Iron Fist may be the most unloved Marvel drama on Netflix, but it is coming back for another season. At Comic-Con International’s The Defenders panel, Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb confirmed that Iron Fist’s solo series would return for season 2. Now, there’s a new showrunner as well.
Via Deadline, Sleepy Hollow veteran Raven Metzner was announced as Iron Fist‘s new showrunner, replacing Scott Buck, who went on to run Marvel’s Inhumans for ABC. It’s worth noting that Metzner’s previous credits include Elektra, the 2005 feature film that is also extremely unpopular among Marvel fans.
“Raven’s love of all things Iron Fist and his extensive knowledge of martial arts films made him the perfect choice to continue telling the adventures of Danny Rand and Colleen Wing,” said Loeb, in a statement. “Season One and The Defenders are only the beginning of this fantastic action packed tale.”
Also: Watch the First Trailer for ‘The Defenders’
One thing you have to understand about the backlash against Iron Fist is that the character was always white, but there was a movement to cast an Asian actor in the role that did not gain traction at Marvel. Hence the “whitewashing” controversy which argued that Finn Jones’ title character was appropriating Asian culture. It didn’t help that Jones was neither an accomplished martial artist, nor a great performer.
So how can Iron Fist course correct for season 2? The original rumors about the series suggested that Marvel would bring on Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu in a co-starring role. That didn’t happen, but a leading Asian actor for the series would mitigate the whitewashing claims. Loeb has also hinted that Misty Knight will be added to the cast this season, which could set up her partnership with Colleen Wing as the Daughters of the Dragon. If so, hopefully the series will continue to embrace its roots as a ’70s Kung Fu comic.
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