Are you ready to meet Marvel’s next big thing on Netflix?
Joining Charlie Cox’s “Daredevil”, Krysten Ritter’s “Jessica Jones”, and Mike Colter’s “Luke Cage” is none other than Finn Jones who has been officially cast as the lead in “Iron Fist”. The actor’s addition perfectly rounds out the line-up for Marvel and Netflix in their plans to eventually unite the heroes for a series called “The Defenders”.
Best known for his role as Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of Flowers, on HBO’s “Game of Thrones”, the 27-year-old British actor is relatively unknown outside of this show. He has however, shown great talent and has the similar overall look and blonde hair as Iron Fist in the comics which makes him the perfect casting choice for Marvel.
Unlike most superheroes who obtain their abilities through mutation or accidents, Daniel Rand earns the title of Iron Fist by fighting for it. In the comics, the 9 year-old Rand travels with his family from New York to a lost mystical city called K’un Lun (which is only reachable from Earth once every decade).
After a certain unexpected turn of events, Rand was adopted by the city’s ruler. There, he was trained in advanced Earth-based martial arts and with various type of weaponry. At the age of 19, he was given the honour of battling the immortal female dragon, Shou-Lao. Whoever defeats her will gain the power of the Iron Fist.
Rand successfully defeated Shou-Lao by “pressing his chest against the dragon’s, cutting her body off from the life energy of her heart (which was separate from her body). As well as gaining him the power of the Iron Fist, this battle branded his chest with the shape of the dragon”.
Thanks to his mystical Iron Fist, he is able harness and focus his chi to amplify his abilities, giving him superhuman power such as speed, stamina, agility, durability, awareness, super strength and reflexes. In the television series, Rand will return to New York City and begins his career as a superhero.
According Entertainment Weekly, some fans had previously suggested for Marvel to cast an Asian actor as Iron Fist, even though the character is white in the comics. Some even advocated for an Asian-American casting. Others disputed the notion, saying that picking an Asian actor simply because the hero’s ability is martial arts would be a stereotypical move.
There is no word yet on the official premiere date for “Iron Fist”, but fans can expect the Netflix show to debut in 2017.
Sources: Screen Rant, Entertainment Weekly.
