Marvel Rumor May Confirm The First MCU Iron Fist's Identity (It's Not Danny Rand)
If Danny Rand (Finn Jones) has any fans left at Marvel Studios, they're probably not in a position of power. The titular hero of "Iron Fist," the lowest-rated installment in Netflix's Defenders Saga, might officially appear in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but if rumors are to be believed, neither Rand nor Jones will be behind the mask.
According to a paywalled Instagram post from Hollywood scooper CanWeGetSomeToast?, who claimed in late 2023 that Iron Fist would return in an unexpected Marvel Studios project in the form of the upcoming Disney+ series "Eyes of Wakanda," the superhero's mantle will likely be worn by a new character, a woman named Janora, who will work with a Wakandan woman named Basha. Although a character with the same name briefly appears on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," there is no official connection between her and the African nation.
If Marvel introduces Janora as the new Iron Fist on "Eyes of Wakanda," then she would be the second MCU original superhero to make her debut in animation, the first being Kahhori (Devery Jacobs) in "What If...?" Season 2. Unlike Kahhori, though, Janora would be replacing multiple heroes ... and the actors who played them.
Janora would probably replace Danny Rand ... and Colleen Wing
Finn Jones has expressed a desire to return as Danny Rand as recently as 2022. "I'd love another chance," he told Geekscape. "I care about Danny Rand deeply. I believe in that character. I think there's a lot of work that could be done. There's something about the underdog. I love the underdog narrative. I love the ability to prove someone wrong. I want to prove all those motherf***ers wrong."
Despite Jones' best efforts, however, critics trashed "Iron Fist" for unoriginality and poor pacing, and audiences left the experience broadly indifferent, neither of which is promising in terms of his character's potential future in the MCU. But Danny Rand isn't the only live-action Iron Fist — Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) ends the series with the titular mantle's power. "She had a fist. She was ready to fist," the actor said of her character, discussing the possibility of a reprisal with ComicBook.com, also in 2022.
That said, Janora's existence, while still only a rumor, seems to indicate that Marvel wants to salvage the Iron Fist in name alone rather than bring back either actor.