As many characters from the Marvel movies have transitioned over to the television shows that exist in the same universe (Coulson, Agent Carter, Lady Sif, etc.), not many have jumped from the TV pond into the movie lake. We h
ave yet to see if Daredevil or Punisher will show up alongside their comic book counterparts.
But with the next half of Netflix’s Defenders, we might see those seams mend. Among the cast of the upcoming Luke Cage, Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave, A Wrinkle in Time) is rumored to also play a cameo in next month’s Captain America: Civil War.
Woodard will play politician, Mariah Dillard on Luke Cage. She is said to create friction between Cage and his nemesis, Cottonmouth.
While Dillard will seemingly be an original character, there is talk that she is actually an updated version of Cage villain, Black Mariah. Comic Vine describes Black Mariah as:
“…a drug racketeering 400 lbs. woman who crossed paths with Luke Cage. Cage went toe-to-toe with her and shutdown her operation. She no doubt got her name form the alias of an ambulance, symbolizing the way she ran her operations.”
Obviously, if Woodard happened to be Black Mariah, she would be a much slimmer version. However, that wouldn’t be the first time a live-action counterpart of a comic book character was half the size of their source material. Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who played Amanda Waller on Arrow, is much skinnier and taller than her character. With this version of Mariah a politician, her role in Cap 3 would make a little more sense. Perhaps, she could be working for General “Thunderbolt” Ross.
This theory comes from Comicbook.com, where Disney has provided them with a list of cast members that will be attending the Captain America: Civil War premiere. While Mike Colter (Luke Cage himself), and cast members from other Marvel shows, such as Agents of SHIELD and Daredevil, will also be attending, they are only listed as “special guests,” whereas Woodard is listed as an actual cast member. This could just be a typo on Disney’s part. But I like to be believe that Marvel Studios is a little clever, as well as sneaky.
Source: ComicBook.com