Annabella Sciorra Cast as Season 2 Villain in Luke Cage

The Emmy-nominated Soprano’s actress Annabella Sciorra has been cast by Marvel in season two of Netflix’s original series Luke Cage as a major villain. Sciorra’s character, Rosalie Carbone, plays a key role in the upcoming second season, described as a “dangerous downtown criminal underworld power play with an eye, and an agenda, toward Harlem.”

Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker is excited to have Sciorra on board, saying, “I’ve been a huge fan of hers since Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, and Anabella Sciorra is no joke as Rosalie Carbone. You haven’t seen her this gangster since her thrilling turn as Tony’s formidable flame Gloria Trillo on season 3 of The Sopranos. I’m thrilled her introduction to the Marvel Universe will be on Marvel’s Luke Cage.”

Executive producer and Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb added: “We couldn’t be happier to be working with such an incredible talent. This character is complex and layered and Annabella is the perfect actress to portray her.”

Luke Cage himself, Mike Colter, mentioned recently that the second season of the acclaimed Marvel drama will be “a little darker” than its first season, and it sounds like Sciorra’s character will fit in well with the darker tone as the series explores what happens if superheroes were exposed and walking around on the streets.

In the second season, Luke Cage, after clearing his name, has become a celebrity on the streets of Harlem with a reputation as bulletproof as his skin. But being so visible has only increased his need to protect the community and find the limits of who he can and can’t save. With the rise of a formidable new foe, Luke is forced to confront the fine line that separates a hero from a villain.

Mike Colter returns as the titular Luke Cage, with Simone Missick as Misty Knight, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard, Theo Rossi as Shades and Finn Jones as Danny Rand aka Iron Fist. Newcomers to the series so far include Mustafa Shakir (The Deuce, The Night Of) as John McIver, a natural leader, brimming with charisma, whose mission is focused on Harlem and vengeance; and Gabrielle Dennis (Insecure, Rosewood) as Tilda Johnson, a brilliant, holistic doctor with a complicated history in Harlem where, as much as she tries to stay far from trouble, it seems to always find her.

The second season is executive produced by series showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker (Ray Donovan), Jim Chory (Marvel’s Jessica Jones), and Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Jessica Jones), who also serves as Marvel’s Head of Television.

Luke Cage season two will arrive on Netflix on June 22.