Season two of Luke Cage will see the bulletproof Defender face off against at least one returning foe, as the villainous Shades has been confirmed to make his return. Given the secrecy behind the scenes at Netflix, it's hard to be sure where their shows rank compared to other series. Internally, however, a picture often emerges. Luke Cage, for its part, was Netflix's biggest series of last year and generally considered one of the best of the Marvel/Netflix batch. As such, it was no surprise when it was quickly renewed for a second season.

A few weeks back, word broke that the new season would likely be coming next year, with production beginning next month for the series. Until The Defenders airs, it's hard to know exactly where the story will go with the new season, but it seems safe to assume that Misty, Bobby, and likely Claire will all be back to join Luke. Of course, he'll have his fair share of enemies as well. A little while back, a casting breakdown leaked teasing some of the new villains we can expect to see Luke face next year. He'll have to tackle at least one returning threat, however.

In an interview with Parade, actor Theo Rossi revealed that he'll be heading back to New York next month to shoot for the second season of Luke Cage.

"Luke Cage is going down, [we’re in] season two. We’re pretty excited, it’ll be nice to get back into the swing."

Known best for his work on Sons of Anarchy, Rossi made a splash last year as the cool and collected villain Shades on Luke Cage. While seeming like a minion at first, he slowly became an integral part of the show and a puppet-master of sorts for the dark rise of Mariah Dillard. With his return, it's likely that Mariah will be back as well, with the evil dream team continuing their war against Luke.

With so many villains running around Harlem, hopefully some of Luke's Defenders buddies will show up to lend him a helping hand. Whether it's the continuation of his relationship with Jessica Jones or the beginnings of Heroes for Hire with Danny Rand, there's a lot of places the new show could go.

Of course, with Kevin Feige's recent talk about Marvel movies and TV eventually crossing over, perhaps we're in for something even more interesting. Valkyrie actor Tessa Thompson and Misty Knight performer Simone Missick recently expressed interest in their characters teaming up like in the comics. Maybe the new season of Luke Cage will lay the seeds for that epic duo.

The Defenders arrives on August 18th, while The Punisher will hit later this year. Daredevil seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones season 1, Luke Cage season 1, and Iron Fist season 1 are now available on Netflix. Premiere dates for the next seasons of Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Luke Cage have not yet been revealed.

Source: Parade