Top 10 Need To Know Facts about Marvel's Iron Fist

Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Daniel Rand, aka Iron Fist, debuted in “Marvel Premiere” #15. Like so many other great heroes, he was born of tragedy. Young Danny loses both his parents during a dangerous expedition to the land of K'un L'un, as a result of the treachery of his father’s business partner, Harold Meachum. Danny is subsequently taken under the wing of Lei Kung, the Thunderer, and trained in martial arts, eventually gaining the power of the Iron Fist - which allows him to focus his chi energy into a powerful punch.

After being introduced in his solo series, Iron Fist is set to join the Defenders. In the comics, however, Iron Fist wasn’t among the founding members of this superhero team. In fact, neither were Daredevil, Jessica Jones, or Luke Cage. Rather, the Defenders initially consisted of Doctor Strange, The Incredible Hulk, and Namor the Sub-Mariner. Meanwhile, Iron Fist and Luke Cage joined forces to create another superhero team, Heroes for Hire. Both Doctor Strange and the Hulk have gotten their own movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So the only one who’s really getting the shaft here is Namor, who should NOT be confused for Aquaman.

The part of Danny Rand was officially announced as going to English actor Finn Jones in March 2016. Before Rand was cast, however, numerous other actors were rumored to be in the running. In January 2015, actor/stuntman Alain Moussi posted an image of “The Immortal Iron Fist” on his Facebook, suggesting that he might be researching for the role. According to ComicBookMovie.com, Luke Bracey from the “Point Break” remake supposedly entered a comic book store and picked up an Immortal Iron Fist Omnibus, leading to much speculation. There was also a lot of talk surrounding Christian Howard from the fan film “Street Fighter: Legacy”.

Iron Fist made his comic debut just as the Kung Fu genre was taking off in America. Likewise, Luke Cage hit the scene when the Blaxploitation genre peaked in popularity. When the sales of their respective comics began to falter, Marvel paired these characters together in “Power Man and Iron Fist.” They formed the two-man team, Heroes For Hire, and the rest is history. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Luke Cage was introduced in “Jessica Jones” before appearing in his own series. Now Iron Fist is taking center stage in this show. With “The Defenders” drawing closer, it’s only a matter of time until these hard-hitting heroes once again share the small screen.

While starring as the titular character in a Marvel Netflix series is certainly a welcome addition to his resume, this isn’t exactly Jones’ first time being involved with a high profile production. Jones is already well-known for playing Loras Tyrell on “Game of Thrones.” Speaking of which, Iron Fist actually shares a fair deal in common with Loras, as both come from respected families and can hold their own in battle. Rand isn’t the only “Game of Thrones” alumnus however - Jessica Henwick stars as Colleen Wing, a fellow martial artist who becomes Iron Fist’s ally. You might recognize Henwick as Nymeria Sand, one of Prince Oberyn Martell’s bastard daughters.

On the big screen, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America all got their own standalone movies before assembling in “The Avengers.” Marvel and Netflix have followed a similar formula for “The Defenders,” which brings four of the small screen’s mightiest heroes together. It all started in 2015 with “Marvel’s Daredevil,” which became a runaway success. “Jessica Jones” debuted on Netflix that same year, followed by “Luke Cage” in 2016. Iron Fist is the final hero to make themselves known before 2017 premiere of “The Defenders”. Now if only we could get the Avengers to team up with the Defenders, we’d have the ultimate crossover of crossovers on our hands.

Speaking of crossovers, count on seeing a few familiar faces throughout “Iron Fist.” In “Jessica Jones” and “Daredevil,” Carrie-Anne Moss appeared as attorney Jeri Hogarth, a female version of Jeryn Hogarth. Jeryn made his debut in “Iron Fist” #6, eventually lending his services to the Heroes for Hire. Since these characters share an important connection in the comics, Moss plays a key role in “Iron Fist” as well. Rosario Dawson will also reprise her role as Claire Temple, a nurse with a habit of attracting superheroes. This makes Dawson the only actress that’s appeared in all four Netflix shows set in the MCU. Wai Ching Ho will also pop up as drug lord Madame Gao.

While nobody doubts Finn Jones’ acting abilities, various fans have criticized Marvel for casting him as Iron Fist. Although Danny Rand has always been Caucasian in the comics, some were hoping to see an actor of Asian descent in the role. Many believe that Marvel missed an opportunity to add a little more diversity to this franchise, accusing them of perpetuating the “white savior” trope. Chloe Bennet of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and Marvel writer Marjorie Liu have even expressed their disappointment with this casting choice. Regardless, showrunner Scott Buck has stood by this decision, stating, “Danny Rand is no white savior. He’s trying to save himself, if anything.”

As you might’ve noticed, Marvel tends to work lots of Easter eggs into their movies and shows, hinting at what’s to come. Marvel has seemingly been teasing Iron Fist’s arrival for awhile now. In Season 1 of “Daredevil,” Madame Gao sells a brand of heroine known as Steel Serpent, which shares the same name as one of Iron Fist’s main antagonists. The symbol on the drug packet additionally matches the one on Steel Serpent's chest. Because of this, it’s been speculated that Goa is actually Crane Mother, another enemy of Iron Fist. The Season 1 finale of “Luke Cage” also gave a nod to Iron Fist, as Claire passes a flyer for Colleen Wing’s self-defense class.

The first comic featuring Iron Fist was published in May 1974. Since Kung Fu movies and TV shows were all the rage in the 70s, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Iron Fist shares so much in common with other martial arts heroes of that era. In an interview with Alter Ego, co-creator Roy Thomas mentioned that the inspiration for Iron Fist actually came from a particular Kung Fu movie that “ had a thing called 'the ceremony of the Iron Fist' in it.” This love of classic Kung Fu cinema is clearly shared by the creative minds behind the “Iron Fist” TV series, as the episode titles are reportedly named after various Kung Fu moves.