Wing and Misty Knight who are preparing to take him on.

...That The Daughters of the Dragon Need To Take Down

Colleen's Iron Fist may be the key to stopping Luke Cage. As Misty pointed out, she's "got one of the few weapons that might make a dent in that man." The new Living Weapon heading up to Harlem will be very different from when Danny Rand visited Luke Cage; she wouldn't be coming just to help Power Man work through his issues. Misty would summon her to take Luke down outright if and when he finally goes too far. This future showdown between Power Man and Iron Fist is too good a premise to just be one episode, though; a whole season should be built around this clash. And if that's the case, the Daughters of the Dragon should also get top billing.

Luke Cage Vs. Daughters of the Dragon is an even more compelling premise than the Defenders joining together to end the threat of the Hand was. It's essentially a Defenders mini-series that could also draw Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Danny Rand into the fray, but it doesn't require having to juggle their involvement. It also pits two top female heroes in the Netflix MCU against arguably the most well-liked male Defender, who is now the villain they will want to save but will have to stop. Iron Fist season 2 already set the stage for the clash, but the Daughters of the Dragon have proven that they deserve more of the spotlight instead of merely being folded into Luke Cage season 3.

Next: When Are Marvel's Other Netflix Shows Returning?

Marvel's Iron Fist season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.