I Want Marvel"s Original Iron Fist Actor To Return In The MCU, But Only As THE Iron Fist

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I would love to see Finn Jones return to the MCU as Danny Rand, who first appeared in Netflix"s Iron Fist, but Marvel needs to make him a much stronger hero. Previously known for roles in Game of Thrones and The Sarah Jane Adventures, Finn Jones became known to Marvel fans as Danny Rand in Netflix"s Iron Fist series, part of the Defenders Saga. Out of the six shows comprising the Defenders Saga, however, Iron Fist is widely regarded to be the weakest link, which makes me concerned for the Iron Fist"s future in the MCU.
In early 2024, Netflix"s Defenders Saga was confirmed to be canon to the MCU and integrated into the MCU"s official timeline on Disney+. This makes me think that Finn Jones" Danny Rand is now an official part of the MCU, though neither Marvel Studios nor Jones himself have revealed whether this is the case. I, for one, would love to see Finn Jones reprise the role of Danny Rand, especially since different versions of the Iron Fist have recently been teased in the MCU, but I want Marvel to make some changes first.
I Think Finn Jones Was A Perfect Casting Choice For Danny Rand In Netflix’s Iron Fist Finn Jones Debuted As Danny Rand In 2017

Netflix"s Iron Fist stayed fairly faithful to Danny Rand"s Marvel Comics backstory, as, in both, Danny Rand is a privileged and wealthy man from New York City who, as a child, found himself taken to the mystical extra-dimensional city of K"un-Lun. In Marvel Comics, the adult Danny Rand returns to New York with the power of the Iron Fist to find his father"s killer and begin his career as a superhero. He was given much more responsibility and importance as the protector of K"un-Lun in the MCU, but Finn Jones still managed to embody Rand"s personality perfectly.

Related I Rewatched Marvel's Most Criticized Netflix Show And I Still Want Them To Return In The MCU After rewatching the most criticized of the Netflix Marvel shows, I am adamant that the MCU should bring back its lead character and the series" star.
Posts 2 Finn Jones demonstrated the conflict, power and doubt of Danny Rand with ease. I think he perfectly brought the privileged but calming and comforting nature of Danny Rand into live-action, but he still received a huge amount of criticism, most notably aimed at Iron Fist"s lackluster fighting sequences. I would love to see Finn Jones return as Danny Rand, but I think Marvel Studios needs to make some serious changes if Jones" version of the Immortal Iron Fist is set to become a popular fixture in the MCU.
Finn Jones Should Return To The MCU As A Fully-Fledged Iron Fist Finn Jones' Danny Rand Never Really Became The Iron Fist Close Yes, Danny Rand had the Iron Fist in the Netflix series, and learned to control it somewhat over the course of Iron Fist"s two seasons, The Defenders and Luke Cage season 2. However, we never actually saw Danny Rand become the Iron Fist, and elevating Rand into this incredibly powerful superhero would be the best way for Marvel Studios to differentiate the character from his previous iteration. It"s been seven years since Iron Fist season 2 ended, and Danny Rand could have been through some huge developments since then.
Iron Fist season 2 ended with Danny Rand and Ward Meachum on the hunt for Orson Randall, a previous wielder of the Iron Fist from the early 20th Century. Finn Jones" return to the MCU could pick up after Danny Rand found Randall and had been trained even further in how to control the Iron Fist. This would create the opportunity for Danny Rand to return as a fully-fledged Iron Fist, perhaps even with a more comic-accurate costume, which would see him fully embrace the role - something that we were constantly missing from the Netflix series.
Marvel Studios Needs To Handle Danny Rand’s Iron Fist Better In The MCU’s Future Danny Rand's Iron Fist Deserves More Justice In The MCU

While I think that Finn Jones did the best job he could with the role of Danny Rand in Netflix"s Iron Fist, the series" narrative, script and fight sequences failed him. Back in 2021, Iron Fist stunt coordinator Brett Chan revealed that Finn Jones didn"t get good enough fight training (via ComicBookMovie), which culminated in Danny Rand not having strong action sequences in the Iron Fist series. Chan elaborated that Colleen Wing"s fight scenes were so good as Jessica Henwick trained a lot for the role.

You know, [we] spent 21-22 hour days trying to make it work and having directors say, "Ah, no" or having Marvel say, "Ah, no." Everyone is fighting and the actor doesn’t want to train. And it"s like, "Guys, throw me a bone. Give me something to work with here. That is why some of our best sequences were with Jessica Henwick. Because she trained four hours a day and she has zero martial arts experience. And we had great guys. Teaching aikido judo, and some kinjustsu. And then delivered some kung fu to add in there. It was just...yeah.

If Finn Jones returns as the MCU"s Danny Rand, I would love for him to get real fight training so that the Iron Fist can fully demonstrate his full power. The Iron Fist is one of Marvel"s most significant and formidable heroes, but this potential was never tapped into in the Netflix series. Better action sequences and higher stakes would make Finn Jones" Iron Fist a very exciting addition to the MCU. I reckon this could redeem his previous live-action disappointments, and finally bring the Iron Fist into the MCU.
Recent MCU Additions Make Me Hopeful Danny Rand’s Iron Fist Will Soon Be Returning Marvel Studios Has Teased Several Iron Fists In The MCU

Finn Jones hasn"t yet been confirmed to be returning as the Iron Fist, but recent developments in the MCU could hint at him reprising the role very soon. What If...? season 3 recently debuted Kwai Jun-Fan in the MCU, who die-hard fans of Marvel Comics will know as a version of the Iron Fist from the 1870s. In What If...?, we saw Jun-Fan help Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop find and take down the Hood, but Jun-Fan"s Iron Fist hasn"t been seen in the MCU"s main continuity. Marvel is about to introduce an actual MCU Iron Fist, however.
MCU Iron Fist
Actor
Debut Project
Wu Ao-Shi
N/A
Iron Fist (Mentioned)
Orson Randall
N/A
Iron Fist (Mentioned)
Danny Rand
Finn Jones
Iron Fist
Davos
Sacha Dhawan
Iron Fist
Colleen Wing
Jessica Henwick
Iron Fist
Kwai Jun-Fan
Allen Deng (Voice)
What If...?
TBD
TBD
Eyes of Wakanda
Marvel Animation"s upcoming Eyes of Wakanda series will be the first animated Marvel Studios series to be set in the main timeline of the MCU, Earth-616. While the series will focus on Wakandan warriors throughout history, Eyes of Wakanda will also debut a new version of the Iron Fist. It"s unclear which iteration of the Iron Fist this could be, but if it"s Orson Randall, I reckon the stage could be perfectly set for Finn Jones" Danny Rand to make his triumphant return to the MCU, seven years after the end of Iron Fist.

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3.7/10 Iron Fist AdventureCrimeAction Part of the original Netflix line-up of Marvel shows, Iron Fist follows billionaire heir Danny Rand on his journey to become the legendary Iron Fist. Returning to America after going missing for fifteen years, Danny returns to reclaim his family fortune and use it to help others in need. However, a call to action pulls Danny away from his family duties as a new threat emerges, calling upon the powers of the Iron Fist to protect his friends and family - and New York City.
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*Availability in US Release Date March 17, 2017 Cast Ludovic Coutaud , Donté Grey , Alberto Bonilla , Craig Geraghty , Finn Jones , Murray Bartlett , José Báez , Jessica Henwick , Paugh Shadow , Lewis Tan , Myles Humphus Seasons 2 Showrunner Scott Buck Upcoming MCU Movies