After years of speculation and rumors, Marvel Studios has finally begun folding the characters from its Netflix shows into the proper universe, with Charlie Cox’s Matthew Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk playing prominent roles in its future. While fans had been clamoring for a continuation of Daredevil in particular, the return of Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle and the impending appearance of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones suggests that there may be even more crossovers coming soon. Although Mike Colter has already discussed the possibility of a Luke Cage revival, it’s about time that the MCU gives another shot to Finn Jones and Iron Fist.

Despite the rave reviews that Daredevil, Luke Cage, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones received, Iron Fist was considered to be Netflix’s first major Marvel failure. Although controversy had begun based on Jones’ casting, as some felt that it would have been better to cast an actor of Asian descent, the main issue proved to be the show itself; Iron Fist was overlong, overstuffed, and lacked any of the grittiness or specificity that had made the other Marvel shows so strong. However, the new era of Disney+ content has the possibility to give Iron Fist its redemption.

Marvel Has Redeemed Its Lesser Characters Before

One of the greatest strengths of the MCU is its ability to reintroduce characters and storylines that were not initially greeted with a warm response by placing them in a new context within their Disney+ shows. Although Tim Roth’s performance as Abomination in The Incredible Hulk certainly did not rank among the greatest MCU villains, he was able to spin the character in a more comedic like when he appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law; similarly, Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo, who only had a brief appearance in Captain America: Civil War, proved to be a surprisingly hilarious addition to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It’s a shame to dismiss a promising actor from having a future in the MCU just based on one appearance; while Jones didn’t quite nail his performance as Danny Rand at first, he has proven himself to be a talented actor thanks to his role as Loras Tyrell on Game of Thrones.

Although Iron Fist prompted a response that was unprecedented in its toxicity, Marvel has had many shows that took their time to develop an identity, so it would be unreasonable to assume that nothing in Iron Fist isn’t worth saving. Daredevil: Born Again certainly had some hiccups in its first season, but the potential on display from the show’s terrific finale suggests that there’s a lot more potential for its next storyline; when looking back further, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a show that followed up its disastrous first season with a much stronger, weirder, and more adventurous show that ended up developing its own fanbase. Given the wealth of source material out there within the Iron Fist comics, there’s certainly a lot of potential for more stories about Danny that take a different approach.

Marvel has the opportunity to address some of the flaws of the original Iron Fist by examining criticism of the show in regards to its depiction of race and privilege. Although it’s understandable that audiences may not have been interested in another story about a wealthy white guy who develops powers from a different culture, satirizing the advantages that Danny is equipped with could allow the series to say something relevant. Although it is not often hailed as one of the universe’s high points, The Defenders included some powerful moments in which Luke confronts Danny over his societal advantages, which only deepened their bond as characters; after the terrific team up that they had in the second season of Luke Cage, it would be a shame if Colter and Jones weren’t allowed to go on another “buddy cop” adventure again.

There’s Potential for an ‘Iron Fist’ Story

Although many viewers abandoned the show without even finishing its first string of episodes, the second season of Iron Fist was a massive improvement upon its predecessor that fixed much of the structural dysfunction that had weighed it down previously. Instead of endless boardroom scenes that centered on the ownership of the Rand company, Iron Fist examined all the different martial arts practices that existed within the larger New York area. While Iron Fist had fight scenes that were fairly strong for a show with a Netflix budget, it’s reasonable to imagine that it could produce even better action if given the resources of a Disney+ show. Even if fans have been somewhat split on the success of Daredevil: Born Again, the show’s masterful fight scenes have been met with unanimous praise.

Jones certainly could be given the chance to give a stronger performance if equipped with better material, but Iron Fist featured many compelling supporting characters that deserve to be reintroduced into the universe. Although she was initially introduced as a sidekick, Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing turned into a terrific action hero whose story was cut way too short, as the second season of Iron Fist ended with her inheriting Danny’s power. Also terrific in the show was Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meechum, a half-brother of Danny who steadily becomes an antihero; Pelphrey was able to shine even amidst the underwritten material, but he has subsequently proven to be one of best actors of his generation with his work in Ozark, Mank, Love & Death, and the highly anticipated new HBO series Task.

Although it received a lot of nostalgic affection, Marvel’s Netflix era had numerous flaws, as the second seasons of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and The Punisher all faced creative stumbles. There is still a desire to see those characters return, with the hope that they will have stronger material. It’s easy to imagine that Jones could silence his doubters if given the opportunity to reprise his role in a new Disney+ project. Netflix may not have had the capability back in 2017, but Disney+ could finally fulfill the potential of The Defenders by bringing Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist together in a crossover adventure.

Iron Fist

Release Date

March 17, 2017

Network

Disney Channel

Showrunner

Scott Buck

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