RUMOR: Marvel Bringing Back Iron Fist with Female Lead

Television

Iron Fist may be getting a makeover. According to a report from insider Daniel Richtman (via ComicBookMovie.com), Marvel is planning to resurrect the Netflix series Iron Fist, but with Finn Jones’ Danny Rand in a limited role and a woman as the new Iron Fist. This would seem to dovetail a bit with the way the final season ended, with Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing replacing Danny as Iron Fist (although it also jumped forward in time and showed Danny somehow having two iron fists, so who knows what the actual plan was), but the Iron Fist in the revival may not be Colleen either. The new Iron Fist may also be animated, as rumors have the series Eyes of Wakanda revealing the character. This is all rumor at the moment, but Marvel is bringing back Daredevil, which is set to feature the Punisher and may include Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, so it’s possible Marvel’s whole Netflix slate is making a comeback – sort of, in this case.

Twitter is awash with apologists moaning that people are going to invoke the “M-She-U” moniker and South Park’s “Put a chick in it; make her gay” parody, but good God, can you blame them? This is the only card Disney knows how to play anymore, and it’ll be even more conspicuous if the new Iron Fist isn’t even Colleen. At least you can argue that Colleen taking over was set up – and boy, was it set up. The entire second half of season 2 was about transferring the iron fist to Colleen, and it not only cheapened her by turning her into a discount version of Iron Fist but it saddled the best character on the show with a boring, dragged-out storyline. And the final moments of the series virtually undid it anyway by showing Danny Rand with two iron fists. Now, they may have yet another woman replacing Danny? The answer to their problem is the same one they should’ve used on Netflix: write Danny better. But Marvel isn’t in that business anymore, so get set for another dud of show you’ll be required to like if it pans out.