Mike Colter has played quite a few roles over the course of his career, but his turn as Luke Cage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably what he’s best known for. Plenty of fans were disappointed when the character’s eponymous show was canceled in 2018 after two seasons at Netflix. Colter’s Cage has since returned, though, having done so in the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 finale and will return in Season 3. Now, Colter is opening up to CinemaBlend about why his reprisal feels as weird as one might expect.
Ahead of Cage’s return amid the 2026 TV schedule, it’d been some time since he’d shown up in the MCU, with his last notable appearance coming in Jessica Jones’ series finale in 2019. Now, Colter is in a position to not only play Power Man again but to reunite with co-stars Krysten Ritter (Jones), Finn Jones (Danny Rand/Iron Fist) and of course, Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil). While promoting his new show, Cupertino, Colter spoke out his DD Season 3 experience and what it was like being back with his castmates:
It feels like you’re in some kind of a time warp, because you’re not sure what year it is. And this is so long ago when we started this, and we’re like, ‘Wow, we’re still doing this.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, this is it.’ It feels so interesting to be with the same people, even though you’ve stopped for years and you come back, and then you feel like it’s the same, like you’re doing the same thing or nothing’s changed.
Talk about experiencing déjà vu. However, Colter also said this about his long-hoped-for MCU reunion:
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I think it’s really fun to still be able to play the same characters or still have the opportunity to revisit these characters and add more to the story.
Personally, I can understand why it would be a bit jarring for Colter to be back in Cage’s shoes so many years after getting out of them. I mean, playing the character again after being away from him for several years is one thing, but also joining his fellow Defenders for DD Season 3 is a whole other surreal layer. So I think a “time warp” – not one caused by the time travel established in Avengers: Endgame – is a fitting way to sum up the feeling. In spite of that, it seems like the Evil alum had a good time.
Before Cage’s return was confirmed, Colter spoke quite frequently about the prospect of it happening (even whilst keeping his reprisal a secret). Colter gave fans hope this past January when he teased that he’d had “conversations” with Marvel about returning. Not long after, the actor also said that if he returned as Cage, he’d want to explore his position as the “Sheriff of Harlem” even more. Now that he is officially back, Colter is grateful, though it’s also made for an interesting work schedule for him:
Oh, I mean, it’s an embarrassment of riches. I was already supposed to do Cupertino, of course. You know, everything happens; when you’re doing something, there’s always something coming down the line. It’s like, ‘Oh, you’re busy. Guess what? We got something else for you to do.’ So it’s always that kind of thing. It’s like, it’s great, but it’s always the same time, it’s like either doing nothing or doing too much.
It’s my hope that Cage won’t be doing next to nothing in Daredevil Season 3, which will be the show’s last. Fans probably shouldn’t worry on that front, though, as everything that’s been teased about the season thus far suggests it’s going to close out the show on a high note. I’m still bummed up about it getting canceled, but I’m feeling better after hearing Matthew Lillard (who plays Mr. Charles) call the final season “explosive.”
Needless to say, I’m pumped to see how Mike Colter and the other Defenders alums figure into the narrative. Also, once the season drops, I’m eager to hear some other BTS tidbits about what it was like for Colter to shoot specific scenes with his castmates. We’ll see what happens with the bulletproof do-gooder when Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 premieres in March 2027 and, in the meantime, stream the first two seasons as well as Luke Cage with a Disney+ subscription.