Luke Cage's Mike Colter saw cancellation coming: 'I had a feeling'

While fans of Netflix’s Luke Cage television series are still mourning the cancellation of the show (and the whole Marvel TV lineup on the streamer), actor Mike Colter told SYFY WIRE that he saw the writing on the wall for the series and is at peace with it.

At the Television Critics Association press day on Thursday to promote his leading role in the upcoming CBS drama Evil, Colter said he read the silence regarding Season 3’s production for what it was.

“I probably had a little more intel about it because the delays and the postponement of our starting was becoming habitual, and I had a feeling,” the actor said. “While that was happening I was doing a lot of projects and working. But I’m the kind of person that never counts their chickens before they’re hatched. Everyone thought [Luke Cage] was a guaranteed success and would just be picked up. And we were internally picked up, for everyone at Netflix and Marvel, it was a foregone conclusion. But again, I am always pragmatic. Until I am on set and I’m filming, I don’t believe anything, so [the cancellation] didn’t catch me completely off guard. I was focused on my family, and my daughter was just born.”

Colter confirmed that Season 3 got as far along as scripts being approved before everything was shut down.

As to where the series left off, Colter said, “It’s unfortunate, but I feel like we left people wanting more, as opposed to staying too long.” There is much to be sorted out — with the Disney acquisition of Hulu and the start of their bespoke streaming service, Disney+, any Marvel TV series that originated on Netflix may not have a future, even in the very long run. Colter said his participation would fully depend on the creative decisions shared with him about Luke Cage’s next steps. “I would really need to see where he’s going and what the storyline is,” Colter said about his future interest in reprising the role, should it ever come up.

“Everyone has questions of where he was going to go in Season 3. As an actor, we’re always looking to do different things. As long as you are gainfully employed and doing something that stimulates you, you’re not looking in the rear-view mirror trying to figure out what else you could be doing with a character you already played. I’m more concerned with the future than the past. I’m always open to doing something again, but Marvel could recast or do anything they want with the character, as is their right."

A strong attitude to take for the ex-hero, and who knows — with the Disney domination in full swing, even Luke Cage may once again save citizens on the small screen.