Netflix’s sixMarvel Cinematic Universeshows are now available to stream on Disney+. These shows chronicle the stories of theMCU’s four Defenders: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, as well as the Punisher.Iron Fiststars Finn Jones, ofGame of Thronesfame, as the titular martial arts master for the two-season-long series.
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The character of Iron Fist, also known as Danny Rand, has a long history in Marvel Comics. He and Luke Cage are part of a superhero team known as the Heroes for Hire. Diehard fans of these characters from the comics will be delighted to watch the show, which features these memorable references to comic book lore.
8The World Post-Battle Of New York
The MCU Netflix shows take place inthe aftermath of 2012’sThe Avengers. As a result, they tie in to the events of that movie, particularly in their portrayal of average day New Yorkers recovering from the climactic Battle of New York. Several moments inIron Fistmake references to the characters who defended Earth from Loki’s alien army.
At one point in the series, Danny’s fighting goes viral on the Internet, causing someone to exclaim to him: “You have more YouTube views than that incredible green guy!” This is an obvious reference to the Hulk, who appeared inThe Avengers. The Battle of New York is also subtly referenced by several characters as an unnamed “incident.”
7A Private Eye’s Reputation
The most frequent references inIron Fistinvolve the characters from Netflix’s other MCU shows. One references alludes to the existence of Jessica Jones prior to her meeting with Danny Rand in theDefendersseries. It happens in Episode 8 of Season 1, when Jessica Stroup’s Joy Meachum presents findings on her fellow Rand Enterprises board members.
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Joy claims that she discovered this dirt through the help of a private detective, who “was worth every penny, when she was sober.” Though it’s not clearly stated,this may be an allusion to Jessica Jones, who struggles with alcoholism as a result of her PTSD. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t even the most obvious reference to a Defender inIron Fist…
6Luke Cage’s Catchphrase
The existence of Danny Rand’s future Heroes for Hire teammate is hinted at several timesthroughout the course of the first season. The most obvious one happens when Claire Temple exclaims Cage’s catchphrase, “Sweet Christmas!” during a chase sequence with Danny. Temple is also the key to another significant reference to Power Man in the show.
At one point, Danny finds himself at Claire Temple’s apartment recovering from an encounter with The Hand. Claire gives him a t-shirt, claiming “a friend of [hers] left it here.” Given that the shirt is filled with bullet holes, viewers can assume it belonged to Cage, especially when Claire alludes to the friend still being alive.
5The Night Nurse Returns
Of course, the appearance of Claire Temple at all is a significant Easter egg for fans of the Netflix MCU shows. Portrayed by Rosario Dawson, the character is a composite of two comic book characters: Luke Cage’s love interest Claire Temple, and Night Nurse, an aid to injured superheroes. However, her role in the shows is bigger than her comic counterparts.
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Temple first appearedin the first season ofDaredevil, and subsequently cameoed in all of Marvel’s Netflix series, includingIron Fist. She meets Danny through Colleen Wing, his love interest and companion through most of the series. Dawson acts as the Stan Lee of the Netflix MCU, aside from one brief cameo of the comic creator on a poster in the show.
4A Future Daughter Of The Dragon
Jessica Henwick,anotherGame of Thronesalumni, portrays Colleen Wing inIron Fist. In the show, she runs a martial arts dojo who assists Danny in tracking down The Hand. However, the character has much deeper roots in the comics, becoming one half of the crime-fighting duo known as the Daughters of the Dragon.
The other Daughter of the Dragon is Misty Knight, a character who appears inLuke Cage. While Wing and Knight work separately during their introductions, the two later meet and become allies inThe Defenders. Misty later appears as a fully-fledged ally of Danny and Colleen in the second season ofIron Fist.
3A Vintage Iron Fist Look
Episode 10 ofIron Fistfeatures a long-awaited appearance of the classic superhero’s outfit. Early in the episode, Danny confronts one of the leaders of The Hand, known as Bakuto. However, Bakuto has an offer for Danny to join him in his plan to rid the world of evil corporations, showing him grainy video footage from 1948.
In the footage, an older iteration of Iron Fist single-handedly defeats an army of Chinese soldiers. In this brief appearance, the Iron Fist wears a bandana that’svery reminiscent of his classic comic outfit. For fans who want a clearer picture of Danny donning a similar outfit, they’ll unfortunately have to wait until Season 2.
2The Modern Iron Fist Look
Season 2 ofIron Fistsees Danny finally don the iconic Iron Fist bandana over his face. The look was first revealed in a trailer for the series that premiered at Comic-Con, depicting a fight between Danny and Davos. This fight, in the series, is revealed to be a climactic battle between the two years before the events of the first season took place.
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Danny and Davos both don the mask for a ceremonial fight in K’un Lun, the city where Danny was raised following his plane crash. It was during this fight that Danny earned the title of Iron Fist, sparking Davos’s hatred of him throughout the series. The closest Danny gets to this mask elsewhere is through a face covering he wears when he fights crime.
1An 80s Comic Throwback
One particular Easter egg may not be for Marvel fans particularly, but it definitely ties to the series' comic book origins. The scene takes place in the sixth episode of Season 1, when the servant of The Hand known as Scythe massacres a room full of Yakuza members. Surrounded by corpses, Scythe sings along toa particular 80s radio hit.
In a display of Scythe’s sociopathy, he dances and performs “Take On Me” by A-ha. Famously, the music video for “Take On Me” features a woman who is transported into the world of a comic book. Not only is this a neat reference toIron Fist’s status as a comic book adaptation, but it’s also a sinister display of one of the show’s most cruel villains.
Iron Fistis available to stream on Disney+.
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