Mike Colter has confirmed he’s in active discussions with Marvel Studios about returning as Luke Cage — and he’s not hedging anymore. Appearing on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum this week, Colter stated plainly that he’s spoken to Marvel, believes it’s “very, very likely” he’ll come back, and that the timing feels right. That’s the clearest language he’s used in seven years of questions. It also lands fifteen days before Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premieres on Disney+, which is not a coincidence.
The Last Defender Standing
Luke Cage has been the obvious missing piece in Marvel’s Defenders reunion for two years now. Daredevil came back first, in Born Again Season 1. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher returned alongside him. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones is confirmed for Born Again Season 2, premiering March 24 on Disney+. The sequence has been almost comically telegraphed — and Colter spent years being diplomatically noncommittal about whether he’d follow.
That changed in January 2026, when he told the On That Note podcast he’d had conversations and had “unfinished business” with the role. Then last month at Fan Expo Vancouver, The Direct pressed him directly: he confirmed the talks are ongoing and said a return “would be a shame not to happen.” The Inside of You appearance is the clearest signal yet. His last MCU appearance was Jessica Jones Season 3, in 2019. The character hasn’t disappeared entirely from the universe — Born Again Season 1 included a visible Harlem’s Paradise advertisement in a street scene — but Colter himself has been absent for seven years.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhat He Actually Wants
Here’s where it gets interesting. Colter isn’t just saying yes to any version of the character. He’s been specific about what he wants from a comeback: the moral complexity of running Harlem — having real neighborhood power and trying to do right without getting his hands dirty. “There’s very little difference between Wilson Fisk and Luke Cage,” he told The Direct. “They’re both, in some ways, crime lords. The difference is the intention.”
That’s not just an actor’s preference. It’s a direct line to one of the better Luke Cage storylines in the comics. In Devil’s Reign (2021), Chip Zdarsky’s Fisk uses his mayoralty to push the Powers Act — an anti-vigilante law criminalizing every hero in New York. Luke Cage runs against him. After Fisk’s fall, Cage wins the election and becomes Mayor of New York City.
Born Again has been building toward Fisk’s political collapse for two full seasons. Showrunner Dario Scardapane has confirmed that storyline ends with Season 2. The setup for Mayor Luke Cage is already on the table — the MCU just hasn’t pulled the trigger yet.
What We Know and What We Don’t
Colter confirmed his ideal return scenario is broad: Born Again Season 3, a new standalone Luke Cage series, or a Jessica Jones project are all options he’s open to. Season 3 is already confirmed and begins production later in 2026. The Punisher special — also tied to the street-level MCU — is set to air alongside Season 2, and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle appears in Spider-Man: Brand New Day this July. The street-level corner of the MCU is the busiest it’s been since the Netflix era.
What isn’t confirmed: a signed deal, a specific project, or a timeline. Colter’s comments are as close as you can get without an official announcement. Leakers DanielRPK and MyTimeToShineHello have separately indicated his return is planned, and both Colter and Iron Fist actor Finn Jones were spotted in New York during Born Again Season 2 production last year — though neither has been officially confirmed for the season.
The Real Question Now
Fifteen days until Born Again Season 2 drops. Season 3 starts filming this year. If Luke Cage is showing up in the immediate street-level MCU, the window is open right now — and the actor is clearly ready.
The real question isn’t whether Luke Cage is coming back. It’s whether he returns as the man still trying to protect Harlem, or the man running it.