If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Why Luke Cage’s hoodie in the MCU TV show was important in the post-Trayvon Martin world, according to Mike Colter
Mike Colter wasn’t a fan of Luke Cage’s hoodie, but he came to realize why it was important
Popverse's top stories of the day
- Harley Quinn is making April Fools Day 2025 one to remember with a not-so-sweet-smelling DC comic book special
- Watch the D&D, Warhammer, Mega Man, and more anthology panel Secret Level from Prime Video, filmed at NYCC 2024
- Nintendo's long-time Mario voice actor reveals the secret behind voicing Mario's Dad in the movie (and how it goes back to his original audition decades ago)
In many ways, television acts as a mirror. Television shows reflect where we are as a society. In some cases this becomes cyclical, as the tv shows in turn shape our culture. This cycle gives television an unusual relationship with the real world. Luke Cage is a great example of that.
The Marvel superhero drama premiered in 2016, a few years into the Black Lives Matter movement. Luke Cage starred Mike Colter as the title character, who usually wore hoodies. This was shortly after the killing of Trayvon Martin started a nationwide conversation about black men and hoodies. This wasn’t lost on Colter.
Speaking to a crowd at Dragon Con, Colter mused about the importance of Luke Cage’s hoodie.
“It’s funny because I played a character on another show before that. I was wearing suits all the time, so I couldn’t wait to get out of suits. But then I got the hoodie and I was wearing jeans. I was wearing that all the time, and I got tired of wearing the hoodie.”
However, Colter soon realized that the hoodie was part of a larger cultural discussion.
“The hoodie was great but then all of a sudden it was just one of those things. It’s great until episode 4 or 5. I got a little tired of the hoodie. But the hoodie was very important because of the timing. Trayvon Martin had happened. It just sort of seamlessly worked. And Luke needed some sort of disguise that was simple. I don’t think we were really trying that hard, it just sort of lent itself to the times that we were in. It was not something we saw coming.”
“I think we already kind of thought about the hoodie, but then Trayvon happened. It was not the first time it happened in history. It wasn’t the first black kid to ever get shot in a hoodie. It was just one of those things that was timely in the moment, and we just benefited unfortunately.”
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
And if you're looking for specific franchises or genres, we've also got lists for the:
Finally, if you're a fan of superheroes and not specific to just Marvel or DC, we have overall guides to:
About Dragon Con
Dates
-
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.