Eric Thomas Wilson Stars in Excellent Luke Cage Short
MovieWeb found the following Luke Cage short with actor Eric Thomas Wilson featured in the title role.
"I have been wronged. I paid a debt that should have never been collected. Fraud, theft, murder - I am guilty. But guilt can never suage the cold steel cut of betrayal. And I bleed, locked away in the depths of impotent rage. I did something extreme. I am a changed man. Sweet Christmas."
The 2:30 video is well done and the very muscular Wilson looks like a top contender for the role of Luke Cage. I'd say the video is enough to deserve a screen test from Marvel Studios.
Many actors, from Rampage Jackson to Tyrese Gibson to Isaiah Mustafa, have made appeals or had talks with Marvel over the coveted role.
Rampage Jackson Had Meeting with Marvel Over Luke Cage
Rampage Jackson talked on the Down the Road Show podcast where he revealed that he met with Marvel a while ago and that he would love to play Luke Cage.
"Well, it's kinda crazy, I had a meeting with Marvel a long time ago about... I don't know if I'm allowed to say," said Jackson. "I would love to play Luke Cage. I think I would be a perfect Luke Cage."
Jackson also shares his knowledge of character knowing that Iron Fist and Luke Cage "go together." He ended his pledge with "I think that I would be a very believable Luke Cage."
Rampage Jackson, whose real names is Quinton, appeared in The A-Team as B.A. Baracus and has been a UFC fighter since 2007 where he was the Light Heavyweight champion.
Tyrese Gibson Urges Marvel to Make Luke Cage
I am Rogue talked to Tyrese Gibson about making Luke Cage and about John Singleton who was also attached to the project.
"I've been interested in that project and have been keeping my eyes on it for years," Gibson said. "Marvel just has to make Luke Cage a priority. Marvel has to make this movie a priority man. Everybody wants to see Luke Cage. The fans have been talking about it forever. They have to do it for the fans. I see what they are doing with Green Lantern and all these other films, that's great but they need to step it up on Luke Cage."
Gibson continued, "It's time to get this thing going and I'm ready. I got my headband ready, my muscles are ready, and I'm ready for Luke Cage. Marvel has to get ready. Marvel has to step it up and get this movie written and done so that we can go into production on it. The time is now."
When asked about director John Singleton, Gibson said he would still like to work with the Four Brothers director. "Oh absolutely I hope John directs it. But John has to still be excited about it too if you know what I mean. Its like so many years have gone by and everybody is kind of in a different place right now."
Gibson said he relates to Luke Cage on a personal level and his background. "I just relate to his strength as a leading man with the history that he has. I like his story, the layers. It's his character. It's not just blowing up sh** and fighting people, you know? I can relate to that guy a lot."
As a final pledge, Tyrese closed with "Here is my message to Marvel. Make Luke Cage a priority! The fans are waiting. It's time to do this, and the time is now!"
Gibson has been linked since 2008 and said that the script was being tweaked at the time.
Isaiah Mustafa Has Talked Luke Cage With Marvel
Superhero Hype talked to Isaiah Mustafa, aka the Old Spice Guy, who is petitioning Marvel for the role of Luke Cage.
Did I read somewhere that you're a big comic book fan?
Yeah, I'm a huge comic book fan!
How deep into it are you and for how long?
How deep down the rabbit hole would you like to go? [Laughs] For how long? Since 1980 - since I could read, six years old.
Are you trying to get meetings with Marvel?
I've already had a meeting with Marvel. I talked to them and I told them that I was a gracious reader of their comics and that I wanted to be Luke Cage. So we'll see where they take it.
We see it, but why Luke Cage? There are a handful of heroes over there that you might be also right for, but why him in particular?
When you say "handful" you're not joking around, but it's because what's going on with him right now in the Marvel Universe. I think all their [early black] characters were these Blaxploitation characters - these jokey, clownish characters - but now they've really developed the African-American characters. Luke Cage has a lot going on. He's this man, he's got all these powers and abilities and he can use them to save whatever major city, but instead of doing that he uses them to help Harlem. He wants to fix his neighborhood, and that's what's so admirable to me. Instead of leaving and going someplace bigger, he stays right where he needs to be and tries to do the best that they can.
Does Marvel currently have something actively cooking for Luke Cage, or are you trying to help them get a film off the ground?
They have something in mind, I think, and I definitely want them to see that I'm extremely passionate about it. I'm extremely passionate about being that character. I will do anything to get that role. It strikes me. It's very personal to me. I hold onto it. It's something that I desire more than just about anything that I can think of right now, as far as work goes.
Is there anything over at DC?
I mean, you have to pick what team you're on, and I don't want to say that I'm not a DC guy, but I definitely grew up a Marvel maniac. That's what I read all the time. I don't want to say that I don't like Superman, Batman, Aquaman, all those guys in the Justice League. I think they're all great, but my attention kind of goes towards "The Avengers" and "The New Avengers," "The Secret Avengers" and everything that they're doing now at Marvel I like.
Do you still have your entire comic book collection, from when you were a kid to now?
I do. They're in storage and I don't read them. I need to go and take a look at them, but I have all my comic books. The problem is that they take up space now. Now that you have an iPad, you can download these comics on your iPad. You just need to get the ones that they have, and their selection is limited. That's the only drawback.
I'm going to have change apartments soon because my comic book collection has gotten so out of control.
Yeah! At one point in time I had I-don't-know-how-many of those long boxes - I think it was just under ten long boxes. I was well into the teens with the short ones. Then after a while there were shoeboxes full of different comics. I have tons of them. To go through them is pointless, to change the bags on them is pointless because what happens is that you get three into it and you go, 'Oh, yeah,' and you start reading. Then you can never finish doing it. It's always a labor of love, like, 'I could go do this or that - but damn it!'
Check out Mustafa's video petition from last year and you'll give the Old Spice Guy a really good chance to put on the yellow shirt. I really like his passion for the character and what he has to say about Luke Cage aka Power Man. Personally, I want to see a Luke Cage movie from Marvel Studios and what they can do with a smaller character that not many people have heard of. Marvel has plenty of really great material with Luke Cage's comic history which has the potential to be a Blade type of franchise with a trilogy of films.
I'm rooting for Mustafa at this point, though Tyrese Gibson is doing well coming off the Transformers' trilogy and could be the bigger name that Marvel needs.
Elba Mentions Luke Cage and Blade
October 5, 2010MarvelBlade 4, Luke Cage, Thor
Total Film talked to Idris Elba, who has a role in Thor and just signed a picture deal to appear in other Marvel productions.
In Thor, Elba will play the supporting role of Heimdall, Guardian of Asgard. "It was great to work with (Director) Kenneth (Branagh) and the Marvel team, very dedicated guys, amazingly detailed, very clever. It's going to be a big film for Marvel next year, and Kenneth Branagh has definitely put his stamp on it."
Elba also said he will have an ongoing relationship with Marvel. "I have a picture deal with them. I can't tell you much about that, but I can tell you I'll be back."
Samuel L. Jackson signed a picture deal with Marvel to appear as Nick Fury in nine films.
When asked about which characters he'd like to play, Elba said "I wouldn't mind having a crack at bringing Blade back, personally But erm, there's a couple of things there that they have - Luke Cage is very interesting."
Update: Elba will appear in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance as an alcoholic warrior monk tasked with finding the title character.
Old Spice Man Appeals for Luke Cage
Isaiah Mustafa aka the Old Spice man has posted a video petition on YouTube for the role of Luke Cage.
"Casey Matthis said Look at Iron Fist. Now back to me. Now back to Iron Fist. Now back to me. A puffy yellow shirt and a silver tiara. Casey, this isn't 1972. A lot has changed since the first time we were introduced to the Man of Power. For instance, the man with the eyepatch has gotten a bit more tan since 1972 in case you didn't notice. Not to mention, the Captain died and the large green man hasn't been portrayed well on screen since a former Mr. Olympia painted his screen green and warned Mr. McGree about making him angry. But I digress, I agree, I would be great for that role, and luckily, I'm for hire."
I love all the comic references that Mustafa puts into the 41 second video.
- Luke Cage's costume when he first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972). The character, created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., wore a yellow shirt along with silver arm bands and a silver headband.
- "The man with the eyepatch" refers to Nick Fury who is now portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson on screen and looks very similar to the actor in the comics.
- Captain America's death in Captain America #25 (March 2007) where Steve Rogers was shot to death.
- Mustafa references Lou Ferrigno in the 1978 TV series, the Incredible Hulk where reporter Jack McGree, played by Jack Colvin, followed Bixby's Banner from town to town.
- "I'm for hire" refers to the Luke Cage tagline, "Hero for Hire" and also to the team-up of Luke Cage and Iron Fist known as "Heroes for Hire."
Isaiah Mustafa is best known for his role in the Old Spice commercials where he says, "Look at your man, now back to me, now back to your man, now back to me." His other roles include small parts in television series Days of Our Lives, Castle, NCIS: Los Angeles, Eli Stone, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Ugly Betty.
Actor in Talks for Luke Cage?
Hero Complex, a Los Angeles Times blog, posted a small blurb about an actor being in preliminary talks for Luke Cage.
Speaking of Luke Cage, a.k.a. Power Man, I hear that there's more talk underway about putting the urban hero into his own film and that a notable Hollywood star is now having (very) preliminary talks with Marvel Studios about the property and its potential.
The character, created by Archie Goodwin and John Romita Sr., has frequently been teamed with Iron Fist in the comics. The heroes come from different backgrounds, with Luke Cage being a blaxploitation hero while Iron Fist is a kung-fu master.
Several actors have been connected to Luke Cage including Brian J. White and Tyrese Gibson. Director John Singleton and actor Jamie Foxx have also been connected with the character.
As recently as August 2009, Ray Park has been linked to Iron Fist. In October 2008, Soul Men director Malcolm Lee briefly talked about Heroes for Hire as an action-comedy film.
Brian J. White Would Love to Play Luke Cage
August 22, 2009MarvelLuke Cage
You should try and get a superhero movie in there too.
Yeah, that's next on the radar [actually]. The Green Hornet, the Green Lantern, those are the kinds of movies that I'd love to do. I'd love to do a DC or Marvel movie. I think I have the skill-set. Like Iron Man, you have to be able to handle drama and comedy; you have to have the physique to be able to take off your shirt; you have to have a certain statue - if you're 5'8" it doesn't really work so well, unless it's a small superhero - and you have to have a certain athletic ability. That's what I'm angling towards. These are $150 million-dollar movies, so I'm trying to pay my dues, and do the work, so that I might get a look-in.
You never know, we might see you as Luke Cage or Black Panther in a couple of years.
I would love to be Luke Cage - I've been saying it over-and-over again in the press for years! Those are the roles - Green Lantern, Green Hornet, Luke Cage. There's some other graphic novels - some horror ones - that I also like, but I really would love to do Luke Cage.
Tyrese Gibson Looking Forward to Luke Cage
MTV talked to Tyrese Gibson, who is still interested in playing Luke Cage."The energy from Comic-Con really did something to me. Instead of me sitting back and waiting on Luke Cage to finally happen - which I'm still looking forward to doing once they get the script together - and instead of me waiting on Captain America, which they were talking about me for, I'm going to create my own. And that's what I did."
As far as what Mayhem will entail, Gibson said the hero of his series will indeed have powers above and beyond those of normal humans, and will take refuge in the basement of an abandoned church. While the actor was quick to name-check the Image Comics team who brought him under their collective wing and will publish the series, Gibson freely admitted his own status as a relative newcomer to the world of comic books.
"I'm not going to be one of those guys who's a fake comic book guy. I don't have a real legacy and history with comic books. I wanted to create my own and contribute to the legacy that already exists. But I'm knocking at the door and I'm saying, 'I got something special. Let me in.'"
The Mayhem comic series hits shelves this summer.
Power Man and Iron Fist Movie?
October 19, 2008MarvelIron Fist, Luke Cage
Latino Review talked to director Malcolm Lee (Soul Men) about adapting Power Man and Iron Fist.
Power Man and Iron Fist?
You got a white karate dude and a big blaxplotation dude. I want it to be an action-comedy.
Any idea on who you'd like to see play the roles?
I don't know.
What about Michael Jai White? He'd be good. He works out at my gym, he'd be a good Cage.
I don't know. You gotta have somebody's who's funny.
I'm gonna tell him you said he wasn't funny.
(laughs) I didn't say he wasn't funny! I didn't say that!
Actors have been attached to these characters in the past. Martial arts actor Ray Park was attached to star in the Iron Fist movie for several years, but it could be that ship has sailed.
If Lee really wants to do the movie, and isn't just making conversation with the press, he may have to contend with John Singleton. The director has long been developing a take on Luke Cage and Tyrese Gibson was rumored to be a contender for the lead role as recently as last year.
I also asked him if it was his intention to make it a comedy movie and he said he wanted it to be in the vein of Bad Boys. Not Bad Boys II, but Bad Boys as far as the comedy dynamic between the two.
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