The Defenders are one step closer to becoming a reality with Marvel's latest casting confirmation. I promise that last sentence will make more sense in a minute. The first step was Marvel's Daredevil series on Netflix (returning for season two in the next few hours) followed by Jessica Jones. Jessica Jones would then introduce Luke Cage, whose stand alone series will premiere on Christmas September 30. The last puzzle piece is the Iron Fist series, which is the one we least know about. Today that changed when Marvel announced the official Iron Fist casting: Finn Jones.
Marvel finally put the rumors to rest that Jones, best known for being on Game of Thrones at the moment, would star in the Iron Fist series as reported last month. Iron Fist will complete the New York foursome that goes on to become the Defenders, with its own series planned.
Iron Fist Executive Producer and showrunner Scott Buck explained Iron Fist's character a little and why he knew Jones was right for the part:
"Danny Rand is a very complicated character. He's a billionaire New York Buddhist monk martial arts superhero who's still trying to figure out what exactly that all means. Finn is able to play all these levels in such an honest, revelatory way that as soon as I saw him I knew he was our Danny."
After rumors of Jones' casting last month spread there was a backlash that another white guy was being cast for a role. The situation was a catch 22 because while some fans favored an Asian American actor be cast given Rand’s martial arts background some said that kind of casting would play into racial stereotypes.
At the Daredevil season two premiere head of Marvel's TV division Joe Quesada said of Iron Fist (a.k.a Danny Rand): "I think the Danny Rand character himself will have a different perspective on the world than some of the characters that you're seeing now—as will Luke Cage. I mean you guys haven't seen that show yet, either."
No date has been announced for when production on Iron Fist will start.
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