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Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
'' is an American
streaming television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as films and television series, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable t ...
series created for
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
by
Cheo Hodari Coker Cheo Hodari Coker is an American former music journalist turned television writer and producer known for such television series as ''Luke Cage (TV series), Luke Cage'', ''NCIS: Los Angeles'', ''Southland (TV series), Southland'' and ''Ray Donovan ...
, based on the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
character of the same name. It is set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the third in a series of shows that lead up to a ''
Defenders Defender(s) or The Defender(s) may refer to: * Defense (military) * Defense (sports) ** Defender (association football) Arts and entertainment Film, television, and theatre Film * ''The Defender'' (1989 film), a Canadian documentary * ''The D ...
'' crossover miniseries. The series stars
Mike Colter Mike Colter (born August 26, 1976) is an American actor best known for his role as Luke Cage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series '' Luke Cage'' (2016–2018), '' The Defenders'' (2017), and '' Jessica Jones'' (2015; 2019). He ha ...
as
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
, a former convict with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who now fights crime.
Simone Missick Simone Missick ( Cook; born January 19, 1982) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Detective Misty Knight in ''Luke Cage'' (2016-2018), a role she also plays in '' The De ...
,
Theo Rossi John Theodore Rossi (born June 4, 1975) is an American actor and producer. He portrayed Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz on the FX series '' Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014) and Hernan "Shades" Alvarez in '' Luke Cage'' (2016–2018). In 2024, he por ...
,
Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama '' Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include '' He Got Game'' (1998), '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in B ...
, and
Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard ( ; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Known for portraying strong-willed and dignified roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and three Scree ...
also star. Colter reprises his role from the series ''
Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones-Cage, professionally known as Jessica Jones, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appea ...
'', while Dawson returns after portraying the character
Claire Temple Claire Temple is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a medical doctor primarily affiliated with the superhero Luke Cage and is one of his early love interests. Starting in 2015, a version of the char ...
in the other Marvel Netflix series.
Mahershala Ali Mahershala Ali ( ; born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore on February 16, 1974) is an American actor. He has received multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Fi ...
and Erik LaRay Harvey also star in the first season, while
Gabrielle Dennis Gabrielle Dennis (born October 19, 1978) is an American actress and comedian, best known for starring in the sketch comedy HBO show '' A Black Lady Sketch Show''. Early life and education Dennis was born and raised in Cincinnati. She began stud ...
and
Mustafa Shakir Mustafa Shakir (born August 21, 1976) is an American actor known for his portrayal as Bushmaster in '' Marvel's Luke Cage'', Big Mike in ''The Deuce'' and Jet Black in ''Cowboy Bebop'' (2021). Biography and career Shakir was born in North Ca ...
joined the cast for the second season. In addition to original characters, several characters based on various Marvel properties also appear throughout the series.


Overview


Main characters


Carl Lucas / Luke Cage

Carl Lucas (portrayed by
Mike Colter Mike Colter (born August 26, 1976) is an American actor best known for his role as Luke Cage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television series '' Luke Cage'' (2016–2018), '' The Defenders'' (2017), and '' Jessica Jones'' (2015; 2019). He ha ...
), a former convict who was given superhuman strength and unbreakable skin, now fights crime under the name Luke Cage. By November 2014, Lance Gross, Colter, and Cleo Anthony were in contention for the role of Luke Cage, a recurring role on the series '' Marvel's Jessica Jones'' followed by a headlining role on ''Luke Cage''. Colter was confirmed in the role the next month, as a series regular in both series. He signed on for the two shows without reading any scripts. Colter had been reluctant to sign on due to the comics depiction of the character, which he was familiar with already, saying "when I saw the tiara, all the 1970s blacksploitation stuff, I was like, 'oh my God...' But they assured me, '...we're doing a modern day version.'" Colter discussed the differences in his portrayal in the two series, saying, "You're not always the same person around everyone you know ... you might not necessarily behave the same way around your mom that you would with your wife or your boss or your fraternity brothers." In ''Jessica Jones'', Cage was vulnerable and "in a bit of a freefall", but in ''Luke Cage'' "he's trying to regroup and trying to figure out what's his next move. And then the events that happen in the first few episodes get him going, they catapult him into action." On factoring in race when playing the character, Colter said, "The approach with the character for me is more about the human qualities and the things that make Luke Cage tick ... the writers have to then decide to bring in the race of the character, if there's an angle there. But I don't look at it as something I have to prep differently for ... it's more of an aside". Colter put on of muscle for the role. David Austin and Clifton Cutrary portray a young and teenage Lucas, respectively. Describing Cage, Colter said, "He's a neighborhood hero, very much linked to New York and
Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones-Cage, professionally known as Jessica Jones, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appea ...
. It's all part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but Luke Cage is a darker, grittier, more tangible character than
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
or
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
... He has these abilities but he's not sure how and when to use them. Later elaborating, Colter said, "He's a renaissance man, he's trying to better himself and there's something to be said about someone who's always trying to make themselves better, trying to change." Colter noted that the character's catch phrase 'Sweet Christmas' is used in the series, saying "I was afraid of that phrase, but it actually fits so well, I don't know why, I don't know why it fits so well into Luke's mouth." The phrase is used sparingly though, with the character often "opting instead for pensive silence"; composer
Adrian Younge Adrian Younge (born May 7, 1978) is an American composer, arranger and music producer based in the Los Angeles area. Background Younge grew up in Fontana, California, United States. His father is a lawyer and Younge himself earned a Juris Doct ...
said, "He's a black superhero, but he's a different type of black alpha male. He's not bombastic. You rarely see a modern black male character who is soulful and intelligent."


Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes

Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes (portrayed by
Mahershala Ali Mahershala Ali ( ; born Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore on February 16, 1974) is an American actor. He has received multiple accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Fi ...
) is the owner of the Harlem's Paradise nightclub and the cousin of Mariah Dillard, who deals in illegal operations. He is later killed by an enraged Mariah who first framed Luke Cage for the murder and later shifted it to Diamondback. Ali joined the cast as Stokes in September 2015, despite knowing that the character would die early on in the series. He compared the experience to "shooting a film, as opposed to stepping into another marriage that you never know how long is going to work out" explaining that when Netflix approached him "about ''Luke Cage'', they gave me the arc, and for the first time, I found myself excited by a character's departure, because I felt like this was something I could give my all to for a period of time before saying 'peace' to him... It gave me a certain freedom to try to do my best work and make peace with it once he experiences his demise."
Elijah Boothe Elijah Boothe is an American actor best known for his role in Netflix's Luke Cage (TV series), ''Luke Cage'' where he plays the young Cottonmouth (Cornell Stokes), Cottonmouth. Boothe has appeared in numerous television shows and feature films in ...
portrays a young Stokes. Ali described Stokes as "a '' Godfather''-type villain", while Head of
Marvel Television Marvel Television was an American television production company responsible for live-action and animated television shows and direct-to-DVD series based on characters from Marvel Comics. Marvel Television was formed as a division of Marvel En ...
Jeph Loeb Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III () is an American film and television writer, producer and comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series ''Smallville (TV series), Smallville'' and ''Lost (2004 TV series), Lost'', writer for the films ''C ...
referred to him as "the other hero of the story", continuing the tradition of previous Marvel Netflix villains
Wilson Fisk The Kingpin (Wilson Grant Fisk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #50 (cover-dated July 196 ...
and Kilgrave. Ali felt that Stokes is "complicated in his own way. He's somebody who goes about things in a different way than the normal person, including myself." Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, a former music journalist, said that the attitude of rapper
Biggie Smalls Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...
, whom Coker had been friends with, permeates ''Luke Cage'' but particularly influenced his version of Cottonmouth. Ali, who creates
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
s for each of the characters he portrays so "sonically, the character has a soundtrack", stated that his mixtape for Cottonmouth took into account the fact that he was from
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
, and included songs from
Big L Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974February 15, 1999), known professionally as Big L, was an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Emerging from Harlem in New York City in 1992, Big L became known among underground hip-hop fans for his f ...
,
Diamond D Joseph Kirkland (born April 5, 1968), better known by his stage name Diamond D (or simply Diamond), is an American hip hop MC and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew ...
,
Brand Nubian Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, composed of three emcees ( Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar), and formerly three DJs ( DJ Alamo, DJ Sincere, and DJ Stud Doogie). Their debut studio album, '' One for Al ...
,
D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...
,
Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo formed in Queens, New York (state), New York in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy (rapper), Prodigy and Havoc (musician), Havoc, they are considered to be among the pr ...
,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, and
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
.


Misty Knight

Mercedes Kelly "Misty" Knight (portrayed by
Simone Missick Simone Missick ( Cook; born January 19, 1982) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Detective Misty Knight in ''Luke Cage'' (2016-2018), a role she also plays in '' The De ...
) is a Detective at the 29th Precinct and partner of Rafael Scarfe with a strong sense of justice, who is determined to learn about Cage. After losing her right arm in an encounter with Bakuto, she returns to the police force as Claire Temple and Colleen Wing help her cope with having one arm. She is later given a robotic arm by Danny Rand and Colleen Wing. Missick, who was announced in the role of Knight in September 2015, described the character as "her own person. She's not the wife. She's not a girlfriend. She's not a sidepiece or a sidekick." Missick continued that Misty Knight is "a person who has a very strong moral compass who is absolutely dedicated to protecting her community", adding her proudest moment in playing the character, was the fact that she "believes in the system, even though...
ith The Ith () is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to 439 m high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometers, is the longest line of crags in North Germany. Geography Location The Ith is i ...
our current times, it's difficult to believe in the system." In approaching the character, Missick chose to not read the comics to avoid the expectations of fans, and instead focus on creating her version of the character. In the series, Knight has what Missick called a "superpower" referred to as 'Misty Vision' that allows her to look at a crime scene and deduce what happened.


Hernan "Shades" Alvarez

Hernan "Shades" Alvarez (portrayed by
Theo Rossi John Theodore Rossi (born June 4, 1975) is an American actor and producer. He portrayed Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz on the FX series '' Sons of Anarchy'' (2008–2014) and Hernan "Shades" Alvarez in '' Luke Cage'' (2016–2018). In 2024, he por ...
) is a relentless, menacing, smooth and manipulative, street smart criminal working for Diamondback with ties to Cage's past where they were inmates at Seagate Prison. By the end of season two, Shades is arrested for the murder of Candace Miller and Comanche. Rossi was announced as being cast as Shades in September 2015. Loeb called Shades "kind of the
Littlefinger Petyr Baelish, nicknamed Littlefinger, is a fictional character in the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game o ...
of ''Luke Cage''", "the ultimate opportunist". He wears sunglasses for most of the series, and used ''
Marvel's Daredevil ''Marvel's Daredevil'' is an American television series created by Drew Goddard for the streaming service Netflix, based on the Marvel Comics character Daredevil. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the fi ...
'' and
Charlie Cox Charlie Thomas Cox (born 15 December 1982) is an English-American actor. He is best-known for portraying Matt Murdock / Daredevil in seven projects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leading the television series '' Daredevil'' (2015–2018) a ...
's acting as research, since he could not use his eyes to act, similar to Cox as
Matt Murdock Daredevil is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with some input from Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Daredevil'' #1 (April 1964). ...
.


Willis Stryker / Diamondback

Willis Stryker (portrayed by Erik LaRay Harvey) is a powerful arms dealer who is Cage's half-brother and the one who framed him for the crime that sent him to Seagate Prison. He later has a showdown with Luke Cage outside of Pop's barbershop while sporting an exo-suit. Luke manages to defeat Diamondback, who is arrested by the police. Luke later tells Jessica Jones he had Stryker sent to the Raft. In March 2016, set photos revealed that Harvey had been cast as Stryker in the series. This was not officially announced by Marvel prior to the series' release, and Harvey agreed not to do any publicity for the show, to not "ruin the twist" of Stryker being the series' main villain. Harvey chose not to read the comics to learn more about the character in order to not "interfere with what we were trying to do and cloud my judgment," instead relying on Coker to develop the 2016 version of Stryker, including adjusting his backstory to be the half-brother of Carl Lucas. However, Coker did try to bring as much of the comics' version of the character to the series as he could, including adapting the character's comic costume into armor that allows Stryker to match Cage's super strength. Jared Kemp portrays a teenage Stryker. Harvey talked about the character's illegitimacy, saying, "My character had been called a bastard his whole life. How does that make a person operate? How would you feel if your childhood was illegitimized and ignored and swept under a rug? That's what drives Willis ... He gets sent away because of his father's actions and then once he's in the jail system, he just gets tortured. After all that, his mind's been twisted and warped, and he's developed this sensitivity that's almost psychopathic." Regarding the character's fighting style, Harvey worked with the series' fight coordinator to give Stryker "quick, really fast dabs and slithers" in his movement "because he's very elusive", given "Diamondback" is named after a species of snakes. The character is always seen smiling when killing or defaming Cage's name, which is "just his way of dealing with his pain. He smiles through his pain."


Claire Temple

Claire Temple (portrayed by
Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama '' Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include '' He Got Game'' (1998), '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in B ...
) is a nurse in Hell's Kitchen, whose friendship with Cage will affect both of their lives. In November 2015, Dawson was confirmed to be reprising her role of Temple from the previous Marvel Netflix series. "Because she plays a nurse that basically seems to be in the right place at the right time, and she's very good at helping out superheroes who are in need, and I think you will see some of that in ''Luke Cage''," said Colter. "Ultimately I think she's going to be a very good companion for Luke. I think she's someone that Luke needs in his life at this time."


Mariah Stokes-Dillard

Mariah Stokes-Dillard (portrayed by
Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard ( ; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Known for portraying strong-willed and dignified roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and three Scree ...
) is a local councilwoman, Stokes' cousin, and Tilda Johnson's mother looking to bring change to Harlem, whose life is "thrown into turmoil" by the actions of Cage and Stokes. By the end of season two, having embraced her birth name of Stokes, Mariah is arrested for her illegal activities secretly poisoned by Tilda in her jail cell and dies from the poison. In August 2015, Woodard, who portrays Miriam Sharpe in the MCU film '' Captain America: Civil War'', was in talks to join the cast, and the following month she was confirmed as a series regular, portraying Dillard, a different character. Woodard, who lives in Harlem, felt that the scripts for the episodes were some "of the smartest pieces of writing 'dever come across", and was convinced to join the project after Coker proved his love of Harlem and its culture. The series' version of the character is significantly different from the comics' Black Mariah, with her portrayed as not necessarily a criminal herself, though she does feel a responsibility to her family which includes Stokes. To pay homage to her origins, Coker wanted to give the character the nickname "Black Mariah", which Woodard agreed with if it was used sensitively. The nickname is ultimately used by Stokes as a personal insult from their past growing up together, in retaliation to Dillard verbally attacking him. Megan Miller portrays a young Dillard.


Tilda Johnson

Tilda Johnson (portrayed by
Gabrielle Dennis Gabrielle Dennis (born October 19, 1978) is an American actress and comedian, best known for starring in the sketch comedy HBO show '' A Black Lady Sketch Show''. Early life and education Dennis was born and raised in Cincinnati. She began stud ...
) is an holistic doctor who cannot stay out of trouble in Harlem. She is the daughter of Mariah Dillard as the result of one of her rapes at the hands of Pistol Pete. Dennis was announced as cast for the second season in July 2017.


John McIver / Bushmaster

John McIver (portrayed by
Mustafa Shakir Mustafa Shakir (born August 21, 1976) is an American actor known for his portrayal as Bushmaster in '' Marvel's Luke Cage'', Big Mike in ''The Deuce'' and Jet Black in ''Cowboy Bebop'' (2021). Biography and career Shakir was born in North Ca ...
) is a natural leader focused on Harlem and vengeance. He is the leader of the Yardies offshoot called the Stylers where he has a personal vendetta against the Stokes family for their double-crossing on his family. Using a drug called Nightshade, Bushmaster gets super-strength enough to go up against Luke Cage. By the end of the second season, Bushmaster is taken back to Jamaica with his uncle's corpse to recuperate and to assist his aunt into giving his uncle a proper funeral. Shakir was announced as cast for the second season in July 2017.


Colleen Wing

Colleen Wing (portrayed by
Jessica Henwick Jessica Yu-Li Henwick ( ;) is a British actress, writer, and director. She began her career in 2010 and is best known for her roles in ''Game of Thrones'' (2015–17), '' Iron Fist'' (2017–18), '' Love and Monsters'' (2020), ''Underwater (film ...
) is a former member of the Hand, Rand's lover, and the owner of a New York City dojo. Colleen helps Misty Knight by training her to fight with one arm. As she and Misty Knight are having drinks in the bar, they are attacked by Mr. Fish. Colleen takes out Mr. Fish's minions as Misty Knight defeats Mr. Fish. Colleen later assists Danny Rand into giving Misty Knight a robotic arm to replace the one that she lost.


Danny Rand / Iron Fist

Danny Rand / Iron Fist (portrayed by
Finn Jones Finn Jones (born Terence Jones; 24 March 1988) is an English actor known for his roles as Loras Tyrell in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2016) and Danny Rand / Iron Fist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe television shows '' Iron Fi ...
) is a billionaire
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
, co-CEO of Rand Enterprises, and martial arts expert with the ability to call upon the mystical power of the Iron Fist, who Luke partnered with during his investigation of the Hand during the events in '' The Defenders''. Danny Rand and Colleen Wing give Misty Knight a robotic arm to replace the one that she lost. He later helps Luke Cage in searching for Bushmaster.


Blake Tower

Blake Tower (portrayed by
Stephen Rider Stephen Rider (born September 25, 1979) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing Admiral Stephen W. Rochon in the film '' The Butler'' (2013), Eric Millworth in the ABC series '' Lucky 7'' (2014) and Blake Tower in th ...
) is a New York assistant district attorney. He was first seen outside Harlem's Paradise where Diamondback was holding hostages. In Season Two, he prosecuted against Mariah Dillard at her arraignment.


Recurring characters

The following is a list of guest characters that have recurring roles throughout the series. The characters are listed by the MCU media or season in which they first appeared.


Introduced in other TV series


Benjamin "Big Ben" Donovan

Benjamin "Big Ben" Donovan (portrayed by Danny Johnson as an adult, Chaundre Hall-Broomfield as a young man) is a lawyer known for representing high-profile criminals such as Stokes, Dillard and
Wilson Fisk The Kingpin (Wilson Grant Fisk) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #50 (cover-dated July 196 ...
. Johnson reprises his role from ''Daredevil''.


Introduced in season one


Rafael Scarfe

Rafael Scarfe (portrayed by
Frank Whaley Frank Joseph Whaley (born July 20, 1963) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, musician and comedian. His roles include Brett in ''Pulp Fiction'', Robby Krieger in ''The Doors'', Jim Dodge in '' Career Opportunities'', young Archie ...
) is a hard-nosed police detective at the NYPD's 29th Precinct and partner of Misty Knight who is on Stokes' payroll. After he was double-crossed and shot by Stokes, Rafael later died in Misty's arms. It was later revealed that he had a hand in the release of 30 criminals including Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton who he orchestrated the arrest on. Whaley's role as Scarfe was announced alongside the series' main cast in September 2015. The actor described Scarfe's relationship with Misty Knight as one with "a great deal of love and respect for each other", given that Scarfe "is Misty's mentor... hoshowed her the ropes. She had this raw talent that he, unlike other people on the force, nurtured". When Scarfe is revealed to be corrupt, he is also shown to have had a son who is now dead. Whaley said on this, "It gives the guy a certain amount of complexity ... he's a very conflicted guy and probably has a lot of issues coming into the show with some stuff in his past that led him down that road. I know that he's solid with his partner. I think he has a good heart." Whaley's portrayal of Scarfe's relationship with Misty Knight was not affected by the character's reveal of being on Stokes' payroll, as Whaley was not aware of it until an episode before it was revealed.


Bobby Fish

Bobby Fish (portrayed by
Ron Cephas Jones Ron Cephas Jones (; January 8, 1957 – August 19, 2023) was an American actor, best known for his role as William Hill in the drama series ''This Is Us'' (2016–2022), which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award; along with four consecutive ...
) is a local chess master and friend of Pop and Cage's.


Domingo Colon

Domingo Colon (portrayed by
Jacob Vargas Jacob Vargas is a Mexican-American actor, producer, and dancer. Early life Vargas was born in Michoacán, and raised in Pacoima, Los Angeles. He was raised in a devout Roman Catholic family. He attended high school at San Fernando High School ...
) is a gang leader from Spanish Harlem and business partner of Stokes and Dillard. He was killed by Diamondback.


Lonnie Wilson

Lonnie Wilson (portrayed by Darius Kaleb) is a young boy from Harlem. He meets Luke Cage, who looks out for Lonnie on the streets. Lonnie is taken into custody for questioning about Cage, and is given a brutal beating by Detective Dorsey. This leads to Lonnie's beating being spread through the media by a corrupted politician for their own benefit. He is a supporter of Luke Cage because he knows Cage is innocent of the crimes he has allegedly committed.


Connie Lin

Connie Lin (portrayed by Jade Wu) is one of the owners of the Genghis Connie's restaurant below Cage's apartment.


Candace Miller

Candace Miller (portrayed by Deborah Ayorinde) is a hostess at Harlem's Paradise who is paid by Mariah to falsely accuse Luke of Cottonmouth's murder. After Misty gets her to confess the truth, she is later killed by Shades following Luke Cage's fight with Diamondback.


Mark Bailey

Mark Bailey (portrayed by Justin Swain) is an NYPD officer at the NYPD's 29th Precinct focused on analytics. He becomes a partner and friend of Knight's. After Misty Knight lost her right arm during the fight with Bakuto, Mark was reassigned to Nandi Tyler until she was exposed for tipping off Bushmaster. Swain was cast as Bailey after a blind audition, and did not learn that the series was ''Luke Cage'' until later receiving an e-mail welcoming him to the MCU. The character of Bailey was originally going to have an introductory scene in the fifth episode establishing his relationship with Knight in the series, but the scene was ultimately cut. The script mentioned Bailey taking off his glasses in a scene, so Swain brought a pair of his wife's glasses to the set. During his first scene, Swain "was looking at something close through my wife's prescription and I started to get dizzy", and quickly took the glasses off, which "became this character thing that Bailey did. He would look up and quickly take off his glasses." Swain felt his character was original for the series, despite a similarly named character appearing in ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'' comics that Swain "search dpretty deep" to find.


Zip

Zip (portrayed by
Jaiden Kaine Jaiden Kaine is an American actor. He is known for his roles in ''Killing Lincoln (film), Killing Lincoln'' and ''The Vampire Diaries (TV series), The Vampire Diaries''. He has Cuban, Irish, and Antiguan ancestry. He was a member of the military ...
) is a gangster who provides muscle for Cottonmouth. Following Cottonmouth's death, Diamondback promotes Zip to be his secondary advisor, behind only Shades. After Diamondback and Shades have a falling out, Diamondback offers to make Zip his second-in-command if he kills Shades. Zip tries to strangle Shades in a freight elevator, but Shades fights back, grabs a gun, kills both of the men accompanying Zip. After getting Zip to confess to Diamondback's duplicity, Shades shoots him in the head.


Sugar

Sugar (portrayed by
Sean Ringgold Sean Ringgold, (born November 3, 1977) is an American actor and former bodyguard. He is best known for his role as Shaun Evans on the ABC daytime drama ''One Life to Live'', Junior on The Family Business and portraying Suge Knight in the Notori ...
) is one of Stokes' men. Following Cottonmouth's death, he went to work for Diamondback and Mariah Dillard. When Dillard began to spiral during her war with Bushmaster, he quit and went to Luke Cage where he now works for him.


Megan McLaren

Megan McLaren (portrayed by Dawn-Lyen Gardner) is a reporter for WJBP-TV.


Dave "D.W." Griffith

Dave "D.W." Griffith (portrayed by Jeremiah Richard Craft) is a young kid selling videos of superheroes in action.


Darius "Comanche" Jones

Darius "Comanche" Jones (portrayed by Thomas Q. Jones) is an inmate at Seagate Prison who worked for Rackham and was cellmates with Shades. After getting out, he rejoins his partner as one of Mariah Dillard's henchmen. Shades was later forced to kill Comanche when he found out that he was Tom Ridenhour's informant.


Noah Burstein

Noah Burstein (portrayed by
Michael Kostroff Michael Kostroff (born May 22, 1961) is an American actor. He appeared on the HBO program ''The Wire'' as defense attorney Maurice Levy. Kostroff starred in the fifth season of the series and appeared in all four earlier seasons as a guest star. ...
) is a doctor at Seagate that give Lucas his powers due to his experiments.


Thembi Wallace

Thembi Wallace (portrayed by Tijuana Ricks) is a news reporter.


Alex Wesley

Alex Wesley (portrayed by John Clarence Stewart) is Mariah Dillard's assistant. By the end of season two, Alex was among those who were killed to avoid testifying against Mariah. This led to Tilda working to poison her mother.


Priscilla Ridley

Priscilla Ridley (portrayed by Karen Pittman) is an inspector in the NYPD's 29th Precinct and former sorority sister of Mariah Dillard who Misty Knight answers to. In season two, Priscilla has been promoted to deputy police chief.


James Lucas

James Lucas (portrayed by an unknown actor in season one, Reg E. Cathey in season two) is a pastor and Luke Cage's father. The two have a strained relationship due to Cage's incarceration and his own adulterous affair with Dana Stryker.


Introduced in season two


Raymond "Piranha" Jones

Raymond "Piranha" Jones (portrayed by
Chaz Lamar Shepherd Chaz Lamar Shepherd is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his roles as Artis Tower in ''Me and the Boys (TV series), Me and the Boys'' (1994–1995), John Hamilton on ''7th Heaven (TV series), 7th Heaven'' (1996–2001 ...
) is a crime boss from wall-street who has ties to the Stokes and is obsessed with Luke Cage. He was later killed by Bushmaster who left his head in Mariah Dillard's fish tank filled with piranhas.


Sheldon

Sheldon (portrayed by
Kevin Mambo Kevin Mambo (born June 29, 1972) is a Zimbabwean-Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for his role on the CBS Daytime serial ''Guiding Light'' in the role of Marcus Williams, which won him two Daytime Emmys and for his role as Fela An ...
as an adult, Antwayne Eccleston as a young man) is Bushmaster's right-hand man and member of the Stylers. After Bushmaster is taken back to Jamaica with his uncle's corpse, Sheldon visits Pop's barbershop to let Luke know that Bushmaster has left and shows Luke some respect.


Stephanie Miller / "Billie"

Stephanie Miller (portrayed by Tarah Rodgers) is an escort hired by Mariah Dillard who renames her Billie in an effort to use her in her latest scheme.


Tom Ridenhour

Tom Ridenhour (portrayed by Peter Jay Fernandez) is a police captain and Misty Knight's new superior who does not approve of Cage's style of justice. He gained an informant in Comanche until he was killed by him when Shades was nearby.


Nandi Tyler

Nandi Tyler (portrayed by
Antonique Smith Antonique Smith (born August 11, 1983) is an American film, television and Broadway actress and Grammy Nominated singer. Life and career Smith was born in East Orange, New Jersey. She attended Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, New ...
) is a detective and longtime rival of Misty Knight. She is later arrested by Misty Knight and Priscilla Ridley after they discover that she had sided with Bushmaster.


Paul "Anansi" Mackintosh

Paul "Anansi" Mackintosh (portrayed by
Sahr Ngaujah Michael Sahr Ngaujah (born September 7, 1976) is an American theater actor and director. Not long after his parents arrival from Sierra Leone via UK, Sahr was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Within five years his family relocated to Atlanta. He spen ...
) is Bushmaster's uncle and a former criminal in his own right who runs a Jamaican bar called "Gwen's" which is named after his sister-in-law Gwen McIver. He is later killed by Mariah Dillard. The death of Paul causes Bushmaster and Ingrid to take him home to Jamaica to give him a proper funeral.


Ingrid Mackintosh

Ingrid Mackintosh (portrayed by Heather Alicia Simms) is Anansi's wife and Bushmaster's aunt who runs a Jamaican bar. She survived the massacre caused by Mariah Dillard and assists Bushmaster into taking Anansi's corpse back to Jamaica to give him a proper funeral.


Guest characters

The following is a supplementary list of guest stars that appear in lesser roles or make significant
cameo appearances A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking one ...
. The characters are listed by the MCU media or season in which they first appeared.


Introduced in other TV series

* Reva Connors (portrayed by
Parisa Fitz-Henley Parisa Fitz-Henley (born July 22, 1977) is a Jamaican-born American actress, best known for her role as Reva Connors in ''Jessica Jones'' and ''Luke Cage''. From 2017 to 2018, Fitz-Henley starred in the NBC drama '' Midnight, Texas''. Early life ...
; first appears in season one): Cage's deceased wife, who started out as a Seagate Prison therapist. *
Turk Barrett Turk Barrett is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted in stories featuring Daredevil, in which his inept schemes are played as comic relief. Barrett was a recurring ...
(portrayed by Rob Morgan; first appears in season one): An arms dealer. * Trish Walker (voiced by
Rachael Taylor Rachael May Taylor (born 11 July 1984) is an Australian actress and model. Her first lead role was in the Australian television series ''headLand'' (2005–2006) as Sasha Forbes. She then made the transition to Hollywood, appearing in films in ...
; first heard in season one): Jessica Jones' best friend who works as a radio host. * Franklin "Foggy" Nelson (portrayed by
Elden Henson Elden Henson (born Elden Ryan Ratliff, August 30, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Fulton Reed in '' The Mighty Ducks'' trilogy (1992–1996), Foggy Nelson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and Pollux in '' The Hunge ...
; first appears in season two): A lawyer at Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz who represents Luke Cage. * Hai-Qing Yang (portrayed by
Henry Yuk Henry Yuk is an American actor known for his roles on numerous television shows. Yuk has also frequently appeared in Broadway theatre, Broadway plays. The son of immigrants from Guangdong, Yuk was born and raised in Brooklyn. After graduating from ...
; first appears in season two): The leader of the Yangsi Gonshi that is an uneasy ally of Danny Rand.


Introduced in season one

* (portrayed by
Frankie Faison Frankie Russel Faison (born June 10, 1949) is an American actor known for his role as Deputy Commissioner, and, later, Commissioner, Ervin Burrell in the HBO series ''The Wire'', as Barney Matthews in the ''Hannibal Lecter'' franchise, and as Su ...
as an adult, Edwin Freeman as a young man): A reformed gangster and proprietor of Pop's Barbershop who is considered Harlem's father figure. He is killed by Tone. * (portrayed by Cassandra Freeman): Lonnie Wilson's mother and lawyer who is interested in Cage. * (portrayed by Brian "Sene" Marc): A local boy who gets caught up in crime. A key witness, he is killed by the corrupt detective Scarfe. * (portrayed by Clem Cheung): One of the owners of the Genghis Connie's restaurant. * (portrayed by Warner Miller): One of Stokes' men who led the attack on Pop's Barbershop. He is killed when Stokes throws him off the roof of Harlem's Paradise for what happened to Pop. * (portrayed by Chance Kelly): A corrupt guard at Seagate Prison who recruits Carl Lucas for the inmate fight ring. He is killed in the accident that gave Luke Cage his powers. * (portrayed by Craig Mums Grant): An inmate at Seagate Prison that Lucas befriends. He is killed offscreen on Rackham's orders. * (portrayed by Manny Pérez): A lieutenant in the NYPD's 29th Precinct who is on Stokes' payroll. * (portrayed by
Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...
): Claire Temple's mother. * (portrayed by
Sonja Sohn Sonja Denise Plack (' Williams), known professionally as Sonja Sohn, (born May 9, 1964) is an American actress, filmmaker, and activist, best known for portraying Baltimore detective Kima Greggs in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' (2002–2008). Sh ...
): A police captain in the NYPD's 29th Precinct who takes the fall for the exposure of the corruption in her precinct. * (portrayed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson): The grandmother of Cornell Stokes and Mariah Dillard, who lead the Stokes crime family when they were young. * (portrayed by
Curtiss Cook Curtiss Cook (born October 2, 1968) is an American character actor known for his roles in ''House of Cards'', ''Manifest'', ''Mayans M.C.'', ''Luke Cage'', '' Narcos'', and others. Early life and education Cook was born in Dayton, Ohio on Octob ...
): Mama Mabel's brother-in-law and right-hand who sexually abused Dillard when she was young. One of these activities led to Mariah giving birth to Tilda. Mabel forced Cornell to kill Pete. * (portrayed by Clark Jackson): Dillard's rival for the Harlem council. He was later kidnapped and killed by Diamondback. * (portrayed by Natalie Paul): Willis Stryker's mother. * (portrayed by Joniece Abbott-Pratt): Cage's mother and James' wife. Based on the comic character who first appeared in ''Cage'' #3 (June 1992). * (portrayed by PJ Marshall): A lieutenant of the Emergency Service Unit of the NYPD's 29th Precinct. * (portrayed by Andrew Pang): A detective of the NYPD's 29th Precinct.
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
makes a cameo appearance through an on-set photograph, the same seen in previous Marvel Netflix series. In '' Iron Fist'', Lee's character is identified as
NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
Captain Irving Forbush.
Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to prominence as a vocalist and bassist for the R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with h ...
, d-Nice,
Faith Evans Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as ...
, Charles Bradley,
Jidenna Jidenna Theodore Mobisson (born May 4, 1985), known mononymously as Jidenna, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He signed with Janelle Monáe's record label Wondaland Arts Society, an imprint of Epic Records to release his debut sing ...
, Dapper Dan,
The Delfonics The Delfonics were an American R&B/soul vocal group from Philadelphia. The Delfonics were most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include " La-La (Means I Love You)", " Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)", "Bre ...
, Cliff "Method Man" Smith,
Sway Calloway Jonathan Ahmad Calloway (born July 3, 1971), known as Sway, is an American radio personality, journalist and former rapper known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. He was an on-air reporter and host for MTV News and occasional non- ...
, Heather B.,
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings were an American funk and soul music, soul band signed to Daptone Records. They were part of a Retro-soul, revival movement of mid-1960s to mid-1970s style funk and soul music. They released their debut album Dap D ...
, and
Fab Five Freddy Fred Brathwaite (born August 31, 1959), more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American visual artist, filmmaker, and hip hop pioneer. He is considered one of the architects of the street art movement. Freddy emerged in New York's downtown ...
all appear as themselves.


Introduced in season two

* (portrayed by Otto Sanchez): A drug dealer covering as a furniture salesman who tries to buy Dillard's assets. He is later killed by Shades and Comanche. * (portrayed by
Dorian Missick Dorian Crossmond Missick (born January 15, 1976) is an American actor known for his role as Damian in the television series '' Six Degrees'' (2006) and for voicing Victor Vance in the 2006 video game '' Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories''. He ...
): A low level thug working under his employer Piranha Jones. He is later killed and beheaded by Bushmaster. * (portrayed by Michelle Beck): Cockroach Hamilton's girlfriend who suffers abuse at his hands. * (portrayed by Christopher King): Cockroach Hamilton's son who looks up to Luke Cage and tries to protect his mom. * (portrayed by Hakim Callender): A minor criminal who wants revenge on Misty Knight for imprisoning his brother Bill at Dannemora. * (portrayed by R.A. Guirand): An old friend of Bushmaster's who is incarcerated. Misty Knight goes to him for information. * (portrayed by Jeorge Watson): The CEO of Atreus Plastics and one of Mariah Dillard's "allies" who have been blackmailed by her to go ahead with the merger. He is later killed and beheaded by Bushmaster. * (portrayed by Los Jones): Shades' personal assistant. He is later killed and beheaded by Bushmaster. * (portrayed by Macc H. Plaise as an adult, Alex Allen as a young man): The leader of the Yardies and Miriah Dillard's rival who is killed by Bushmaster. * Detective (portrayed by Rey Lucas): A friend of Misty's working in Brooklyn who has information about Bushmaster and where he is from. * (portrayed by Carolyn Michelle Smith): A friend and adviser to Dillard who suggests that she reunite with her daughter Tilda. * (portrayed by LaTonya Borsay): Comanche's mother who mourns his death. She later despises Shades when she finds out that he is responsible for her son's death.. * (portrayed by Delissa Reynolds): A former prostitute, follower of Pistol Pete and inmate at Ryker's Prison who knew Dillard. She is killed by her. * (portrayed by
Annabella Sciorra Annabella Gloria Sciorra ( , ; born March 29, 1960) is an American actress. She came to prominence with her film debut in '' True Love'' (1989) and worked steadily throughout the 1990s in films such as ''Jungle Fever'' (1991), '' The Hard Way'' ...
): A criminal underworld "power player" with an agenda involving Harlem. Stan Lee makes another cameo this season as a flyer. Faith Evans, Joi & D-Nice, Gary Clark Jr.,
Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Aw ...
,
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (born January 19, 1999) is an American blues guitarist and singer from Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States, who became a well-known performer as a teenager. His debut album, '' Kingfish,'' was released in May 2019. ...
,
Ghostface Killah Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...
,
Stephen Marley Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (born April 20, 1972) is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother Damian ...
,
Jadakiss Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss (, ), is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed w ...
,
KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...
, and
Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim (), is an American rapper. He is one half of Golden age hip-hop, golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, with whom he released four albums: ''Paid in Full ...
all appear as themselves.


See also

* ''Daredevil'' cast and characters * ''Jessica Jones'' cast and characters * ''Iron Fist'' cast and characters * ''The Defenders'' cast and characters


Notes


References


Season 1

# # # # # # # # # # # # #


Season 2

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Luke Cage characters
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
Characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...
Luke Cage Lucas "Luke" Cage, born Carl Lucas and also known as Power Man, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr. in 1972, he was the first Af ...