John Singleton, director of the "Luke Cage" movie, talked Comics Continuum after the Spider-Man 2 panel last weekend at Wizard World Los Angeles. The man says to expect an announcement regarding the lead actor to be made soon: "I've got a couple of people in mind, but it's premature to say. It's going to be announced in probably a week or so who's going to be Cage...We're working on a new draft and we should be casting really soon."

Singleton confirmed the villain will be Diamondback, the original Hero for Hire comics villain who framed him and had him sent to prison - "And I'm trying to get in some of the other characters, like Chemistro, and maybe the Wrecking Crew or some of the obscure Marvel villains

Singleton confirms that Cage will use his trademark "Sweet Christmas" line in the film: "When I read the script, I bust out laughing when he said that, but he can't wear the yellow shirt and he can't have the chains -- I'm not having that. And it's not like the Richard Corben one, either. I'm doing the movie for one reason, to have him break out of Seagate Prison with his bare hands. It's a fun movie. It's hip. It's so cool. Imagine if 50 Cent got super-powers."

Production is aiming to get started by late summer for a 2005 release.

Thanks to 'KarlChilders'.