Luke Cage & Iron Fist - HEROES FOR HIRE movie thread

[Jordacar]

Superheroes that need movies NOW Case File #002: LUKE CAGE & IRON FIST: HEROES FOR HIRE

The comics:
Emerging during the simultaneous trends of 70’s blaxploitation and 70’s chop-socky, this hard-hitting duo remains two of Marvel’s most popular urban heroes.
A freak experiment in prison turns Luke Cage, a wrongly accused death-row inmate, into an indestructible one-man A-Team. Meanwhile, Iron Fist’s origin plays like a slightly more bonkers version of Batman’s, with less emphasis on expensive gadgets and more emphasis on mystical martial arts and magic cities called K’un-L’un in parallel dimensions. When the two finally teamed up in the late ‘70s, it was a classic mismatched pairing: Cage is a street-fighting ex-gang member raised in the ghettos of Harlem, while Iron Fist is a young, blonde, white, rich martial artist raised in another dimension.

The movies:
As you might’ve guessed by now, this is actually three movies. First up, the Iron Fist movie would be a slick and wild martial arts fantasy adventure. Cast someone like Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”) or Cam Gigandet (Never Back Down) as Danny Rand/Iron Fist and place a cool director with a martial arts pedigree like Corey Yuen or Ronny Yu at the helm. And please get Eisner award-winning writer Matt Fraction to script Iron Fist, especially after his recent championship run on Immortal Iron Fist. Follow that up with Luke Cage (or he could go first, it doesn’t make much difference) in a gritty urban thriller with a super-powered badass in the lead. Get John Singleton to direct (since he’s been preparing the movie for years, see below).
Marvel could make the two solo movies back-to-back and release them the same year or a year apart. Then a year or two after that, they could release the team-up movie, most likely sub-titled “Heroes for Hire.” Throw in little coda scenes at the end of each movie to establish their standing in the Marvel movie universe, and you’ve got the makings of a fantastic sub-franchise for some of Marvel’s lesser-known heroes.

Suggested directors: John Singleton (Four Brothers) for Luke Cage; Corey Yuen (The Transporter) or Ronny Yu (Jet Li’s Fearless) for Iron Fist; Justin Lin (Fast & Furious), F. Gary Gray (Law Abiding Citizen, The Italian Job), or Pierre Morel (Taken, Discrict B13) for the team-up

Could it happen?
John Singleton has been talking about making a Luke Cage movie since 2004, with Ben Ramsey penning the screenplay and Tyrese Gibson in the lead.
An Iron Fist movie was briefly in development years ago, with stuntman-turned-actor Ray Park in talks to star, but the project was repeatedly pushed back and placed on hold due to scheduling conflicts.
More recently, Marvel Entertainment has started plans to develop screenplays for their lesser-known characters like Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Iron Fist.

Since both characters have seen multiple false starts on their respective paths to the big screen, perhaps a change in tactics, such as working towards a team-up movie, could alter the fates of both characters sooner rather than later.

Thoughts?

 

[[A]]

dark text make dynamite users sad

 

[E-Man]

One thing that needs to happen is that they use the theme song from Black Belt Jones for the fight scenes. Can't you imagine Luke and Danny kicking ass to this?

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[Carlo Comicus]

The Ben Ramsey script was great.

 

[MadVillainy]

I actually like the idea of having the two films separate then crossing over. I really hope thats what actually happens

 

[cerealkiller182]

Id much rather see Iron Fist have his own movie based on Immortal Iron Fist with all the mythos. I can't really see Iron Fist battling Chosen Ones to save the universe and then returning to help Cage fight street-level rogues

 

[3dman27]

I actually like the idea of having the two films separate then crossing over. I really hope thats what actually happens

works for me

 

[Gabe99]

What happened to Lionsgate? They got the license to Iron Fist in 2004. Did they just give up on Marvel movies after The Punisher bombed?

From About.com March 2, 2004:

SANTA MONICA, CA, and NEW YORK, NY, March 2, 2004 - Lions Gate Entertainment, the premier independent filmed entertainment studio, and Marvel Enterprises, Inc. announced today that Lions Gate has been granted licenses to develop, produce and distribute theatrical film releases based upon two popular Marvel® properties - Iron Fist® and Black Widow®. The announcement was made by Lions Gate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer and Avi Arad, Chairman and CEO, Marvel Studios.

 

[3dman27]

i think paramounts contract with marvel supercedes it

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

I actually like the idea of having the two films separate then crossing over. I really hope thats what actually happens

Same here.

 

[Sebastos]

Iron Fist in his own movie is the way to go. There is so much that can be done from his series Immortal Iron Fist.

 

[Jordacar]

The Ben Ramsey script was great.

Know where I can find a script review? There was one on LatinoReview I think, but now it seems to be gone.

 

[MadVillainy]

Id much rather see Iron Fist have his own movie based on Immortal Iron Fist with all the mythos. I can't really see Iron Fist battling Chosen Ones to save the universe and then returning to help Cage fight street-level rogues

Its not saying that they wont have their own solo films as well

and as far as Iron Fist fighting Stree Level rogues: Is that what they did in the comics? When Luke Cage and Iron Fist teamed up who did they usually fight. I dont know that much about their team ups

 

[cerealkiller182]

Its not saying that they wont have their own solo films as well

and as far as Iron Fist fighting Stree Level rogues: Is that what they did in the comics? When Luke Cage and Iron Fist teamed up who did they usually fight. I dont know that much about their team ups

Iron Fist fought street level rogues before Immortal Iron Fist where he fought demons and interdimensional beings. If they make an Iron Fist movie than it should be based on IIF because that is where the best material is. If they follow up an interdimensional marital arts tournament featuring other Chosen Ones with Iron Fist fighting street thugs in what is essentially a buddy cop movie that would be incredibly anti-climatic.

This would be like Rambo taking on an entire village of abusive Burmese miliatry men practically single handedly than helping Axel Foley take down some rich banker who is insider-trading in the sequel.

 

[Sebastos]

Charlie Hunnam is the ideal choice for Iron Fist.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Charlie Hunnam is the ideal choice for Iron Fist.

agreed

 

[tamron]

The Ben Ramsey script was great.

Really? The reviews I read of it made it sound kinda hokey, more comedic than serious. I don't trust his track record either: The Big Hit, Love and a Bullet and Dragonball.

I did like the description of Cage's outfit, yellow and blue jumpsuit matching Timberlands and a heavy steel gauge chain on his neck.

 

[3dman27]

the chain ws luke's BELT not around his neck

 

[HugoStiglitz]

Since they ended up not using him for Green Hornet, they should get Stephen Chow to work on IRON FIST. Kung-Fu Hustle is an absolute classic!

Really like the idea of putting both of them in a movie together. Honestly wouldn't really need the solo movies first. Just jump right into the team-up flick. Sounds like it could be really cool!

 

[batdude]

Did this Ben Ramsey script actually have Iron Fist or was it just a Cage solo?

 

[Jordacar]

It was just Cage. Straight-up origin.

 

[Jordacar]

Y'know, I was thinking about Charlie Hunnam just now, and about how he's a brit but does a spot-on American accent. Then I thought, if Danny Rand was raised in Kun'Lun since he was a kid, wouldn't he have some kind of non-American accent? I know movies don't usually bother with details like this, but it might be an interesting way to make Danny seem like more of an outsider when he comes back to this realm in the team-up movie.

 

[E-Man]

Where can I read the Ben Ramsey script? I've heard about it for years, but now I'm interested to read it.

 

[QWoods]

Luke Cage - Terry Crews, Jamie Foxx, Henry Simmons, Kevin Grevioux
Iron Fist - Charlie Hunnam, Ray Park,
Misty Knight - Naomi Harris, Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union
Colleen Wing - Devon Aoki

 

[Jordacar]

What's the modern-day equivalent of Misty Night's 'fro?