When And How To Watch ‘Iron Fist’ On Netflix

There’s a new Defender in town. “Iron Fist” completes the quartet of Marvel superheroes on Netflix. Those who want to be first to see it will need to pull an all-nighter. Like all Netflix shows, the release time is set for early in the morning.

“Iron Fist” Season 1 premieres Friday, March 17 on Netflix. Unfortunately, those in Danny Rand’s hometown of New York will have to wait until 3 a.m. EDT to watch it. Those on the west coast will be able to watch at 12 a.m. PDT.

If you haven’t boarded the Netflix train before, it’s pretty easy to create an account. New users get a free 30-day trial, which might be enough time to add binge-watching sessions for the “Iron Fist” predecessors, “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Luke Cage.” You can watch on Netflix’s website or the app.

While the show is debuting on St. Patrick’s Day, it is not Irish culture that permeates the series. Instead, “Iron Fist” is heavily influenced by Asian culture. Danny Rand (Finn Jones) returns to New York after spending most of his life being trained by monks in the Himalayas to harness the power of the Iron Fist.

Kung fu movies inspired the character of Danny Rand, and many hoped that the TV show would finally make the character an Asian man. Finn Jones, a white man, was chosen for the role, which caused some controversy. After the first few episodes were given to critics, more claims of cultural appropriation ensued. Criticisms have accused the show of following the white savior trope and being offensive as well as just plain boring.

READ: Critics Slam ‘Iron Fist’

This is the first Netflix/Marvel show that has been critically panned before its debut. Jones has tried to defend the show. He told Metro UK that true comic book fans would appreciate the series more than critics. He then blamed the poor reception on President Donald Trump.

“I’m playing a white American billionaire superhero, at a time when the white American billionaire archetype is public enemy No. 1, especially in the US,” he told Radio Times. “We filmed the show way before Trump’s election, and I think it’s very interesting to see how that perception, now that Trump’s in power, how it makes it very difficult to root for someone coming from white privilege, when that archetype is public enemy No. 1.”

Ultimately, it will be up to fans to decide what they think about “Iron Fist.” If nothing else, fans should enjoy cameos from fan favorite characters. Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) will be the only character to appear in all of the Marvel/Netflix shows. Meanwhile, Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) will also appear when someone gets into legal trouble.

“Iron Fist” is the final series before all of Netflix’s superheroes team up for “The Defenders.” The drama will show Jessica, Luke, Danny and Matt working together against a common enemy, played by Sigourney Weaver. The eight-episode series will debut later this year.