IRON FIST
SEASON 2

A NEW SHOWRUNNER AND A WINTER SHOOT

HOW THE SECOND SEASON WAS MADE

Netflix ordered a second season in July 2017, announced at San Diego Comic-Con, and M. Raven Metzner replaced Scott Buck as showrunner. Filming began by 13 December 2017 in New York City, with extensive shooting in Chinatown, and wrapped on 10 May 2018. Finn Jones called it a “long and physical 7 month winter shoot.” All ten episodes arrived together on 7 September 2018.

Metzner told reporters in July 2018 that “we really elevated the action.”

A NEW FIGHT COORDINATOR AND MORE TRAINING

HOW THE ACTION WAS REBUILT

Clayton Barber, who also worked on Black Panther, was fight coordinator. In September 2018 he described how he approached the season:

“The whole season was designed to be one big, beautiful album of action.”

Clayton Barber, 20 September 2018

Jones started training four months before shooting and trained about five days a week. Jessica Henwick said she trained in Hapkido.

THE MEACHUMS, A RIVAL AND A NEW ARRIVAL

WHAT HAPPENS AND WHO IS IN THE CAST

The season is set after The Defenders, with Danny Rand and Colleen Wing living in her Chinatown dojo while a gang war between the Golden Tigers and the Hatchets escalates and his old rival Davos seeks the Iron Fist. The cast includes Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum, Jessica Stroup as Joy Meachum, Sacha Dhawan as Davos, Simone Missick as Misty Knight and Alice Eve as Mary Walker.

BETTER THAN SEASON 1, STILL MIXED

WHAT CRITICS MADE OF THE IMPROVEMENT

Den of Geek’s Mike Cecchini wrote on 7 September 2018 that the season was “a massive improvement in virtually every way that matters,” crediting better writing and fight choreography. Paste’s Amy Glynn, writing on 6 September, was harsher and said Danny “remains about as piquant and complicated as a stale saltine.”

Rotten Tomatoes lists a 56% critics’ score from 48 reviews and a 60% audience score, and its consensus says “better action scenes and tighter pacing elevate Iron Fist’s second season.” Metacritic gives it 39, but from only six critics.

THE REWATCH

A SECOND SEASON THAT BECAME THE LAST

Netflix and Marvel announced on 12 October 2018 that “Marvel’s Iron Fist will not return for a third season on Netflix.” The statement added: “While the series on Netflix has ended, the immortal Iron Fist will live on.”

In the Marvel Marathon it is catalogued as Marvel Television and sits in the Marvel TV shows in order guide between Luke Cage Season 2 and The Gifted Season 2, and in the MCU timeline guide between Luke Cage Season 2 and Daredevil Season 3. It is not in the MCU release-order, series or movie guides.