With Daredevil and Jessica Jones achieving great reviews, and Luke Cage on the way, you could have been forgiven for forgetting about Iron Fist, Marvel’s fourth series in the lead-up to the Defenders crossover. Well now, it seems like things have changed, as Scott Buck has been officially confirmed as showrunner, as reported on Comicbook.com.
As an executive producer on the likes of Dexter and Six Feet Under (and don’t forget Tremors 4: The Legend Begins), Buck has a wealth of experience on cutting-edge TV, which should stand him in good stead for Iron Fist. Incidentally, the show will tell the story of Danny Rand, who having returned to New York after being missing for a number of years, decides to start taking the fight to the city’s criminal element – with the aid of his own advanced kung fu skills and mastery of the Iron Fist. Think the special moves on Street Fighter, only cooler.
Although there are clear similarities with a number of characters (Batman and Daredevil, for a start), these familiar traits somehow serve to make Iron Fist more of a unique character, which according to Buck, was part of the attraction. “I’ve always been drawn to writing complex, intriguing characters… and that’s what most excites me about the opportunity to bring Danny Rand and Iron Fist to life.”
Iron Fist’s executive producer and head of Marvel television Jeph Loeb was similarly enthused: “Scott came in with a take on Iron Fist that quite simply knocked us off our feet… We always look for the most creative minds in the field to help us bring our heroes to life, and with Scott we’ve found someone that can deliver yet another great series in the ongoing story of The Defenders.”
With this news, it looks like things are coming together for Iron Fist at last. Colour us excited.
Iron Fist will air on Netflix in late 2016/early 2017. You can find out more about the character and the comics that inspired him by picking up the latest edition of 100 All-Time Greatest Comics.
