Marvel / Netflix "Luke Cage" actor Mahershala Ali who plays Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes says his character is a complicated villain.
Ali said that Stokes is more than what meets the eye. He went to say that his character has a polarizing effect and is not a straight up villain but someone who is evil "in the eyes of Cage [Mike Colter]," Screen Rant reported.
In an interview, Ali said that his approach to meaty characters is not one dimensional. He said that he tries to make his characters grounded as much as possible.
"With these villain characters, it's about trying to make them human, because often they're written in a way that is so slanted. And honestly, this really wasn't the case with me on Luke Cage. Cottonmouth on Luke Cage-he's really not a quote-unquote "bad guy," he told Deadline.
Ali also described his role in "Luke Cage" as the most demanding experience. He said that the clash between Cage and Stokes is complicated - one which has many aspects that include family legacy, responsibility, business and manhood. Even though its characters are based on comic books, which to a degree removed from reality, at core it is really about two men with conflicting principles.
Prior to joining "Luke Cage," Ali also appeared in "House of Cards" which is also an original Netflix series.
In the comic books, Cottonmouth is one of the leading crime bosses in New York who tried to recruit Cage into his organization. His criminal enterprise controlled most of the heroine trade in the City.
"Luke Cage" is slated for a release on September 30, 2016.
