LUKE CAGE
SEASON 2

A DECEMBER 2016 RENEWAL AND A NEW YORK SHOOT

HOW THE SECOND SEASON WAS MADE

Netflix renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes in December 2016, with Cheo Hodari Coker as showrunner. Filming took place in New York City from June to November 2017, with principal photography under way by 10 June under the working title Tiara. All 13 episodes arrived together on 22 June 2018, after a red-carpet premiere in New York on 21 June.

Directors included Lucy Liu, Kasi Lemmons, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Neema Barnette, and the season is dedicated to Reg E. Cathey, who had played James Lucas.

BLUES, REGGAE AND A HIP-HOP FAMILY TREE

WHY THE SEASON IS ABOUT THE ROOTS OF HIP-HOP

Coker said on 22 June 2018 that he made the new villain specifically Jamaican, and described the season’s central idea:

“Season two was really about the roots of hip-hop from the standpoint of blues.”

Cheo Hodari Coker, 22 June 2018

He had said two days earlier that the Jamaican idea came from a decision to “make it Jamaica.” Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad returned to compose the score, using blues and reggae to represent the conflict between the Stokes family and Bushmaster. Each episode is named after a Pete Rock & CL Smooth song, and live performers included Faith Evans, Gary Clark Jr., Esperanza Spalding and Ghostface Killah.

A NEW VILLAIN FOR HARLEM

WHO IS IN THE CAST

Mike Colter returns as Luke Cage, with Simone Missick as Misty Knight, Theo Rossi as Shades, Gabrielle Dennis as Tilda Johnson, Mustafa Shakir as John “Bushmaster” McIver and Alfre Woodard as Mariah Stokes-Dillard. Jessica Henwick and Finn Jones are featured, and Rosario Dawson guest stars as Claire Temple.

THE REWATCH

AN 86% CRITICS SCORE AND NO THIRD SEASON

Rotten Tomatoes lists an 86% critics’ score from 63 reviews and a 67% audience score, and its consensus praises a “satisfyingly complex narrative and a solid ensemble cast.” Metacritic gives it 64 from 13 critics. Empire’s Olly Richards gave it four stars while Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall gave two.

Netflix and Marvel announced on 19 October 2018 that “Unfortunately, Marvel’s Luke Cage will not return for a third season.” The statement gave no reason, though creative differences between Netflix and the show’s team were reported to have led to the end.

In the Marvel Marathon it is catalogued as Marvel Television and sits in the Marvel TV shows in order guide between Cloak & Dagger Season 1 and Iron Fist Season 2, and in the MCU timeline guide between Jessica Jones Season 2 and Iron Fist Season 2. It is not in the MCU release-order, series or movie guides.