SummaryIntroduced in Marvel's Jessica Jones, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) gets his own show where he meets Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) again and deals with nightclub owner Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes (Mahershala Ali), politician Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard), former prison mate Shades (Theo Rossi) and a pair of detectives (Simone Missick and Frank Whale... Read More
Created By:Cheo Hodari Coker
Marvel's Luke Cage
Season 1 Premiere:
Sep 30, 2016
Metascore
Generally Favorable
74
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
My Score
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All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
74
84% Positive
36 Reviews
36 Reviews
16% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Oct 3, 2016
100
These shows are character studies. They are methodical and well-orchestrated. Both are a joy to watch and savor.
Jun 20, 2018
83
As season two unfolds, the show and its protagonist draw power from the past, both in confronting and embracing it. And in doing so, Luke Cage becomes the first Marvel show to not only best its first season, but also maintain most of the momentum (it’s not omnipotent, after all). The character and show regain a lot of their swagger.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
75% Positive
1027 Ratings
1027 Ratings
14% Mixed
196 Ratings
196 Ratings
10% Negative
140 Ratings
140 Ratings
Nov 23, 2021
10
I love this show. I like it too. I hope more like this come onto Netflix or Hulu.
May 20, 2025
8
Luke Cage is a show with personality, rhythm, charisma… and some contradictions. It’s not just another superhero story, and that’s part of its charm. From the first episode, it makes clear it wants to talk about power, identity, community. It does so from Harlem, proudly African-American, with a soundtrack that pulses with the story, and a protagonist who commands attention without raising his voice.Mike Colter fully inhabits the role of Cage, with an imposing presence. He doesn’t need to do much to feel powerful. But that’s also one of the series’ oddities: when you’ve got a character who can break down walls with one hand, it’s hard to believe some villains last so long or that some fights feel too balanced. Sometimes the script seems to stretch reality just to keep up tension, even if it means ignoring what Cage can actually do.Still, Luke Cage works because of much more than punches. The best parts are the conversations, the personal conflicts, the mix of noir, blaxploitation and street-level drama that makes it feel like no other Marvel-Netflix entry. There are episodes where you forget it’s about superheroes—and that’s not a flaw. In fact, that’s when it **** also improves over time. Season two fixes early mistakes, digs deeper into relationships and dares to go in less predictable directions. It’s not perfect—there are pacing issues and underused characters—but it knows what it wants to be, and tells its story with style.Another highlight is Harlem itself, almost a character on its own. The atmosphere, the culture, the music… it all builds a world with real identity. Probably the most coherent world-building in the Marvel-Netflix **** all villains live up to the challenge, it’s true. Sometimes you wonder why someone with Cage’s strength has to struggle so much. But if you go along with the ride, it all works.Luke Cage may not be Marvel’s most flawless series, but it has something that sticks. It’s entertaining, yes—but it also wants to matter. And in many ways, it does.
Sep 29, 2016
80
This isn’t a story show, it’s a vibe show, simply told but not simplistic, confident but not overbearing. It’s a pleasure to enter this world, a pleasure to watch these magnetic actors ping-ponging the dialogue, a pleasure to watch McGuigan’s camera float through Stokes’s nightclub, a pleasure to see Colter posed against skylines like an onyx god.
Jun 22, 2018
75
The show is, to be clear, worth admiring for the way it deeply cares about its ensemble and their journeys--Misty (Simone Missick) in particular is well-served with plenty to do. But that’s where most of the bloat lies: long scenes, with pretty quick emotional conclusions.
Oct 18, 2016
70
Overall, the show could have used a little tightening (it might be time to rethink the 13-episode model, which Daredevil's second season ought to have already proven), and episodes can lag a little bit in the middle, but it's an enjoyable ride.
Jun 15, 2018
63
[Luke Cage's] personal desires are in direct competition with his obligations as a celebrity and role model. The Netflix series struggles to coalesce those roles and present Cage as one coherent, if conflicted, person; instead, we see different iterations of the hero from episode to episode. It's a flaw that makes for a season of Luke Cage that's alternately bland and thrilling, formulaic and insightful--which is to say, as variable as Luke Cage himself.
Jun 20, 2018
50
Even beyond the imbalanced plot/time ratio, there's a flatness--and cheapness--to be found across the whole run. For every one dynamic scene, whether straight-up superhero action(*) or simply a moment involving many characters bouncing off each other at once, there are at least a half-dozen lifeless two-person conversations.
Mar 13, 2025
8
This Marvel show introduces us to Luke Cage and gives him the comic accurate origins of him getting chemicals on himself, leading to him getting his superhuman abilities and eventually becoming Power Man. The villains in the show help us understand that invulnerability and invincibility doesn't mean he cannot be defeated. It shows us what it takes and means to be a truly strong man.
Apr 10, 2026
6
Luke Cage is very mixed for me. I like the character, I liked some of the villains (Cottonmouth and Bushmaster), but season 1 is unfocused and season 2 is just a mess. Both seasons are a lot longer than they should've been. The filmmaking is surprisingly good at times, but it can't save the corny writing.
Apr 11, 2020
6
It has a plot that keeps you interested and does a good job at really making Luke Cage a hero. However the tone can be a bit too serious and dull. Every character acts very grave and it makes the dialogue and plot development between action scenes pretty boring.
Apr 30, 2021
5
La primera temporada me pareció interesante, pese a no ser una maravilla, y la segunda me pareció regulera, por lo que se queda en una serie pasable, con buenos toques, pero alargada hasta el máximo, y hace que se queme mucho la trama. En cuanto a interpretación muy bien, así como la música, pero en cuanto a personajes y demás tramas, peca mucho. Una pena.
Jun 3, 2021
1
Just a really bad show. Poor acting. Colter is wooden and uninteresting but not totally his fault. Even worse writing. The villains are written like someone hasn’t read a comic since the 60’s. I finished this show because I’m obsessive completionist, but it was grueling.
Production Company:
- ABC Studios
- Marvel Television
Initial Release Date:Sep 30, 2016
Number of seasons:2 Seasons
Rating:TV-MA
Awards
Black Reel Awards for Television
• 2 Wins & 11 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 4 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
