How Mike Colter Became Marvel Superhero Luke Cage

— -- It might just be that Mike Colter was meant to be a superhero.

His deep voice will stop you in your tracks. At 6-foot-3, with broad shoulders, his presence is immediately known in a room.

Colter is the newest entry into Marvel’s superhero world, playing the role of Luke Cage. He stopped by ABC News' “Popcorn With Peter Travers” to talk about his show’s long-awaited debut.

"'Luke Cage' is a show that if you’re not a superhero fanatic, that’s OK," Colter said. “This show is designed for people who just like good dramas. It’s a 13-episode format that allows you to explore this character who was put into prison, wrongly convicted and experimented on illegally.”

Download the all new "Popcorn With Peter Travers" podcasts on iTunes, Google Play Music and Stitcher.

And for those viewers not familiar with the character, there’s more you should know.

“He has these powers and these abilities and then he uses them to escape,” said Colter, 40. “By the way, he has unbreakable skin, super strength, endurance [to] cold, heat, all that stuff.”

“When he makes his move, he’s suddenly got a small war on his hands," he added "And he’s equipped to deal with this but the people around him aren’t necessarily equipped to deal with it.”

If you are geeking out at this point, you are not alone. Marvel fans first got a sneak peek of Luke Cage in action in Netflix’s “Daredevil” and “Jessica Jones.” Now it’s his turn to be front and center.

But here’s a warning if you’re new to the superhero world: Once you step in, you’re likely to be hooked.

Cage’s tough guy character also has a sensitive side. Colter said it was the bedroom scenes with Krysten Ritter, who plays Jessica Jones, that helped him truly develop the role.

“In some of the scenes with her, in the bed, some of the silences and some of the exchanges between our characters really clued me in to who he was,” Colter said. “He has this confidence and air about him, but it takes a real, strong confident man to support a female who is the primary character, but also the lead in the story line. Sometimes it’s difficult to be just there and be in that supporting role without feeling insecure. Luke was OK with that. He knew that she could handle herself. But if she needed him, he was there.”

Some fans might recognize Colter from his role as a boxer in the Oscar-winning film “Million Dollar Baby.” Or maybe you remember him as the drug lord on the hit legal drama “The Good Wife.” He told Travers that acting is always something he’s wanted to do.

“This is a gift. It’s not something I take for granted,” Colter said. “It’s something that if you’re lucky and you can do whatever you want to do with your life and you’re happy doing it, then it’s no longer a job and you have a career and you can kind of enjoy it.”

Be sure to watch Mike Colter's full interview with Peter Travers in the video above. “Luke Cage” is available on Netflix today.