Summary
Iron Fistmay return to the MCU in a new Marvel Studios project, but the company is rumored to have plans that involve replacing Finn Jones' Danny Rand in a lead role.
Iron Fist joined Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and more in the line-up of Netflix’s Marvel Television shows, which built toward the characters coming together for theDefendersminiseries. Despite being created outside of Marvel Studios' canon, the shows were intentionally compatible with Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, performing well enough that Marvel Studios consideredintegrating the Defenders into the MCUafter they were all canceled following relatively short runs.
Despite the attention to MCU-related detail in the shows, it appeared thatMarvel Studios might have de-canonized Daredevil and Jessica Jonesalongside Luke Cage, The Punisher, and Iron Fist via omission from an official MCU timeline, leading to a lot of questions about when fans might see these fan favorites again. The wait for at least one of those heroes allegedly won’t be as long as fans might expect, as industry savantDaniel Richtmanhas revealed exclusively via his Patreon that Marvel Studios has put hands to work on a new Iron Fist project, bringing back one of the Netflix-era characters with a twist; instead of the Danny Rand version of Iron Fist portrayed by series lead Finn Jones, the upcoming project will be headlined by a female lead taking on the mantle. This news does not rule out Jones' involvement but signals that he won’t be in the lead role here, leaving room for another prominent role in the project.
Despitethe Netflix series having much that the MCU should keep, the company seems to have decided to consider new opportunities with the proposedIron Fistproject. While the character’s fanbase stems from the live-action series originally on Netflix, the format for the upcoming project isn’t confirmed by Richtman, who suggests that several possibilities are being thrown around behind the scenes, including a potential animated adaptation of the character. While it’s still only speculation, the fluidity in the Iron Fist project’s format might indicate that it won’t be closely tied toDaredevil: Born Again,the project that will serve as Charlie Cox’s transplant from his highly beloved Netflix series to the mainline MCU. Despite the assumption thatDaredevil: Born Againwould be the vehicle for all the other characters used on Netflix, that might not be the case any longer.
UnlikeDaredevil,Iron Fistwas not without its critics, with many fans instead seeingShang Chi as the quintessential Iron Fist adaptation, as the film was more in line with what fans expected from the series when it first started up. Despite many improvements inIron Fistseason 2, it is still clear why the brass at Marvel Studios doesn’t feel too attached to the previous series when crafting a place in the MCU for the character. The potential involvement of Jones in the upcoming project would be a win, as despite the show not taking off as intended, his embodiment of the character was not lacking. However, until an official announcement is made, fans can only speculate on what form theIron Fistproject will take.
Iron Fistis currently available for streaming on Disney Plus.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes, including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
