Marvel TV is in a weird place right now. With Marvel Studios (the film side) shaking up the MCU in a major way, thanks to “Avengers: Infinity War,” Marvel TV is left to pick up the pieces and do everything it can to stay relevant. Compounding that problem is the general low quality of most of Marvel’s recent TV projects. And Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb is at the forefront of damage control.
In a recent Reddit AMA, he said that the shows “take place BEFORE” the end of ‘Infinity War.’ And as someone who apparently doesn’t know when to quit, Loeb threatened that the Inhuman Royal Family (from the dreadful ABC show) could pop up sooner or later in another Marvel TV project.
Needless to say, Marvel TV is at a turning point. Which brings us to Netflix and the upcoming release of “Luke Cage” season 2. The Netflix/Marvel shows have been steadily declining in quality, and fans are starting to show some concern. And if the most recent trailer for ‘Cage’ is any indication, things aren’t looking up.
The final trailer for “Luke Cage” is oddly missing Luke Cage. If you had never seen the show before and watched this trailer, you wouldn’t be wrong to assume the series was about Alfre Woodard’s Mariah Dillard attempting to save Harlem from the Bushmaster (not the best name in the world). It isn’t until the last 20 seconds or so that Cage has anything of substance to contribute to the footage.
Perhaps Netflix is just trying to hype up Woodard’s character for the new season, much like they did for Mahershala Ali in season 1 (down to ripping off the Biggie crown painting shot), but what it really feels like is that the streaming service is downplaying the Marvel-ness of the show in favor of the crime drama aspects. Don’t get confused, there’s still bulletproof men and super strength, but what you really see is that there’s a bit of “The Wire” and “Empire” thrown in for good measure (and that’s being generous to “Luke Cage”).
With “Iron Fist” being terrible, “Defenders” being meh, and “Jessica Jones” season 2 being a big letdown, the Netflix/Marvel deal is starting to show its age. Maybe it’s time for Loeb and the rest of Marvel TV to really divorce itself from the MCU and try something new and different.
But hey, if this new trailer for “Luke Cage” hits all the right notes for you, the new season premieres on Netflix on June 22.