2) When Are The Netflix Shows Set?
It’s not specific to Luke Cage, but all the references to The Incident (AKA the Chitauri invasion seen in The Avengers) got us thinking about when these Netflix shows are set within the wider scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Clearly, they’re all taking place soon after one another. At the beginning of Luke Cage, for instance, Luke has only recently come to Pop after leaving Hell’s Kitchen. Throughout any of these series, however, no one has referenced any other seismic event that occurred after The Incident (e.g. Sokovia, Greenwich or the Accords).
[zergpaid]It’s a theory held by many fans, then, that the Netflix shows are all set in between The Avengers and the start of Marvel’s Phase Two (or at least, sometime within that Phase). This would explain why New York is still reeling from the alien invasion and why things like the superhero registration act have never been discussed.
It would also account for why it’s so difficult for the TV characters to cross over with the movies.
1) When Will Season 2 Arrive?
The question we want to know the answer to the most, however, is when Luke Cage season 2 will arrive. Though Netflix have not officially confirmed a return, Marvel are clearly quite confident that it will get one, what with all the loose ends that season 1’s finale leaves open. On the downside, it might not be for a while yet.
Currently, Marvel are releasing two seasons on Netflix a year. In 2017, these will be Iron Fist and The Defenders. In 2018, even if they bump it up to three a year, they already have Daredevil season 3, Jessica Jones season 2 and The Punisher spinoff to deal with first. It seems likely, then, that a second run for Luke Cage won’t arrive until at least 2019. Sweet Christmas, that’s a long time off!
Knowing the interconnectivity of the series, though, Luke himself may well appear many times before then – certainly in The Defenders and quite possibly in Jessica Jones and Iron Fist as well (the duo are best friends in the comics). However long it takes, rest assured – Luke Cage will return.