It’s Not Perfect But Finn Jones as Iron Fist Is Working

In its first season, both Finn Jones as Iron Fist and the actual show left a lot to be desired. Even though it received a large amount of criticism, I actually enjoyed it. Sure, Danny Rand felt a little bit off. He whined far too much, seemed out of touch with reality and didn’t seem as “smart” as his comic book counterpart but all in all, I didn’t mind the show.

I did, however, walk away (to my bed each night) thinking that as compared to the other 4 shows (at the time) his felt a little forced and lackluster. When Daredevil arrived in his first season, the hopes were high and the show delivered. It was brutal, violent, and beautifully acted. Jessica Jones built upon this with her inaugural outing. It is, in my opinion at least, the best of the original seasons. That show, from its opening scarring first episode, is everything that a comic book adaptation can be. 

Luke Cage season one was impressive but nothing to write home about. Unlike Daredevil and Jessica Jones I didn’t go to bed each night trying to recover from what I had just watched. And then, to round out season ones, there was the already spoken about Iron Fist….

From there we got another Daredevil and the team up we had been waiting for. The Defenders was…ok. It was predictable, at times boring, and simply…ok. It most likely won’t get a second chance.

The Defenders

As I watched the show, I always felt as though the relationship between Luke and Danny felt forced. The two have a longstanding comic history together but for reasons that I may never truly understand, it didn’t translate well. It was like watching Famke Janssen and Hugh Jackman in the X-Men movies, minus the sexual “attraction”. It just felt off. At its conclusion, I believed that if Netflix and Marvel didn’t figure this out, Heroes For Hire had no chance of going into any sort of development. 

Boy how times have changed.

I’ve just finished the second season of Luke Cage, and while it masterfully built on everything that was laid out in season one, it had one shining point that stood out above all the others. No, it wasn’t an awe-inspiring appearance by this generations Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr. Nor was it the reminder of how good Alfre Woodard is as a villain. It was the truer to character appearance of Finn Jones’s, Iron Fist. 

In episode 10, Danny Rand comes to lend a much-needed hand to Luke. And for the better, the character had been altered from the critically panned version we saw in Iron Fist. This Danny is confident, wise, and very sure of who he is. He isn’t the whiny, rich and out of touch with reality warrior of K’un Lun that we saw in Iron Fist and the Defenders. Most important to him, it was finally believable that and he Luke Cage were friends. 

Actual friends.

Fanservice

I am a pretty big fan of Iron Fist and seeing this thrilled me more than the first time I ate a Poptart. This, while not perfect, was the Iron Fist the world wanted. This was the Iron Fist that I wanted. The two showed chemistry, fought enemies, had fun, and lived up to the hype that Heroes For Hire brings. When it was over I sighed a massive breath of relief. 

“Whew, Finn Jones as Iron Fist wasn’t perfect but it was definitely better.”

Before season one even came out, Marvel took a lot of flack for casting Finn Jones as Iron Fist. Finn Jones took a lot of flack for his acting and fighting abilities. And I took a lot of flack for actually liking the show. Hopefully, the flack stops after Luke Cage Season 2, Episode 10. I suppose that time will tell. However, with the second season of Iron Fist slated to be released this year, I find myself excited to see which version of Danny Rand appears. Hey, and maybe we will get that Heroes For Hire spin-off…

Cheers,

Joel

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