Marvel’s New Iron Fist Is Already Getting Trolled By the Original

Now that he is the Immortal Iron Fist no longer, Danny Rand has a few choice complaints for his replacement. Though he served as the weapon of K’un-Lun for years, Rand has stepped back from his position after transferring his power in a bid to save the world. Now, Danny seems to be letting his emotions get the best of him after seeing the new Iron Fist assume the title.

Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane, Iron Fist first appeared in the pages of Marvel Premiere #15. For years, Danny Rand served as the living weapon and guardian of the heavenly city of K’un-Lun, as well as protecting the streets of New York. However, recent years have seen an increased amount of criticism of Danny Rand as Iron Fist, citing his origin being evocative of the white savior trope. The recent miniseries Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon showed Danny officially relinquish the title after giving up his power to save the world from the villainous Hierophant.

It appears that Rand may not be as okay with his decisions as he thought in a new preview of Iron Fist #1 by Alyssa Wong, Michael YG, and Jay David Ramos. While on the phone with his best friend, Luke Cage, Danny is attacked by a crew of monsters. Though he’s still a master of martial arts, he’s no match for the otherworldly beings who appear to overwhelm him. The tide is turned when a hero arrives bearing a symbol Danny is quite familiar with. Rather than a “Thank you,” Danny greets his savior with a few criticisms on the new Iron Fist’s costume choices. Rand refers to the outfit as “cosplay” saying “the color scheme’s off” and “the fit’s too baggy” while the new Iron Fist remains undeterred.

These shallow criticisms are a little unbecoming of someone like Danny, who knows from experience how important being in control of your emotions is to martial arts. While Danny refused to accept the Iron Fist powers of his own free will at the end of Heart of the Dragon, he’s now coming face-to-face with his successor, and it’s no doubt stirring up feelings about his decision. Being the Iron Fist was a large part of Danny’s life, removing him from the blindness of his privilege and leading him to champion causes for the underserved. It’s natural he may feel a pang of regret giving up what’s been a large part of his identity, but his reaction to the new Iron Fist isn’t a good look.

Hopefully, once the initial shock wears off, he’ll be more willing to embrace the opportunity of guiding this new warrior on the same path he walked, just as he was trained by K’un-Lun’s Thunderer and former Iron Fist Orson Randall. It’s more than likely Danny Rand will come around to help the new Iron Fist master his new abilities, but he’s going to have to tone down the snarky comments first. Iron Fist #1 will be available February 16, 2022.

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