Marvel's 'Luke Cage' Cast News, Update: Three New Cast Members Announced This Week
There's been a lot of casting updates pointing out to Marvel and Netflix's upcoming small screen offering, "Luke Cage." The recent of which confirms the addition of three names to add up the cast members' list.
A report from IGN.com said that "Pulp Fiction" star Frank Whaley is joining the series as Rafael Scarfe. The latter is said to be an associate with Misty Knight, whose role is played by "Ray Donovan" actress, Simone Missick.
The official series cast announcement lists Scarfe as "a hard-nosed NYPD detective" who partners with Knight. The latter was previously described by Marvel Head of TV, Jeph Loeb, as a "strong-willed cop on a mission" to unearth the truth behind Cage (Mike Colter).
"Sons of Anarchy" alum, Theo Rossi, is also confirmed to take on the role of the criminal Shades. Created by Archie Goodwin and George Tuska, the character in question is a convicted felon who, along with his partner in crime, Comanche, managed to free himself from prison. Outside, he stumbled upon a visor that enables him to shoot optic blasts.
"Theo Rossi is a swiss army knife," says executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker. "No matter what you bring to him, he has a tool for it–and he's playfully unpredictable. His Shades will be someone you hate to love."
Adding to the names is the "12 Years A Slave" actress Alfre Woodard who is cast as Mariah Dillard. The Emmy-winning star's alter-ego is officially described (via Superherohype.com) as a "local Harlem politician" who is "looking to bring a new era of change to the streets she grew up on."
Similar to the central villain in the Charlie Cox-led "Daredevil" series, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), Dillard's "personal life and professional career" are challenged with the presence of Luke Cage.
For the uninitiated, the titular character was once a subject of an experiment that has gone wrong. The accident gave him super strength and unbreakable skin which he consequently used to escape from prison of which he is not supposed to be with in the first place.
Doing heroic services for a fee, Cage soon becomes confronted with the bigger challenge of protecting his city, the modern day Harlem, New York, from the very people who destroyed his life.
Stay tuned for more updates.
