‘Luke Cage’s Method Man cameo and ‘She-Hulk’s Megan Thee Stallion cameo show the difference between natural storytelling and forced gimmicks.
Having a good cameo is something that every superhero movie fan wants to see. Lately, Marvel has also been focusing on them with the expansion of the multiverse, and Deadpool & Wolverine is one example. However, not every cameo appearance has been a hit in the MCU.
Luke Cage | Credit: Marvel UK YouTube
Cameos like Matt Damon in Thor: Ragnarok, Evan Peters in WandaVision, and Elon Musk in Iron Man 2 are some examples of missed opportunities. However, Netflix series Luke Cage seems to have won in this contest with one unexpected cameo.
Method Man in Luke Cage
Method Man in Luke Cage | Credit: Marvel Television/Disney+
The Marvel TV series Luke Cage first premiered on Netflix in 2016, and now it has officially become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe along with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Defenders.
The Mike Colter starrer show takes place in Harlem, and it explores how Colter’s character, Luke Cage, uses his powers to fight against crime. The show has two seasons, and in the 12th episode of Season 1, Clifford Smith, Jr. aka Method Man makes a memorable cameo appearance.
The name of the episode is Soliloquy of Chaos, and in that particular scene, two robbers are seen robbing a convenience store, and one of them identifies Method Man and starts a conversation. Cage sees the robbery and enters the store. One robber tries to shoot him, but it has no effect, and Cage knocks out both robbers with ease.
Method Man immediately identifies Luke Cage, and they both greet and acknowledge each other. They later swap their hoodies, and Method Man looks impressed with the bullet holes in Cage’s hoodie. He is later seen dedicating a song named Bulletproof Love to Cage on a radio show.
This cameo has been one of the most loved celebrity cameos in the entire MCU history, unlike Megan Thee Stallion‘s cameo in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Stallion’s appearance has been one of the most controversial topics in She-Hulk, and the critics have some valid points too.
Megan Thee Stallion’s She-Hulk Cameo vs. Method Man’s Luke Cage Cameo
In She-Hulk, Stallion’s cameo felt like a desperate attempt to have someone popular for a guest appearance. The story set up for her cameo was that Tatiana Maslany‘s character, Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, was having a legal battle with an Asgardian shapeshifter who shapeshifted to Stallion and scammed another character named Dennis Bukowski.
Bukowski believed he was actually dating the rapper and sued her for the damages. Then the real Megan Thee Stallion showed up, and she chose Walters as her lawyer. In the post-credit scene of that episode, She-Hulk and Stallion are shown dancing it out together.
Now, if both scenarios are compared, it can be seen that Method Man’s cameo was not something that was forced. It flowed naturally with the story. Cage was shown calling Claire Temple in the scene, as he was being hunted by the cops at the time. This preserved the continuity even though it was primarily meant to be a guest appearance scene.
Moreover, Method Man is an iconic rapper from the Wu-Tang Clan, and it fits the backdrop of Harlem as the place is heavily influenced by hip-hop culture. So he appeared less forced in the story. Also, that store incident and Method Man’s rap at the end solidified Cage’s status as a hero.
In contrast, Stallion’s cameo seemed more like a standalone part that had nothing to do with the rest of the story or plot. Even the entire set-up built just to somehow bring and fit Stallion’s appearance, served no purpose to the rest of the show.
Moreover, her twerk scene with She-Hulk affected the whole narrative of Disney and Marvel about having strong and impactful female characters. Also, unlike Method Man, Stallion gave nothing to She-Hulk in return that could help build her character later.
