Introducing the fourth and final member in its “Defenders” series, Marvel released Netflix Original Series “Marvel’s Iron Fist” on March 17.
The series is based on the Marvel Comics character Iron Fist, aka Danny Rand, who was introduced in 1974 in the “Marvel Premiere” series before starring in his own comic book series.
Two minor characters from “Game of Thrones”, Finn Jones, who plays Danny Rand, and Jessica Henwick, as Colleen Wing, star in this superhero drama.
Those who have watched the first three heroes of the “Defenders” series, “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” and “Luke Cage,” will recognize Rosario Dawson’s character, Claire Temple, a nurse who appeared in all four shows.
Understanding the concept of the Iron Fist character is vital for appreciating the show. Rand’s backstory may sound familiar to anyone who has ever watched a Batman movie or the CW show “Arrow.”
He’s a rich, white billionaire whose parents were tragically killed, so he trained in martial arts and came back to the U.S. to fight crime.
However, Iron Fist comes with something that Batman, Iron Man and Green Arrow don’t: a real superpower.
Because Marvel is telling the worn out, privileged superhero story, it is important that the comic behemoth had something to make its character stand out. Sure, Bruce Wayne had his gadgets, Tony Stark had his suit and Oliver Queen had his archery skills, but Danny Rand can channel his “chi” into his fist and make it “become unto like a thing of iron,” as the comic books say.
This allows him to punch through just about anything. He does learn some other uses for the Iron Fist, but for the most part, he uses it to make doors out of walls.
Taking the 43-year-old origin story of the Iron Fist and adapting it to a modern audience was one of the things Marvel did well, but some pretty significant changes that shape the rest of the show.
In the comics, 10-year-old Danny Rand goes on a hiking trip through the Himalayas with his mother, his father and his father’s business partner, Harold Meachum.
When Danny’s father slips and nearly falls off the mountain, Meachum finishes the job, sending Wendell Rand to his death. This move was motivated by Harold’s love for Danny’s mother, but unsurprisingly it doesn’t do much to woo her.
Nevertheless, the remaining Rand family members trudge on as Meachum treks back. The mother-son duo is quickly met with a pack of hungry wolves, but a bridge is nearby. Danny’s mom quite literally throws herself to the wolves, so Danny can get across the bridge to safety.
Once on the other side, Danny enters another dimension called K’un Lun where he swears revenge on Meachum, trains for ten years, becomes the Iron Fist and returns home where Meachum begs to be slain.
Instead of killing the frightened traitor, a ninja appears out of thin air and stabs him with a sword right before Meachum’s daughter, Joy, enters. She blames Danny for the murder, and the story begins.
Almost all of that isn’t included in Netflix’s series. Instead, Danny and his parents fly through the Himalayas. A plane crash causes everyone to die, except for young Danny. Monks rescue him from the elements and take him to K’un Lun where he trains for 15 years, and then comes back to the U.S. as our hero.
When Danny gets back, he is forced to live like a homeless person because Harold’s children, Joy and Ward, don’t believe he survived. Once Danny proves his identity, he returns to his dad’s company as majority shareholder.
The rest of the plot gets pretty spotty. Through the 13 episodes, Danny faces plenty of bad guys, but trying to keep track of who is the main antagonist is difficult because of how dynamic the role is. However, every bad guy is, in one way or another, affiliated with a kung fu cult known only as The Hand, which was originally introduced in “Daredevil.”
Despite the plot taking a lot of buildup, the action scenes and dramatics keep it from getting too stale. Danny also uses his Iron Fist ability just enough to keep the show exciting, but not too much that it becomes a boring scapegoat.
The romance in the show feels a little weird. Colleen Wing isn’t a bad love interest, but it feels forced. There is also the caveat that in the comics Danny Rand falls in love with Detective Misty Knight. However, Knight is seen sleeping with Luke Cage in his show and doesn’t even make an appearance in “Iron Fist.”
To further complicate the love triangle, in the comic books, Colleen and Misty are business partners who fight together as “The Daughters of the Dragon,” and Danny and Luke team up as “Heroes for Hire.”
For the majority of viewers, this isn’t an issue, but it does seem odd to completely switch up the love interests. That’s like if Batman slept with Lois Lane. In short, romance doesn’t always jive perfectly for superheroes.
Although the romance is far from perfect, the female characters in this show carry a lot of weight. Colleen is a karate teacher who works as a sword-wielding sidekick to Danny, while Claire fits in as the link between the other Netflix Marvel heroes. This role will likely be significant when “The Defenders” premieres later this year.
Claire, while being a constant reminder of the other shows, struggles with her own identity as the one who runs into all these superheroes but isn’t one of them. Her development as a character is one of the greatest parts of the show and helps counteract the sometimes-boring personality of Danny.
Overall, the show was solid. It won’t knock anyone’s socks off, but it is worth a watch. The rap soundtrack feels a little misplaced. After all, Iron Fist was originally created to fit in with the kung fu craze of the 70s. It also would have been cool for Shou-Lao, the Dying, to make an appearance, as he is a giant dragon and the source of Danny’s powers.
There is a strong argument that Iron Fist should not have his own show and that he should merely be an add-on to Luke Cage, a la the “Power Man and Iron Fist” comics. But that would be too similar to The Punisher in “Daredevil” Season Two, and even he is getting his own show later in 2017.
Rating: 4/5
The Crow’s Nest rates shows between one and five stars, with five stars being the highest possible score.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
