Marvel's Iron Fist Netflix series details: Cast and release date; Finn Jones shares workout regimen for title role

By Abigail Briones, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, April 17, 2016

The casting announcement of Finn Jones as Danny Rand aka Iron Fist completes the Marvel lineup of heroes for a superhero team-up event of a group which will be known as The Defenders. However, before all that happens, Marvel and Netflix have first to get the series "Iron First" up and running. A few cast details have been confirmed, but no announcement has come out regarding the release of this upcoming series, which is a collaboration between Marvel Studios and ABC Studios for Netflix.

Jones, who plays Ser Loras Tyrell on "Game of Thrones," has been training rigorously for the role on a daily basis since being cast. He undergoes martial arts training, a combination of kung fu and wushu with some Tai chi. And that's only on his mornings. In the afternoon, he is occupied with weight training in order to achieve the physical bulk necessary to look the role. His evenings are filled with meditation classes and studying Buddhist philosophy.

Scott Buck described Rand as a complicated character. Danny Rand is a billionaire-turned-monk who is also an expert martial artist. The character storyline reveals that Rand is returning to New York City after being away for several years. He uses his abilities to fight crime in his city.

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Rand is an exceptional master of K'un L'un martial arts as well as a lot of Earth's, but his kung fu skills are not his only weapon. Rand is also able to channel his spiritual energy or chi and bring his physical and mental powers to bear through his fist, rendering it superhumanly power and immune to pain and injury, thus the term "Iron Fist."

Buck explains on Marvel why Jones is the choice to play the Iron Fist, "Finn is able to play all these levels in such an honest, revelatory way that as soon as I saw him I knew he was our Danny."

Another character was cast earlier this month, the female lead. She is from the "Game of Thrones" series as well. Jessica Henwick will play the role of Colleen Wing on "Iron Fist," a martial arts expert who runs her own dojo and will be an important ally of Iron Fist.

The latest addition is David Wenham who will play the role of Harold Meachum, Rand's parents' corporate partner at the time of their demise. He is a ruthless businessman, and his role in Rand's life will unfold when the series begins. Wenham plays a role in the upcoming "Lion" from Weinstein and in the Disney sequel "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."

In the original story from Marvel comics, Meachum had been one of the four who had gone to K'un L'un, the other three being the members of the Rand family, Danny's father, Wendell, mother, Heather, and Danny himself when a young boy. Meachum had betrayed Danny's parents by letting the elder Rand fall to his death, a plot to win his wife and take over their company. Danny and his mother escape, but Heather was attacked by wolves. And so, Danny alone makes it to K'un L'un, where he becomes skillful in all the martial arts taught there.

Another character, Jeri Hogarth, who has appeared in another Marvel series, "Jessica Jones," may eventually make it to Iron Fist as well and is played by Carrie Anne Moss, the lawyer who looks after the Rand fortune from the time of Danny's father's death.

Jessica Jones is another character of the four from The Defenders team. And eventually, it is seen that Hogarth, who is a male character in the comic book, will be the connection between the series and make the link to creating the Defenders series much easier.

Late last year, it had been reported that the series was given the working title of "Kick." However, its use has not been picked up, and neither has an official and final name for the series been announced. A release date is rumored to be not earlier than 2017, with the Marvel lineup full with "Daredevil" season two and "Luke Cage" (another superhero on the Defenders list) which premieres Sept. 30. But it may be some time in March or April of next year.

It has also been speculated that Danny Rand will be making his first appearance on "Luke Cage."