Veteran actress Alfre Woodard is the latest to join the Marvel family!
Up to this point, no one knew much about Marvel’s Luke Cage except that The Good Wife actor Mike Colter will play the title character on the show following an appearance in Marvel’s earlier Netflix series, Jessica Jones. But with the casting of popular actress Alfre Woodard, a new plot theory is emerging!
Marvel announced the casting by saying Woodard would play a character simply named Minetta, but Deadline has heard rumors that Alfre Woodard will play Black Mariah, a “professional criminal and drug dealer” who isn’t featured much in the comics but serves as a nemesis for both Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
Rumors will be rumors, but it’s the connection between the two characters that has us ready to believe. Marvel has a habit to introducing characters to the universe before the start of their individual shows or movies and Iron Fist will get his own show shortly after Luke Cage. Introducing Iron Fist in the midst of Luke Cage’s first season would only benefit Marvel’s cross-promotion tactics and a shared villain is the perfect reason.
In the comics, Black Mariah is a bit of an exaggeration, towering over many other characters and usually slapping a crew of young thugs into obedience.
If this is indeed the character Alfre Woodard is playing, she certainly won’t look like this. But more importantly, we’ll have to see where the actress takes the character’s disposition as she battles with Cage and probably Iron First.
Alfre Woodard has also starred on True Blood, The Last Ship, State of Affairs, and Desperate Housewives, among other numerous film and television roles.
Luke Cage is expected sometime in late 2016.