LUKE CAGE Adds HOUSE OF CARDS and HUNGER GAMES Actor

Casting is in full swing up for Marvel and Netflix's Luke Cage. There have been a number of announcements of additions to the cast over the past few days, including Rosario Dawson, Theo Rossi, and Simone Missick, and now Marvel itself is getting in on the mix by releasing the name of yet another new cast member: House of Cards and The Hunger Games star Mahershala Ali.

He'll play Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes, "a Harlem night club owner [who] will become an unexpected foe in Luke’s life when Stokes’ criminal activities threaten Luke’s world." I haven't read any Luke Cage (or Power Man) comics, so I'm going into this series cold, but Ali is a solid actor who's a great presence in House of Cards, and he's staying in the Netflix family with this one.

“Mahershala is an actor of extraordinary range and gravitas. As Cottonmouth he will really let loose,” said Executive Producer/Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb. “Luke Cage won’t know what hit him.”

It was previously announced that Mike Colter (“Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” "The Good Wife”) will play the charismatic lead character, Luke Cage, in the series. Cheo Hodari Coker (“SouthLAnd,” “Ray Donovan”) will write the series’ first two episodes in addition to serving as showrunner and Executive Producer.

Luke Cage is set to debut sometime in 2016.