The latest trailer for Marvel’s Iron Fist season 2 suggests that Danny Rand’s origin is about to be retconned. The trailer goes to great lengths to reassure viewers that the fight choreography has improved dramatically, but also focuses heavily on the conflict between Danny and Davos. But it also teases that Marvel may be rewriting Iron Fist’s history.
Season 1 used flashbacks to tell Danny Rand’s origin story, which unfolded in very comic-book-accurate fashion; they saw him increase in power, building up to the moment when Danny confronted K’un Lun’s dragon, Shou-Lao, and truly became the Iron Fist. That sequence was pretty underwhelming - budget constraints meant viewers were treated to only a glimpse of Shou-Lao’s eyes - but the drive of Danny’s journey was clear.
Iron Fist season 2 will feature more flashbacks to Danny’s time at K’un Lun. But, while it had been assumed that these would flesh out the historic relationship between Danny and Davos, dialogue in the trailer hints that there’s more to it than that - and that Marvel may be rewriting Iron Fist’s history.
Danny Rand Didn’t Choose To Become The Iron Fist?
There’s one key line of dialogue in the trailer, a single sentence that contradicts all established Iron Fist lore. “I didn’t ask for the Iron Fist,” Danny tells Colleen. He seems to be suggesting that the role - and the associated power of the Iron Fist - is a burden he was unwilling to carry. That’s a very different portrayal to anything we’ve seen before, either in the comics or indeed in season 1 of Iron Fist. There, Danny was ambitious to earn the Iron Fist, training in order to become K’un Lun’s greatest warrior. Entering into the cave of Shou-Lao was the end of his training, the climax of everything he had worked for over the years.
It’s possible that Danny is simply revealing a change of heart and desire to reject his responsibility, perhaps only now grasping what the role of Iron Fist really entails. After all, when Danny was introduced in season 1 he didn’t believe the Hand even existed, viewing them as nothing more than a mythical Bogeyman; he essentially discounted the responsibilities that come with his powers, evidenced in his failure as protector of K’un Lun. However, that’s a rather simple interpretation and doesn’t really fit the word choice or Finn Jones’ delivery. The quote suggests that Danny didn’t want to become the Iron Fist, that he was somehow forced into gaining its power, and the responsibilities that come with it.
The more likely explanation is that this really is a straight-up retcon, but one done to establish the season 2 story. Given Davos’s resentment, it’s possible that Danny was actually forced to enter the cave and confront Shou-Lao; perhaps he knew that Davos was unworthy, and realized that if he did not become the Iron Fist, then Davos would in his stead. This would add a powerful new element to the relationship between Danny and Davos, setting up a very personal conflict in season 2.
Whatever the reasoning for Danny’s lines may be, one thing seems abundantly clear: something troubling is in Iron Fist’s past, one which distances the MCU version from the comics. Season 2 will reveal the truth.
More: Iron Fist Season 2: Every Update You Need To Know
Iron Fist season 2 premieres Friday, September 7 on Netflix.
