The official trailer for season two of the Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage was released today. Like its predecessor, the trailer indicates that this season will also have a heavy hip-hop inflection: It contains usage of rap classics “Ante Up” by M.O.P. and “I Ain’t No Joke” by Eric B. & Rakim. Additionally, the season two episode titles will be from songs by Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth (in season one, the producers used Gang Starr songs for the titles). According to the press release, this is the season two plot: “After clearing his name, Luke Cage has become a celebrity on the streets of Harlem with a reputation as bulletproof as his skin. But being so visible has only increased his need to protect the community and find the limits of who he can and can’t save. With the rise of a formidable new foe, Luke is forced to confront the fine line that separates a hero from a villain.

The season picks up after Marvel’s The Defenders and has new elements, such as a rival in John McIver. Played by Mustafa Shakir, the trailer indicates that McIver is stronger than Cage and that alone makes him formidable. The New York City neighborhood of Harlem remains the shows stomping grounds, complete with its hip-hop score. Also, I must note, with the ultra success of Black Panther, the series showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker has stepped up the pro-Black stances for this season. Mike Colter stars as Cage and Shakir as McIver, principal cast members include Simone Missick, Rosario Dawson, Alfre Woodard, Theo Rossi, and Gabrielle Dennis.

The season is set to premiere June 22, 2018. See the trailer below:
 

 

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