Every Iron Fist in the MCU

In 2017, Marvel Television first presented the story of the Iron Fist, a hero known as the Protector of K’un-Lun. Since then, multiple characters have taken on this role. The title of ‘Iron Fist’ is passed down through generations, with each successor earning it by defeating the dragon Shou-Lau in the mystical city of K’un-Lun. This victory grants them incredible abilities – superhuman strength, endurance, healing, and energy – which they channel through a glowing fist.

Since the debut of Iron Fist on Netflix in 2017 as part of the Marvel Television’s Defenders saga, seven different characters who have wielded the power of the Iron Fist have been shown in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although Finn Jones played the first Iron Fist audiences saw—Danny Rand—the story has paved the way for others. Several more Iron Fists from the Marvel comics, like Fan Fei, Orson Randall, and Lin Lie, haven’t appeared on screen yet, but a number of Iron Fists are already part of the MCU.

Danny Rand Is Returning in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3

Finn Jones first gained recognition playing the role of a character whose parents, Wendell and Heather Rand, tragically died in a plane crash when he was young. His parents were the owners of a hugely successful, international company worth billions of dollars.

Danny Rand was rescued and raised by monks in the city of K’un-Lun, where he trained in the ways of the Crane Mother. He passed a difficult test called the Trial of Shou-Lau and gained the power of the Iron Fist. But instead of staying to protect K’un-Lun, he returned to New York City. There, as the Iron Fist, he joined the team of heroes known as the Defenders and finally overcame his greatest enemy, the Hand.

The last time viewers saw Danny Rand, he was traveling with Ward Meachum, looking for Orson Randall, and he’s been missing since 2018. Now, in 2024, he’s set to return, with Finn Jones reprising his role as Iron Fist in Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again. This version of Iron Fist is expected to be more powerful, skilled, and battle-tested than before.

Davos Stole the Iron Fist From Danny Rand

While Iron Fist only briefly showed us the hidden city of K’un-Lun, we met more than just Danny Rand there. Viewers also got to know Danny Rand’s best friend and .

Davos grew envious when Rand became the Iron Fist, and he was enraged when Rand left his position and went back to New York. This caused him to turn against his old friend and determined him to take the Iron Fist power for himself. He eventually performed a ritual that successfully stole the power from Danny Rand.

Driven by anger, Davos used the power of the Iron Fist to kill members of various criminal organizations, including the Yangsi Gonshi and the Golden Tigers, becoming a ruthless vigilante. He ultimately lost the Iron Fist and was arrested for his violent actions. With Rand’s expected return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s a chance Sacha Dhawan could return as Davos, though this hasn’t been officially announced.

Colleen Wing Protects New York City As the Iron Fist

When Danny Rand returned to New York, he met Colleen Wing at her dojo, and they quickly became friends and then partners. However, their relationship was complicated when Colleen’s connection to the Hand was revealed. She ultimately rejected her mentor, Bakuto, and assisted Danny in defeating both him and Harold Meachum.

She assisted Rand in hunting down and defeating the Hand across the globe. Their journey ultimately led them back to New York City, where they joined forces as the Defenders. In Season 2 of Iron Fist, Danny Rand and Colleen Wing devised a plan to reclaim the Iron Fist from Davos, and Rand encouraged Wing to take on the power instead of him.

Driven by her past defeats, she accepted the power of the Iron Fist, learning to channel chi energy through her katana. This made her a one-of-a-kind guardian for New York City. However, she hasn’t been seen since, and her connection to Rand remains significant.

1948’s Iron Fist Protected K’un-Lun From Chinese Soldiers

In the first season of Iron Fist, Danny Rand learns from Bakuto that the Iron Fist has a long history. Bakuto shows Danny old footage of a previous Iron Fist defending K’un-Lun from an invasion by Chinese soldiers in 1948, demonstrating the hero’s role as the city’s guardian.

For the first time, viewers witnessed an Iron Fist channeling chi through both hands, and this fighter was significantly more agile and strong than Danny Rand. Ultimately, Davos obtained the body of this Iron Fist, removed the Shou-Lau mark, and used it in a ritual to become the new Iron Fist.

This version of the Iron Fist shows the power has been passed down through many generations, with Danny Rand, Davos, and Colleen Wing being the most recent to use it. But they aren’t the first – history tells us several others have held the Iron Fist before them.

Wu Ao-Shi Was the First Female Iron Fist in the MCU

Though she hasn’t appeared in Marvel Cinematic Universe films or shows, Wu Ao-Shi is a legendary Iron Fist. Danny Rand speaks of her in the Iron Fist comics, recognizing her as the very first woman to hold the title and the first to overcome Shou-Lau.

She would later become known as the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay, a title suggesting she originally came from China. Legend says she was a princess who ran away with a fisherman and eventually commanded a pirate ship. In Marvel Comics, she’s a skilled archer who focuses her energy, or ‘chi,’ into her arrows, making her one of the most powerful and dangerous archers in the Marvel Universe.

It’d be great to see the Marvel Cinematic Universe explore more of Iron Fist’s history, featuring characters like Wu Ao-Shi. This could lead to introducing even more Iron Fists, including the original, Fan Fei, and others beyond the two we’ve already met.

Kwai Jun-Fan Debuted in the Animated What If…? Series

Although Marvel officially included the Defenders Saga in the main MCU timeline in early 2024, Iron Fist wasn’t the first character from that series to appear in the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe. That distinction actually belongs to Season 3, Episode 6 of ‘What If…?’, titled “What If… 1872?”

Before becoming the Iron Fist, Kwai Jun-Fan joined forces with Shang-Chi and Hawkeye to defeat the Hood. Interestingly, in the Marvel comics, Kwai Jun-Fan became the Iron Fist first, and then traveled to the Wild West in 1878 after taking over from Bei Bang-Wen.

Zhou Cheng, the powerful host of Ch’i-Lin, eventually killed him, but it’s unknown if this is permanent or if the character will reappear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kwai Jun-Fan has the potential to become a new version of the Iron Fist, continuing the hero’s legacy after Danny Rand.

Jorani Followed War Dog Basha in Eyes of Wakanda

The animated series Eyes of Wakanda follows the historical adventures of Wakanda’s War Dogs, often crossing paths with famous people from the past. Episode 3, titled “Lost and Found,” confirmed the show takes place in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-616) and featured the War Dog Basha going undercover in K’un-Lun to recover a piece of vibranium hidden inside a dragon statue.

Unable to extract the vibranium, he returns the entire statue to Wakanda, where he is pursued. Centuries earlier, in 1400, Jorani discovered an injured Basha near K’un-Lun and helped him recover. Although he broke her trust, she eventually forgave him and, using her abilities as the Iron Fist, successfully removed the vibranium from the statue.

Jorani is the newest Iron Fist character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, viewers may have already seen hints of her fighting style and the abilities of previous Iron Fists in live-action appearances.

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2026-04-19 22:40