One of my childhood favorite superheroes is coming to Netflix and the first look trailer was released at this year’s SDCC. Read below to find out about the character, the show and watch the trailer!

Iron Fist, real name Daniel Rand is a New Yorker that is trained in martial arts by the people of K’un-L’un. You might already be frowning at this as you realize that yes Daniel is a white guy and yes K’un-L’un and the power of the Iron Fist are of Asian heritage. Is this another series where a white guy comes in and proves to be way more awesome than the non-white people who teach him their secret art? Because that has been done a million times and I can literally feel your eyes rolling right now.

The answer is yes and no. There is no way around the fact that Dan is a white guy, he always will be, and yes he is trained in martial arts. But this is not the same kind of story, or it shouldn’t be. Please don’t do that Netflix. Warning now for comic spoilers which may also be show spoilers, I don’t know yet, but just in case.

In the comic Dan’s father was the one who originally found his way to K’un-L’un, a place thought only mystical. He saves the ruler there and is considered a son. However, he doesn’t stay and instead goes home to NYC where he does normal life things, one of which is have a family. Still Dan’s father misses K’un-L’un and his adoptive family there, so he sets out with his wife, son and best friend to find it once more.

You know tragedy strikes, that’s how these stories work. I’ll just say there was jealousy, betrayal, falling, wolves, and a whole lot of snow. In the end the warriors of K’un-L’un find and save Dan, who is now a grieving orphan child. With no where else to go, he stays in K’un-L’un with that man his father wanted to reunite with and learns the ways of their warriors. Like his father before, he also wants to go back to NYC when he is grown.

So he does and that is where the tales of the Iron Fist begin.

There is no, oh I’m so much better than the natives of K’un-L’un and have some grand destiny, no jealous son of this white adoptive one, no saving the city from some evil force. It just happens to be where Dan grows up and he adopts the culture as they have adopted him.

Now that we know what the show may be about, let’s watch the trailer.

So it seems, for the most part, that his origin story has stayed the same as the comics from the select scenes given of it. Although it seems when he returns to NYC that Dan is placed in some kind of mental hospital? I don’t know where else that would be with a man strapped down in bed. Why he’s there is a mystery too. Was it a plot? Did people think he was crazy talking about mystical cities no one has been to? Is it some kind of extreme depression and PTSD brought on by remembering what happened to his parents? It could be any and all.

What else will the Iron Fist be getting up to? I say he will want to find out more about his parents, the legacy left behind and I’m sure people wanting to keep it from him.

I do have to say I was surprised by the look of Iron Fist. He is a bit rough looking which I didn’t expect and still don’t know if I’m thrilled about. Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell in Game of Thrones), plays Danny and he was quite cute in GoT so I’m hoping they clean him up in the series some. Other noted cast members are Jessica Henwick, Tom Pelphrey, David Wenham, and Jessica Stroup.

I always loved in the comics when Iron Fist was teamed up with Luke Cage. They had a long running, steadfast if seemingly odd friendship. They are very different people, but the core of them are the same. They are alone, they want to help, they have extraordinary abilities and they are good men. I’m hoping that we see some of this friendship in eventual seasons of this show or Luke Cage, or perhaps the Defenders.

The series will debut sometime in 2017. Here’s hoping it’s the first half as I am so excited to see one of my childhood heroes come to life! What did you think of the trailer or the upcoming series? Tell me below or find us on twitter, @thenerdygirlexp or my personal one, @quietlikeastorm. Subscribe here and make sure to follow on Twitter for more updates and news too!