One of the larger mysteries of Netfix’s slate for their Marvel shows was which show would fit in before The Defenders mini-series. In the initial press announcement Iron Fist was listed directly after A.K.A. Jessica Jones, but with the entire Defenders ensemble being cast save for Danny Rand, that order was constantly in question. Now that Luke Cage has been cast, given a showrunner and a broad release date of 2016, we can now all but assume that the show be the third inclusion into the Marvel Cinematic Universe from Netflix. Iron Fist remains the only show without any cast or crew attached.

While there are tons of easter eggs and other smaller nods in Daredevil, the following connection seems to hint at a much larger world and what could possibly be the overall basis for Iron Fist.

Spoilers For Episodes 9-12 Below



What you see below is a side-by-side comparison of an image of Madame Gao’s drugs in episode 12 and the emblem on the chest of Iron Fist villain, The Steel Serpent (aka Davos or Steel Phoenix). There is no mistaking the two, these ARE the same and it’s seen multiple times throughout the show.

In the Brubaker/Fraction run ‘The Immortal Iron Fist’, Davos is empowered by the Crane Mother, the ruler of the mystical city of Ku’n-Zi (not to be mistaken with Iron Fist’s stomping grounds, K’un-L’un). Madame Gao has some fairly surprising ninja skills and strength for an old lady (as seen during her brief skirmish with Daredevil); she could very well be our Crane Mother. A more realistic and grounded version of the character is a definite possibility. Additionally, when she say’s that she’s leaving town for a while to reflect on the situation, Leland Owlsley’s ask’s “Where, China?”, to which she simply smiles and responds with “It’s a considerable distance farther”; another hint at a connection to one of the Seven Cities of Heaven.



They are clearly building something here and it’s not very subtle. The first 6 issues of ‘The Immortal Iron Fist’ would be a great basis for the Iron Fist series and they are laying some serious ground work for that already. I’m excited to go through a second watch to see what else I can spot.

Did you catch the reference to the Iron Fist lore? Find any other awesome easter eggs you think we should know about? Sound off in the comments below.