---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I like about my character: Luke Cage…"
description: "\"What I like about my character: Luke Cage is a person first and foremost. We do have other black superheroes, but he's important because he's touchable..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg"
---

#  What I like about my character: Luke Cage is a person…

![“What I like about my character: Luke Cage is a person first and foremost. We do have other black superheroes, but he's important because he's touchable. Luke has moments when he has to try to forget his pain, but then, unlike the rest of us, he's also able to channel that frustration into fighting…” quote by Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg)

> “What I like about my character: Luke Cage is a person first and foremost. We do have other black superheroes, but he's important because he's touchable. Luke has moments when he has to try to forget his pain, but then, unlike the rest of us, he's also able to channel that frustration into fighting bad guys. Real martyrs aren't trying to be martyrs.”

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The character is portrayed as a relatable hero whose pain fuels his fight against injustice, showing authenticity over archetype.

**In simple terms:** Luke Cage is a relatable hero using pain to fight.

Key Takeaway

Embrace authenticity in heroism.

Themes

relatability heroism pain justice authenticity

Mood

inspirational hopeful

Type

character analysis motivational

When to use this quote

- personal growth
- community activism
- overcoming trauma
- media representation

Key Concepts

Character study social representation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does relatability affect impact?
- What
- can personal pain be a source of strength?

A Different Perspective

May simplify complex social issues into personal struggle.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) [Bad guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guys/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Comic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comic/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/)

## Related quotes

> [The success of 'Luke Cage' breaking Netflix was the reason why we have 'Black Panther' and why we have 'Black Lightning,' 'Cloak &amp; Dagger,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-missick/the-success-of-luke-cage-breaking-netflix-was-the-reason-why-we-have/)

[Simone Missick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-missick/)

> [Luke Cage is using his open hand instead of a closed fist. It's a little disrespectful but it's very effective. Some people call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/luke-cage-is-using-his-open-hand-instead-of-a-closed-fist-it-s-a/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I pretty much spend most of my time in the gym bulking up and staying fit and putting muscle on so I can play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-pretty-much-spend-most-of-my-time-in-the-gym-bulking-up-and-staying/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [What I enjoyed about being in the world of Jessica Jones, as Luke Cage, is that I wasn't front and center because it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/what-i-enjoyed-about-being-in-the-world-of-jessica-jones-as-luke-cage/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I didn't sit around thinking, 'I'd love to play Luke Cage,' but when the character was presented, I did my research, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-didn-t-sit-around-thinking-i-d-love-to-play-luke-cage-but-when-the/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I am not walking around looking like Luke Cage does at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-am-not-walking-around-looking-like-luke-cage-does-at-all/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [The primary thing that I enjoy about Luke Cage is that he has a morality about him but it's conflicted. He's never sure what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/the-primary-thing-that-i-enjoy-about-luke-cage-is-that-he-has-a/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I don't think Luke Cage as a superhero is something that has changed dramatically from the '70s to now. He's a black man going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-don-t-think-luke-cage-as-a-superhero-is-something-that-has-changed/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Luke Cage isn't going to throw a pity party for himself. He literally says to himself, 'This is the world I'm in. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/luke-cage-isn-t-going-to-throw-a-pity-party-for-himself-he-literally/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [What makes Luke Cage unique isn't him being black. Yes, he is black, but he has other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/what-makes-luke-cage-unique-isn-t-him-being-black-yes-he-is-black-but/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [ I'll get a nice little break, after doing Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Whether I'm in \[his show\], I don't know, but there's The… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-ll-get-a-nice-little-break-after-doing-jessica-jones-and-luke-cage/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I think anyone in New York City could look at Luke Cage and say, 'Hey, this guy could help me out.' I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-anyone-in-new-york-city-could-look-at-luke-cage-and-say-hey/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [As far as someone who I would like to work with - this is super out of the box, and I have put this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-patton/as-far-as-someone-who-i-would-like-to-work-with-this-is-super-out-of/)

[Candice Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-patton/)

> [My 'Black Panther' run really wasn't about Black Panther. It was about Ross. It was about exploding myths about black superheroes, black characters, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/my-black-panther-run-really-wasn-t-about-black-panther-it-was-about/)

[Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/)

> [What really, really inspires me is that you don't see many black superheroes on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-younge/what-really-really-inspires-me-is-that-you-don-t-see-many-black/)

[Adrian Younge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-younge/)

## More by Mike Colter

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I think when people talk about art imitating life, you're in real time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-think-when-people-talk-about-art-imitating-life-you-re-in-real-time/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I'm a bit bored of going to the gym! I'm like, 'Someone put me out of my misery - I can't do this anymore!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-m-a-bit-bored-of-going-to-the-gym-i-m-like-someone-put-me-out-of-my/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [As an actor, you just want to continue to work on things that you like. You can be in this business a long time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/as-an-actor-you-just-want-to-continue-to-work-on-things-that-you-like/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Sometimes you don't know the effect of words until you hear it used on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/sometimes-you-don-t-know-the-effect-of-words-until-you-hear-it-used/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [As long as I didn't have to put on the tiara and the chains and the big yellow shirt for the whole series, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/as-long-as-i-didn-t-have-to-put-on-the-tiara-and-the-chains-and-the/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Love, for me, is always wanting the best for the other person even if it's not what's best for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/love-for-me-is-always-wanting-the-best-for-the-other-person-even-if/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Some people in America don't ever interact with black people outside of television, so we should give them real, believable characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/some-people-in-america-don-t-ever-interact-with-black-people-outside/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I'm always game for creating a new character, and I liked the idea of putting something new into the 'Halo' universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-m-always-game-for-creating-a-new-character-and-i-liked-the-idea-of/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [History repeats itself over and over again, but most of us have short memories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/history-repeats-itself-over-and-over-again-but-most-of-us-have-short/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I'm a very un-excitable person. I always take things with a grain of salt, I'm always very even-keeled, and I'm always waiting for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-m-a-very-un-excitable-person-i-always-take-things-with-a-grain-of/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I met some people in college and I kept cracking away until someone pointed me in the right direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-met-some-people-in-college-and-i-kept-cracking-away-until-someone/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [A lot of times in life, women want to talk, but men don't want to listen, and if they do want to listen, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/a-lot-of-times-in-life-women-want-to-talk-but-men-don-t-want-to/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [I like to take a break, but at the same time, I think most actors are not very good at sitting around doing nothing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-like-to-take-a-break-but-at-the-same-time-i-think-most-actors-are/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Never say "never" about anything, because if you do, life has a way of humbling you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/never-say-never-about-anything-because-if-you-do-life-has-a-way-of/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

[Explore all 133 Mike Colter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

## More Bad guy quotes

> [“This is what is called "honor among thieves," for the really dangerous people are those who do not recognize that they are thieves— the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/this-is-what-is-called-honor-among-thieves-for-the-really-dangerous/)

[Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/)

[Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/)

> [“Here you can shoot the bad guys,' a mercenary says in Baghdad. 'In America we give them corporate bonuses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-robotham/here-you-can-shoot-the-bad-guys-a-mercenary-says-in-baghdad-in/)

[Michael Robotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-robotham/)

> [To us, being the bad guys is cool, because we always root for the bad guys in the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/to-us-being-the-bad-guys-is-cool-because-we-always-root-for-the-bad/)

[Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/)

> [In 'Gran Torino,' Eastwood moves towards the climax of the movie not by staging a shoot-out, but by putting his weapons to one side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/in-gran-torino-eastwood-moves-towards-the-climax-of-the-movie-not-by/)

[Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/)

> [In order to have your best good guy, you have to be that bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/in-order-to-have-your-best-good-guy-you-have-to-be-that-bad-guy/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [After I did 'Brooklyn,' I did about five or six violent films in one way or another, and not always with me being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/after-i-did-brooklyn-i-did-about-five-or-six-violent-films-in-one-way/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [The first act is the easiest to plot. The second act is always the hardest to plot. Generally a good, you know, sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-cannell/the-first-act-is-the-easiest-to-plot-the-second-act-is-always-the/)

[Stephen J. Cannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-cannell/)

> [“We fall into the fallacy of believing we can litigate the complicated story before us into a black-and-white binary of good guys and bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-lowery/we-fall-into-the-fallacy-of-believing-we-can-litigate-the-complicated/)

[Wesley Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-lowery/)

> [“If there was a bad guy we could appeal to the people because, like it or not, we, the huddled masses, want our public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/if-there-was-a-bad-guy-we-could-appeal-to-the-people-because-like-it/)

[Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/)

> [But the thing about bad guys is that they have the biggest bosomed blond, they have great clothes and cars, and get great death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-roberts/but-the-thing-about-bad-guys-is-that-they-have-the-biggest-bosomed/)

[Eric Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-roberts/)

> [I don't know what it is that I do, but when I play a really bad guy, I'm able to bring some level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ferrer/i-don-t-know-what-it-is-that-i-do-but-when-i-play-a-really-bad-guy-i/)

[Miguel Ferrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ferrer/)

> [In my career, I've been lucky to do the bad guys that are more interesting, where the audience wants to spend more time with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stormare/in-my-career-i-ve-been-lucky-to-do-the-bad-guys-that-are-more/)

[Peter Stormare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stormare/)

> [Playing a bad guy is always more fun than playing the good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/playing-a-bad-guy-is-always-more-fun-than-playing-the-good-guy/)

[Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/)

[Browse all 1,228 Bad guy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What I like about my character: Luke Cage is a person first and foremost. We do have other black superheroes, but he's important because he's touchable. Luke has moments when he has to try to forget his pain, but then, unlike the rest of us, he's also able to channel that frustration into fighting bad guys. Real martyrs aren't trying to be martyrs.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mike Colter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage-is-a-person-first-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad guy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage-is-a-person-first-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/mike-colter-3338_bad-guy_what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage_2120426.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What I like about my character: Luke Cage is a person first and foremost. We do have other black…” — Mike Colter",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mike Colter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What I like about my character:...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage-is-a-person-first-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/what-i-like-about-my-character-luke-cage-is-a-person-first-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
