EXCLUSIVE! C.B. Cebulski Reveals Marvel’s Plans for Iron Fist, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight 50th Anniversary

We’re kicking off the New Year with a bang! Marvel Comics’ plans for the 50th anniversaries of Iron Fist, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight were revealed during an exclusive interview with Editor-In-Chief C.B. Cebulski at Super Manila 2023.

I caught up with C.B. in December as he was setting up his booth during Day 2 of the Comic Con that was hosted by Comic Odyssey, Filbar’s, and Next Comic Art. Though this wasn’t the first time I met him (the first time was way back in 2015 during AsiaPop Comicon 2015 in Manila), I was reintroduced to Marvel’s big boss by a couple of friends as the Philippines’ biggest Iron Fist fan. It was the kind of bold introduction that I needed as I was about to ask him for an interview about Iron Fist’s upcoming 50th anniversary.

I was uncertain whether I should ask C.B. about Marvel’s plans for the Living Weapon and the Daughters of the Dragon (expecting that he would be tight-lipped about them), but it soon became clear that my apprehensions were completely baseless as I was granted the best interview of my life!

I AM IRON FIST: How old were you when you were introduced to Iron Fist? Can you describe for us your first impressions of the character?

CEBULSKI: I don’t remember the exact age or how old I was when I first discovered Iron Fist, but it was definitely during the Power Man and Iron Fist book that was coming out in either the late 70s or early 80s. I remember there was a Bill Sienkiewicz promo image for it, and it blew me away. So I went out to my—at that point it wasn’t a comic shop—it was a five-and-dime, a convenience store and I would look for it until I could find that character, and then it was in the Power Man and Iron Fist book originally that I saw them. 

And I just remembered that the combination was always so much fun for me, the two of them, their interaction, the kind of back and forth that Danny [and Luke Cage] had with their powers. It was just things you hadn’t seen. 

I was a big X-Men and Spider-Man fan. It’s a little grittier book, but with a little more real-world sensibility to it, and that always appealed to me. 

IAIF: Was this during Jo Duffy’s run (on Power Man and Iron Fist)?

CEBULSKI: Yes, exactly. 

IAIF: Yeah, everybody’s a fan of her. 

CEBULSKI: Yep. Totally 

IAIF: As Iron Fist turns 50, what can you say about the character’s longevity and legacy?

CEBULSKI: You know it’s an interesting place where Danny is now or let’s just say where the Iron Fist legacy is. It’s taken so many twists and turns, especially over the last 20 years, with even what Ed Brubaker did, and the [27-issue run] is one of my favorite comics ever written. It’s such a great book. 

Now Danny is no longer an Immortal Weapon. He’s just Danny Rand. Lin Lie has the power of the iron fist and it’s gone through a lot of twists and turns over the last few years. But with the 50th year coming—his 50th anniversary—we, as Marvel and particularly editor Mark Paniccia, who has a keen interest in Iron Fist, have a number of different ways we’re gonna celebrate the character—both the character of Danny Rand, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary, and the Iron Fist itself—the powers, the legacy, K’un-Lun, the dragon, the other Immortal Weapons.

This is an exclusive here! You’ve heard it first [at I Am Iron Fist]—We are doing a special Iron Fist 50th anniversary one-shot commemorating Iron Fist and his legacy. We do that every year for certain characters like Howard the Duck [one-shot] just came out. So this one would be focusing on Danny, the Iron Fist, the Immortal Weapons, and we’re now working to get back all the creators who have contributed to Iron Fist, over the years in hopes that they’ll all contribute something new to the legacy, be it a story set in the past, during their run or something new. 

Stay tuned for more news on that but you heard it [here] first—it will be a big Iron Fist celebration next year from Marvel. 

IAIF: Oh my gosh that’s so good to hear! Thank you so much for the exclusive info! 

I’m actually interviewing Roy Thomas right now [for Iron Fist’s 50th anniversary as well]. 

CEBULSKI: Great! Tell Roy I said hi.

IAIF: I will!

CEBULSKI: We just started building this so hopefully Roy will agree to be a part of things, too. 

IAIF: Yes, I hope so, and I hope he can come [visit Manila] one of these days. 

CEBULSKI: Yep, definitely. It would be great to see him here.

IAIF: Danny Rand isn’t the only character from the Iron Fist comic books hitting the half-century mark. Two of his closest friends are turning 50 as well. What are your thoughts on Colleen Wing and Misty Knight as they reach this milestone?

CEBULSKI: We’ll be focusing on a lot of those characters as well next year. Right now, Spider-Man’s going through his Gang War in events that’s happening [in Marvel Comics]. In Luke Cage: Gang War, Luke is mayor of New York now, so he’s in a different spot, and he’s subject to certain restrictions that the previous administration of Kingpin as mayor has placed on him.

Now Misty, Colleen, Danny, and some other supporting characters will all be in that book with Jessica Jones as well—obviously Mrs. Cage. We’ll be seeing something happen in that book that will lead into some other things that are going to be happening to those characters as we go through 2024 as well. 

IAIF: Great. I saw that you have something up for Misty during Black History Month (in Marvel’s Voices: Legends (2024) #1 on Jan. 31, 2024). 

CEBULSKI: Yep, during Black History Month. The Daughters of the Dragon is such a cool name. It’s such a cool concept that we’ll be celebrating [them] in certain places next year as well, but the plans aren’t solidified yet as they are for Iron Fist.

IAIF: Colleen reached new heights in popularity when Jessica Henwick portrayed her in Netflix and Marvel’s Iron Fist back in 2017. What do you think makes her an enduring character despite her relative obscurity prior to the TV series?

CEBULSKI: I wouldn’t call her a relatively obscure character prior to the TV series, but yes, a lesser known, maybe. The life that’s been breathed into all those characters with their relationships and their abilities, and the fact that they don’t fit specific stereotypes that you saw come out of other books in the 70s, what was so interesting for me and I think has led to her longevity and her increased popularity of late, is she’s finding more of a global audience through the TV series and also now in the comics. It’s a character that we definitely want to start bringing a new chapter into her book next year.

IAIF: Actually, I was wondering if you’ll pursue a Daughters of the Dragon one-shot as well to celebrate their anniversaries.

CEBULSKI: Maybe. We don’t know just yet. Could be. 

IAIF: Misty is among the most prominent black female characters in comics, and not just in Marvel Comics. What would you attribute to her rise in prominence over the past few years?

CEBULSKI: I think it’s just been the fact that we’ve taken her out of the kind of, let’s say street-level universe that the Power Man and Iron Fist, and the Daughters of the Dragon have lived in, and focused more on her in other books, particularly the Spider-Man world.

She was a large part of Spider-Man, and now she’s a big part of Miles Morales’ universe. The way that she’s broken out and she’s a part of the ACD, the Aberrant Crimes Division of New York City, you’ve just seen writers really take to her because she’s a character, again, who stood the test of time. But with more black writers coming in, with a focus on diversity and inclusion, she’s a character that stood out [and has] been a popular character for so many people, that the writers and the artists are giving her more prominence as well as the editors who want to use her [in other titles] a little bit more. 

She has been relegated to that street-level section of the Marvel Universe for so long where people have finally identified [that] she’s more than just a normal human with [a bionic] arm. She’s bigger than that. When writers and artists can focus on a character and help them grow, no matter where they’re from, it’s always great. 

She’s had her time and that time will continue. You’re only going to see her get bigger, especially [since] we have an event next year, coming up called Bloodhunt. Leinil Yu did the promo piece for it. There’ll be more details coming [up] on that and Misty’s gonna play a pretty big role in that as well. 

IAIF: Oh, that’s so cool! And she’s coming to her own as a leader as well with Heroes for Hire and sometimes leading other groups [of heroes], and she’s not backing down from anybody. I think she became even more prominent because she’s now in a relationship with Sam Wilson (Captain America).

CEBULSKI: Yep, exactly.

IAIF: Danny and Misty were in a lengthy relationship that spanned almost as long as they have been around. Though they’re each in a different place romantically (Danny is dating around unlike Misty), do you see the two of them ever getting back together? ‘Coz I know there are a lot of Danny-Misty fans.

CEBULSKI: Yeah, I’m gonna do no comment and wait and see on that one. 

IAIF: (Laughs) Ok, that sounds like a yes to me. Just kidding! 

This next question, this is just me asking for your preference. Danny and Misty were lovers in the comics, but Danny and Colleen were an item in the TV series. So now which couple are you shipping?

CEBULSKI: (Laughs) Again, no comment.

(Both laugh)

IAIF: We don’t want to piss off any fan bases, right?

Finally, what are your birthday wishes for Iron Fist, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight?

CEBULSKI: (Laughs) Birthday wishes! I’m in control of their birthdays so I can make any of their wishes come true!

No, I just hope that the legacy—their legacies—all continue, [and] that fans feel that what we’re going to be doing with them in 2024 is taking them to the next level, and that they like where we’re going. 

Characters have to change, [and] they have to grow, but the most important thing is that you don’t forget about the legacy in the past, that we build upon what has come before, and what all the amazing creators have done before. Every book in your long box has to count, so to speak, and you can’t retcon things and forget that.

Even though Danny’s had some big changes in his life, we’ve been very respectful to his legacy in the Iron Fist, and those changes are going to continue for him and some of the supporting members. My birthday wish is that people will love and enjoy what we’re doing with the characters just as much as we as editors and creators enjoy where we’re taking them. 

IAIF: Thank you so much, C.B.! This was a great interview!

CEBULSKI: Thank you!