IRON FIST Casts Finn Jones as Danny Rand

From the Iron Throne to becoming like unto a thing of iron!

Entertainment Weekly has revealed that the upcoming Netflix series Iron Fist has cast Finn Jones in the lead role of Daniel "Danny" Rand, better known as Marvel Comics character the immortal Iron Fist!  Scott Buck will serve as showrunner on the series.  

Iron Fist will be the fourth Netflix adaptation of a Marvel Comics character, after Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage.  The four character are expected to team up in the miniseries The Defenders, following the release of Iron Fist.

Jones, 27, is an English actor best known as Ser Loras Tyrell on the HBO series Game of Thrones, and has appeared as Santiago Jones (grandson of Doctor Who character Jo Grant) on The Sarah Jane Adventures, as Jamie on the soap opera Hollyoaks, and Barrow in the 2014 version of Sleeping Beauty.

Created in 1974 by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Iron Fist first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15 as Danny Rand, the son of Wendell Rand, who discovered the mystical city of K'un-L'un as a young boy.  During his time in K'un L'un, Wendell saved the life of the city's ruler, Lord Tuan, and was adopted as Tuan's son.  However, Wendell eventually left K'un L'un and became a wealthy entrepreneur in the United States.  He married socialite Heather Duncan and together, they had a son named Daniel.

Wendell later organized an expedition to again seek out K'un L'un, taking his wife Heather, his business partner Harold Meachum, and nine-year-old Danny. During the journey up the mountain, Danny slipped off the path, causing his tie-rope to take his mother and father with him.  Meachum, who also loved Heather, forced Wendell to plunge to his death but offered to rescue Heather and Danny, although Heather refused his help.  Heather and Danny came across a makeshift bridge that appeared out of nowhere and were attacked by a pack of wolves.  Heather threw herself on the wolves to save Danny and was killed, even as archers from K'un L'un attempted to save her. The archers took the grieving Danny to see Yü-Ti, the mysterious hooded ruler of K'un L'un.  When Danny expressed his desire for vengeance, Yü-Ti sent him to Lei Kung, the Thunderer, who taught him the martial arts.

Daniel proved to be the most gifted of Lei Kung's students, conditioning his fists by plunging them into buckets of sand, gravel, and rock to toughen them.  At 19, Daniel was given the chance to attain the power of the Iron Fist by fighting and defeating the dragon Shou-Lao the Undying, who guarded the molten heart that had been torn from its body.  During the battle, Danny threw himself against the scar of Shou-Lao, which burned a dragon tattoo into his chest.  Having killed Shou-Lao, Danny entered its cave and plunged his fists into a brazier containing the creature's molten heart, emerging with the power of the Iron Fist.  It was later revealed that Danny is part of a long lineage of Iron Fists.

When K'un L'un reappeared on Earth after 10 years, Daniel left to find his father's killer. Returning to New York, Daniel Rand, dressed in the ceremonial garb of the Iron Fist, sought out Harold Meachum, now head of Meachum Industries.  After overcoming a number of attempts on his life, he confronted Meachum in his office, only to find the man legless, from an amputation carried out when he was caught in heavy snow and his legs became frostbitten after abandoning Danny and his mother.

Meachum accepted his fate and told Iron Fist to kill him.  Overcome with pity, Iron Fist walked away, but Meachum was murdered by a mysterious ninja, and his daughter Joy blamed Iron Fist for the death.  Eventually, Iron Fist cleared his name and began a career as a superhero, aided by his friends Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, falling in love with the latter.

While working undercover, Misty Knight infiltrated the organization of crime lord John Bushmaster.  When Bushmaster discovered Knight's treachery, he kidnapped Claire Temple and Noah Burstein, close associates of Luke Cage, better known as Power Man, and held them hostage to force Cage to eliminate Knight.  Danny helped Luke and the Daughters of the Dragon (Knight and Wing) battle Bushmaster, rescued Temple and Burstein, and obtained evidence that proved Luke's innocence of prior drug charges. Afterwards, Iron Fist and Power Man become partners, forming Heroes for Hire, Inc.

Iron Fist is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2017.