The first reviews for Luke Cage already say that this is the best of all Marvel and Netflix collaborations to date. And that says something, especially if we consider the huge success of the Daredevil and Jessica Jones series. Furthermore, like the other shows, Luke Cage features one of the best villains of the MCU thus far.
Which, again, also says something, considering the fact that Vincent D’Onofrio's Kingpin and David Tennant's Kilgrave are hailed as the very best. So who is Mahershala Ali's Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes?
Well, Kingpin was a physical threat to Daredevil. On the other hand, Kilgrave was a psychological threat to Jessica Jones. From this point of view, Cottonmouth is a combination of both and then some. The latest clip from Luke Cage showcases that.
Thus, while he is just a small time crook, Cottonmouth reveals his larger than life plans, thus being closer to the Kingpin. On the other hand, he shows some restraint the aforementioned villain didn't have, being in this way closer to Kilgrave. A simple slap with the back of the hand is a much bigger statement than bashing someone's head with the car door.
Anyway, check out the clip below:
He’s as charismatic as he is terrifying, isn't he?
The role of Cottonmouth in Luke Cage may be the breakthrough role for Mahershala Ali. He did appear in House of Cards and in both Mockingjay installments of the Hunger Games movies. However, this is his most praised role.
Of course, Luke Cage won't go against just this one single guy. However, he is the King of the baddies and we can expect quite an interesting showdown in the end.
