By David Betancourt
The Washington Post
By the time you get to the 10th episode of Marvel/Netflix’s “Iron Fist” you realize that the Iron Fist, with his yellow mask and mystical martial arts swag, isn’t arriving anytime soon.
In that episode, Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is shown an old and very secret 1948 Chinese government video of an Iron Fist, establishing that Iron Fist is a mantle that’s been passed down. In the black-and-white video, for about 10 seconds, we see the only real-deal Iron Fist action (complete with the classic comic-book look, mask included) this show has to offer in its first season. It’s at that point, watching the video that shows an Iron Fist defending the entrance to the hidden world of K’un-Lun with expert martial arts and two glowing hands, that viewers and Danny Rand at the same time realize Danny is not the Iron Fist we are looking for. At least not in Season 1.
That scene was tough to watch. Not because it wasn’t good. It was great. There in that black-and-white footage was exactly what dedicated Iron Fist fans had been hoping for. A quickly paced mix of magic and martial arts that wasn’t there in the first nine episodes of “Iron Fist,” where Danny Rand just seemed to be suffering from a case of the occasional glowing hand and temper tantrums (probably from all the board meetings he had to attend).
The first season of “Iron Fist” should have been called “Iron Fist Begins” or maybe “Iron Fist: Not There Yet.”
The first season of “Daredevil,” which had Charlie Cox jumping on the top of trucks in his Daredevil suit in the season finale, spoiled us into thinking Finn Jones’s Iron Fist would also show up in costume by the end of its first season. It didn’t.
The makers of “Iron Fist” have decided to take the long road to masked martial arts Marvel glory. Judging from the promotional pictures from Netflix/Marvel’s superhero team-up “The Defenders,” we won’t get the Iron Fist suit in that movie later this summer either.
So if your Season 1 “Iron Fist” experience wasn’t what you hoped it would be, what is there to be hopeful for in Season 2?
There’s the presence of Davos (Sacha Dhawan), Danny Rand’s best friend from K’un-Lun, who comes to New York to bring him back. Danny’s stubborn refusal to accept his responsibility as the protector of K’un-Lun has infuriated Davos – perhaps enough that by Season 2 he’ll (we hope) transform into his comic-book alter ego the Steel Serpent, Iron Fist’s dark equal. A purple-masked Steel Serpent coming after Danny in a second season could be just the thing to make up for Iron Fist not actually being Iron Fist in “Iron Fist.”
Then there is that old Iron Fist footage from episode 10. Perhaps that guy is still around. And with Davos gone bad and the city of K’un-Lun missing at the end of Season 1, maybe that old Iron Fist will be the person to help Danny Rand become the Iron Fist we want him to be.
If “Iron Fist” becomes more mystical in Season 2 – like “The Immortal Iron Fist,” the fantastic Marvel Comics series – and more K’un-Lun focused, it could make up for Marvel and Netflix deciding to stay away from the superhero and supernatural aspects in Season 1.
If the real Iron Fist doesn’t show up by the end of Season 2, fans may not ask for a Season 3.
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