Mike Colter says fan clamor for Luke Cage revival might help… just not anytime soon

The recent trend of canceled series finding new homes at competing platforms might just work for Luke Cage and the other shows Netflix has dropped from the New York corner of Marvel’s universe — but no amount of fan support is likely to make a difference overnight, according to Luke Cage star Mike Colter.

Speaking with comicbook.com, Colter was quick to thank Luke Cage fans for all the love bestowed upon his former show, as well as all the pleas to Disney hoping to find a place for the crime fighter on its forthcoming Disney+ streaming service. But, he added, the final decision to revive any of the Marvel shows that Netflix has canceled probably has more to do with Disney’s overall Marvel strategy than any individual show’s popularity.

“I don't know that it's something that fans can do, necessarily,” he said. “I think it's a real network/studio thing. I think it'll resolve itself, one way or the other. There just needs to be some time. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that's it. But I don't think the fans... as much as the fans — the outpouring of the fans is very touching and well received, and it'd be appreciated — I don't think it's gonna make anything happen, but it's nice to know that. I think, ultimately, if it comes back, it'll probably come back because of the fans' demand for it. I don't think that their work is going in vain. It just may not happen as soon as they want it to.”

Colter also appears to acknowledge that Disney is sensitive to how fans are reacting to Netflix’s cavalcade of Marvel cancellations, which includes not only Luke Cage but also Iron Fist and Daredevil — reportedly one of the most popular shows on all of Netflix at the time the streaming giant pulled the plug.

But it sounds as though reviving Luke Cage is more a matter of Disney figuring out how the show could fit into its larger Marvel lineup than scrambling to satisfy jilted fans in the short term. Colter said getting the ax from Netflix at the end of Season 2 was “bittersweet” but wasn’t a complete shock, since he “was a little closer” to the show behind the scenes. And in an encouraging move, he declined to reveal how the creative team had plotted out the story arc for Season 3 — just in case Disney does decide to give his old show a new lease on life.