Mahershala Ali explains why Cottonmouth is not a true villain in Marvel’s ‘Luke Cage’

After three seasons and two separate TV shows centered in Hell”s Kitchen, Marvel and Netflix are expanding their street-level hero universe. This September, Luke Cage will take us inside the world of Harlem, including the complex economic ecosystem that includes men like Cornell Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali).

Much like Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) before him, Cottonmouth doesn”t see himself as a villain. Every neighborhood has a hierarchy, and Cottonmouth is at the top of his. If his business ventures involve the illegal drug trade, that”s just the cost of being pragmatic in this day and age.

HitFix Harpy caught up with Ali at San Diego Comic-Con to talk about his role within the Luke Cage universe. It sounds like the show is staying true to the idea that everyone is the hero of their own story. Check it out in the video above (and below)!

Luke Cage arrives on Netflix September 30, 2016.

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