Take the following with usual grain of salt when it comes to the rumormill, but a casting-call report from Points of Geek, might mean a second superhero will be apart of the Iron Fist series, alongside Danny Rand.
DYLAN KENDALL
25 – 28 yrs old Handsome and sophisticated, independent and a loner. SERIES REGULARHARRY MARSHALL
45 – 50 yrs old Caucasian, highly intelligent, merciless, confident and arrogant, physically active. SERIES REGULAR
The pretence of these character’s names are they are fake, and are to protect the real identity, which is lead hero Daniel Rand and another character. The latter being specifically white, while Danny’s ethnicity isn’t being defined gives us hope they still haven’t made up their mind concerning after looking at Asian-American actors for the part.
Some are suggesting this second role could be a villain like Steel Serpent or Harold Meachum, but it’s more likely Danny’s fellow ass-kicking partner Orson Randall. The character was pivotal in the modern take of the hero’s mythology with The Immortal Iron Fist run, which would be expected to be the material sourced for the series, being the more popular modern take of the character.
Randall has the power of Iron Fist as well, but has been for decades with a slowed aging, making him a wealth of knowledge and technique, even being a drug-addict and alcoholic. He takes to wielding a pair of pistols instead of going with straight-up hand-to-hand combat like Daniel. He’d easily could be played by someone in that age range, and would be how they could keep away from throwing in characters like Luke Cage until the second half of the series.
He’s the sort of dark troubled character you’d expect to see populate the series, but we’ll wait until Marvel formally announces the cast before getting our hops up too much. It’s worth noting including Randall’s story could further reasoning to hiring an Asian-American actor to play Danny.
Orson Randall was born and raised in the mystical city of K’un-Lun, arriving there after his father crashed their airship into the city during a rare materialization on the Earthly plane. After being adopted as a native, Randall was taught by Yu-Ti and trained by Lei Kung the Thunderer. As with all destined Iron Fists, Randall fought and killed the fabled Shou-Lao the Undying, receiving the power and scar that would brand him as the Immortal Iron Fist. Choosing to leave K’un-Lun, Randall became disillusioned after fighting in World War I.
Years later, he was summoned to return to his adopted home and fight in the Tournament of the Heavenly cities. Refusing to fight, the mystic elders decided to strip him of his standing and title, but he fled after killing one of the other immortal weapons. Losing himself in liquor and opium dens, Orson was saved from poisoning by a young Wendell Rand, who he thus trained and taught. With ideas of finding K’un-Lun and becoming the Iron Fist, Wendell Rand left Randall’s care, but it would be his son Danny, and not himself, who would master the serpent.
My own casting choices for Randall include Tommy Flanagan (Braveheart, Sons of Anarchy), Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Deadwood), and Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones, The Dark Knight Rises). That’s if this isn’t just a simple decoy for the villain’s role, but my gut wants this to be Orson who’d make an excellent contrast to a young Daniel Rand, becoming a mentor of sorts for him not unlike Murdock’s relationship with Stick.
The site also is claiming that Carrie-Anne Moss’ Jeri Hogarth from Jessica Jones will be apart of the series, as looking after The Rand Corporation’s affairs after the death of Danny’s father. A solid bridge character that could help put the Defenders in the same room at some point.
Another bit of information from the site points to an April 2016 production start date for the series, which makes sense as it would be ready to drop in April 2017, taking the place of third season of Daredevil.
Some of this adds-up to what we’ve been hearing, but again, it’s currently just a rumor, along with my own speculation.
SOURCE: POINT OF GEEK