Update: Marvel has officially confirmed that Scott Buck is the new showrunner for Iron Fist. 

In a statement, executive producer and Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb said:

“Scott came in with a take on Iron Fist that quite simply knocked us off our feet. We always look for the most creative minds in the field to help us bring our heroes to life, and with Scott we’ve found someone that can deliver yet another great series in the ongoing story of The Defenders.”

Buck also commented on what drew him to Iron Fist:

“I’ve always been drawn to writing complex, intriguing characters, and that’s what most excites me about the opportunity to bring Danny Rand and “Iron Fist” to life with Marvel on Netflix.”

For much of the last two years, Marvel and Netflix have focused on the Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage original series, while word about Iron Fist has been practically non-existent . There were even rumors that The Punisher would possibly usurp Iron Fist‘s position as the fourth Marvel Netflix series, which we can now happily put to rest.

TV veteran Scott Buck has been tapped as the showrunner of Iron Fist, according to a joint report by Heroic Hollywood and ComicBook.com. Buck’s previous writing stints include Six Feet Under, Rome, Dexter, Everybody Love Raymond, and Coach. Hopefully this means we’ll be seeing Brad Garrett as Danny Rand’s sardonic best friend.

With a showrunner theoretically in place, the next major step will be to cast Iron Fist. It’s currently unknown whether Iron Fist will appear during the Luke Cage series, but it’s not out of the question given their shared history in Marvel’s comic book universe.

Iron Fist was created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in 1974 during Marvel’s martial arts comic craze. Within Marvel’s comic book universe, Iron Fist is Danny Rand, an American who was raised in the mystical city of K’un-Lun where he gained the ability to utilize the power known as the Iron Fist. The power allows him to focus his body’s chi and increase his strength, speed, and stamina to superhuman levels.

The official synopsis from Netflix’s Iron Fist series appears to hint that his origin will largely be intact:

“Returning to New York City after being missing for years, Daniel Rand fights against the criminal element corrupting New York City with his incredible kung-fu mastery and ability to summon the awesome power of the fiery Iron Fist.”

Marvel and Netflix have already set Daredevil Season 2 and Luke Cage Season 1 for 2016, with Jessica Jones potentially getting a second season as well. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for Iron Fist, but an early 2017 launch seems like a good possibility before The Defenders brings the street-level heroes together later in 2017.

Who should be cast as Iron Fist? Share your dream picks in the comment section below!

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HT: Heroic Hollywood & ComicBook.com

Image Credit: Marvel Comics

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