Boy Crush: Mike Colter

BY: PROVOKR Staff

After his powerful and sexy (see clip) supporting role in the Netflix series Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter—who also made a memorable impression playing a drug kingpin on The Good Wife— is getting a spin-off superhero series of his own, Marvel’s Luke Cage (debuting September 30 on Netflix). That means Colter will be the first African American male to star as a leading man superhero. Set in Harlem, Luke Cage will delve into the superhero’s origin story—he’s an ex-con who’s wife was murdered and his powers include impenetrable skin and superhuman strength. Colter has described Cage as “a guy that has been thrust into a place that he doesn’t really want to be. He’s a guy who’s been endowed with abilities, as they say. He’s reluctant, and he’s the kind of guy who shies away from the spotlight…He doesn’t want any part of this. But ultimately, it’s something that he’s going to have to deal with. It’s perfect for me because I don’t really like the spotlight either.” Cage’s main focus is to take on New York City’s criminal underworld—and although the show promises to be gritty, realistic and provocative (the “N-word” even gets tossed around)—Colter is insistent that Cage be a positive role model.

“First and foremost, he’s a superhero, but we’ve got to define this superhero in a bigger sense than just his powers,” Colter has said. “He needs to be someone we can aspire to be, and I felt like, if he was the kind of guy that used [the “n-word’] all the time, like someone on the street corner who didn’t respect themself or the people around them, then he had lost. [Luke] wanted to be better than that. He’s trying to work on himself. He’s trying to change his path. So, when he does use it, it resonates because it’s out of frustration. At this point, he wants to unleash and retaliate with venom and hatred.”