Marvel recently cast Krysten Ritter as the lead in its upcoming Netflix series, A.K.A. Jessica Jones, the second of five shows the studio is developing with the network.
One of the reasons Ritter reportedly won the role is the chemistry she had with Mike Colter (The Good Wife, The Following), who auditioned in several scenes with her. Colter was portraying mercenary superhero Luke Cage, who becomes the lover and eventual husband of Jones in the Marvel comic books. The two go on to have a child together.
In the comic books, Cage gains super strength and bulletproof skin in prison experiments with a formula based on the serum that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America. It’s not yet known whether the Netflix show will follow a similar origin story, though there is seemingly no reason not to do so.
Colter hitting it off so well with Ritter led to immediate speculation that he would be cast as Cage. But for some reason, Marvel held off on an official announcement. Two weeks later, however, it’s a done deal: Colter will indeed be Luke Cage in A.K.A. Jessica Jones. And though the news wasn’t part of Marvel’s press release, it’s natural to assume that Colter will also portray the character in his own 13-episode series, which should air on Netflix after A.K.A. Jessica Jones is completed.
The Luke Cage series will be the third of Marvel’s Netflix shows, followed by one featuring Iron Fist, a martial artist who has long been Cage’s crime-fighting partner in the comic books. The four initial shows and their lead characters will then team up in a fifth series, titled The Defenders.
A.K.A. Jessica Jones is expected to debut on Netflix in late 2015.
