Luke Cage season 2 spoilers: Mustafa Shakir, Gabrielle Dennis cast
Per Entertainment Weekly, the two actors have been brought on to take on some rather-villainous roles that date back to the show’s comic-book roots.
Shakir – The former The Night Of actor, who has also appeared on Cinemax’s Quarry, is going to be stopping by in the role of John McIver, described as a “natural leader brimming with charisma, whose mission is focused on Harlem and vengeance.” In the comic-book world, he is known as Bushmaster and has a history with not only Luke Cage (Mike Colter), but also Iron Fist (Finn Jones).
Dennis – The former Rosewood / The Game star is going to be playing Tilda Johnson, described on the aforementioned site as “a brilliant holistic doctor who can’t seem to steer clear of Harlem’s trouble no matter how much she tries.” Her alter ego is Nightshade, and like with John McIver, Marvel has yet to confirm if either party will be known by an alter ego on the show.
In a statement, executive producer and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker had the following message to pass along:
“I can’t wait for audiences to see the compelling paces we put both Mustafa and Gabrielle through … From the moment you see each of them on screen, I feel they will be powerful additions to the world of Marvel and Harlem’s Luke Cage.”
Meanwhile, Marvel’s TV guru / fellow EP Jeph Loeb added the following:
“Mustafa’s incredible presence and power ignited us from our first meeting, and Gabrielle brings the charm and smarts to a very complicated role … Both will be wonderful additions to our already magnificent cast.”
How will these characters fit into the Luke Cage world?
Hopefully, very well! The one thing that does remain to be seen is whether or not either will resolve one of the central struggles with the first season: The fact that we were dealing with a main character who was effectively overpowered beyond all reason. How do you create drama around a guy who is virtually indestructible? If the show cannot find ways to do that physically, one of the things that they do recommend is that they have to find a way to further break him down emotionally. You need that sort of conflict and tension at the heart of a show in order for it to be successful, so hopefully this is going to be something that we see Luke Cage try to take on when the show returns — whenever that may be.
There is no firm premiere date yet, but we know The Defenders will be out next month. Meanwhile, there are also seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones coming before too long along with the spin-off The Punisher.
What do you think about some of these Luke Cage season 2 castings, and are you amped for what the future for this show could hold? Share in the comments, and stay tuned for more. (Photo: Netflix.)