Marvel's The Defenders: Our First Look at Luke Cage and Iron Fist!

As the San Diego Comic Con kicks off, and an army of nerds and fanboys rally behind their respective superheroes and other fictional obsessions to see what's to come in the future of all things comics, movies, etc., one of the most exciting recent announcements to drop has to be the debut of a handful of teaser trailers surrounding the much-anticipated Defenders series from Marvel Studios. Aiming for a 2017 premiere -- most likely late summer or early fall -- the biggest Netflix series to come out of the minds behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to bring a street-level Avengers team to the forefront of their television takeover. But, before we even talk about The Defenders, we must first discuss the two newest players joining Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones come next year. 

First up, we have Power Man himself, Luke Cage, played by Mike Colter. If that name sounds familiar, it's probably because we first saw Colter join the MCU back in 2015, when he popped into ex-superhero Jessica Jones' (Krysten Ritter) unusual life and left more than just a mark. Set to dive into his own origins this September with his own Netflix series, the indestructible man we saw broken by a city of deceit and corruption aims to kick even more ass as we uncover who he truly is. Debuting a superb first look at just the kind of action we might see come September, Marvel effortlessly draws fans back in with another cryptic yet blatantly bad-ass tease at what's to come. Offering up another intriguing hero-of-sorts, crippled not through physical torment, but rather something more psychological and emotional, Marvel's Luke Cage looks like it's going to hit its mark just as Daredevil and Jessica Jones have already done. Establishing a character with his own beliefs, background, and even his own stomping ground to kick ass, I believe Netflix's latest superhero series is going to not only feel refreshing, but also introduce us to a side of New York City we haven't yet seen.

The second major player introduced in his own teaser -- this own a hell of a lot more mysterious and brief than Luke Cage -- was Danny Rand aka the Iron Fist. A lesser-known comic book character (to me at least), this mystical hero aims to bring a Doctor Strange tone to the Netflix realm, utilizing his powerful new force as well as his martial arts skill to take down whoever gets in his way. With Game of Thrones actor Finn Jones set to bring his own touch to the mysterious fighter, and Marvel's Daredevil already hinting more and more at mystical warriors and ancient prophecies with its latest season, this show could introduce a whole new level of intensity to the Marvel universe. While I may not be as compelled to see Iron Fist take the screen as I was Daredevil or the Punisher (at least until I see another trailer), Marvel's Iron Fist looks like it's going to bring in a radical new hero with intense and unpredictable abilities to a world of unexpected consequences.

While these vague hints at the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might just be the beginning of the unsuspecting reveals of Comic Con, our first looks at Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Marvel's The Defenders packed a mighty -- and highly-anticipated -- punch! Stay tuned for my breakdown of other huge reveals of Comic Con, including the exciting new sneak peek at 2017's Justice League!