Over the past few weeks, Netflix has been releasing a string of Luke Cage clips as the it gears up for the debut of the show’s first season.
In the newest clip, we finally get our first look at Mahershala Ali’s Cottonmouth, the main villainous kingpin that Cage will have to square off against. In the comics, Cottonmouth was the drug lord of Harlem and had a direct involvement in the events that lead to Luke Cage gaining his superpowers. Originally, Cottonmouth attempted to bring Cage into his illicit business, but through multiple fights, wound up being handed over to the police by the reluctant hero.
In the clip, Cottonmouth can be seen talking to a man about everyone wanting to be "the king." He references a giant poster of the late rapper Biggie Smalls that he has hanging behind him and talks about the rapper’s legacy in New York City and how it pertains to his own rise up through the underground world. Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker has spoken at length about the importance of hip-hop in the show, bringing on musical legends like Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan and Adrian Younge from A Tribe Called Quest. The reference to Biggie Smalls in the clip is just a small example of what hip-hop fans can expect to get out of the series.
Luke Cage, which stars Mike Colter in the titular role, will debut in its entirety on Netflix Sept. 30.
