Fans of the original lineup of Netflix Marvel series have had a lot to celebrate lately, after a cameo in the latest Spider-Man film, Charlie Cox is set to return to the MCU proper as Daredevil with a guest spot in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and his own series already on the Disney Plus docket. Many hope this presages a return for Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, but no one seems to be mentioning their fellow Defender, Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist.
While both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage’s respective Netflix series were met with a fair amount of fan enthusiasm, Iron Fist just couldn’t seem to match their momentum. Iron Fist received more negative fan response than any other Netflix series despite a small coterie of fans and has pretty much been voted the least likely to rejoin the MCU in any large capacity. But some fans are wondering if the show might be due for a reboot and recast. On Reddit User thinks he may have found the perfect candidate.
Redditor Mredmond has suggested that Finn Jones, who played the character in the Iron Fist solo series and The Defenders could be replaced by Bullet Train actor Andrew Koji. Koji, Who stars as The Father in the new action comedy series, is also known for his role as martial arts master Ah Sam in the Cinemax crime drama Warrior.
Koji may be exactly what the character needs to get a new lease on life in the Disney MCU. Marvel faced a fair amount of backlash over the role when Jones’ casting was first announced. Although Danny Rand has traditionally been a white American with a Caucasian background in the comics, many felt that the character, who appropriates many Asian martial arts traditions, would be better played by an Asian American. Although Koji is from the UK, he is biracial, with a Japanese father and an English mother.
Jones was also accused of being less than enthusiastic when it came to the original series’ rigorous training regime. Koji, who also portrayed the ninja Storm Shadow in 2021’s Snake Eyes is a student of both Tae Kwon Do and Shaolin Kung Fu and would likely find even a Marvel superhero workout regimen less than daunting.
The character reboot may be an idea whose time has come, given Daredevil’s impending return to continuity. With fans wanting to see a showdown between new hero Shang Chi and the other supposed master of martial arts in the MCU, it may only be a phase or two away.