Marvel has announced that Misty Knight, Shades, Rafael Scarfe and Claire Temple will join Luke Cage’s Harlem in the Netflix series.
Simone Missick will play Misty Knight in Luke Cage, who is described as a Harlem police detective determined to learn the truth about the titular hero.
In comics, Misty Knight is a former police officer who gains superhuman strength after Tony Stark gives her a bionic arm to replace the one she lost in the line of duty. She eventually partnered with Colleen Wing, and the pair often teamed up with Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
Shades, a criminal with ties to Cage’s mysterious past, will be played by Sons of Anarchy actor Theo Rossi.
“Theo Rossi is a Swiss army knife — no matter what you bring to him, he has a tool for it — and he’s playfully unpredictable,” series show runner and executive producer Cheo Hodari Coker told Marvel. “His Shades will be someone you hate to love.”
Frank Whaley will play Rafael Scarfe, a New York Police Detective and Misty Knight’s partner in their Luke Cage investigation.
In addition to these new faces, Rosario Dawson will reprise her “Daredevil” role as Claire Temple in the series. The announcement explains how “her blossoming friendship with Luke Cage will have a major impact on both characters’ lives.”
This news follows the announcement that Alfre Woodard has signed on to “Luke Cage” to play Mariah Dillard, a local Harlem politician and cousin of Cage’s arch-rival Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (who will be played by Mahershala Ali).
Luke Cage will follow Cage after a sabotaged experiment leaves him with special powers, including enhanced strength and unbreakable skin. A fugitive, Cage is trying to rebuild his life in Harlem before having to confront his past. Mike Colter will play the titular character, who will first make his appearance on Jessica Jones.
The series is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in 2016.
