The character ofDaredevilsimply doesn’t work without killer fight scenes. Like his superheroic counterparts Shang-Chi, Cassandra Cain, and Iron Fist, Matt Murdock’s entire identity is predicated on his martial arts ability. In the case of Murdock, that ability is good, old-fashioned boxing and brawling.
The original NetflixDaredevilseries really brought the heat in that department, with some genuinely incredible fight scenes coming in each of the three seasons it got on the streaming giant. That has carried over to Charlie Cox’s other appearances as Daredevil inThe Defenders,She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, andEchoas well. So, willDaredevil: Born Againbe able to live up to legacy the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen has built for himself over the past decade? Or will the new Disney+ show simply stumble and hit the mat?
The Hallway Fight That Set The Standard
Daredevil, Season One
This particular fight takes place over a four-minute one-take that really lets the action breathe. When thinking aboutDaredevil, this is likely the scene that springs to mind. It set the tone for the series as a whole, coming in the second episode of the first season. Unlike other superhero shows of that era,this particular series was going to pull no puncheswhen it came to action choreography. The entire skirmish takes place in and out of a hallway with no camera cuts whatsoever. Cox’s Daredevil takes a beating while saving a child from the Russian mob, dodging in and out of view to lay a beatdown of his own. Message sent.
The Stairwell Brawl Vs. The Dogs Of Hell
Daredevil, Season Two
Setting the bar so high with the first season ofDaredevil, the creative team had quite a level to reach and they didn’t disappoint, when it came to the fights at least. The narrative throughline ofDaredevil’s second season wasn’t as cohesive as the first, struggling to tell its own story while simultaneously setting upThe Defendersminiseries as well. While the best fight from the season is the Punisher’s cell block massacre in the ninth episode, Daredevil vs. the Dogs of Hell from the third episode is almost as good, and it actually features the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Trading out a hallway for a stairwell and elevator, Daredevil trades blows with the biker gang to stop them from eliminating Frank Castle. If you’re the type of person who enjoys chain-based fight choreography a la Ghost Rider orKratos of Sparta, this is the tussle for you.
Elektra Against The Defenders
The Defenders
Yeah, soThe Defendersisn’t exactly the best product Marvel Television ever put out. It is, somehow, both too bloated and too small in scale to do justice by any of the characters it brought together. That being said, watching Elektra and the Hand fight against the ragtag superhero team is just a whole mess of fun. Between some unfortunately clumsy camera cuts there is a great fight here. It features the reunion of Elektra and Matt, some great line delivery fromKrysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, and some genuinely impressive moves from Iron Fist. It almost convinces audiences that the MCU’s Danny Rand was good… almost.
The Prison Riot That Upped The Ante
Daredevil, Season Three
This one takes the cake.A true marvel of blocking, choreography, and camerawork, Matt’s prison escape from the third season episode “Blindsided” just might be the best fight scene the MCU has ever produced. Coming in at over ten minutes without a single camera cut, it features a maskless Murdock fighting his way out of a prison Kingpin has taken control of. The brutality on display here is astonishing as stuntmen go flying left and right, with Charlie Cox and his stuntman, Chris Brewster, doing everything in their power to sell the conflict. It’s a long-take that would make even greats such as Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuaron, and David Fincher jealous. Truly, truly astonishing stuff.
She-Hulk Scuffles With The Man Without Fear
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
You might not believe it, but Matt Murdockdoesknow how to have a good time. Charlie Cox finally got to show offthe lighter side of DaredevilinShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, complete with a supersuit that harkens back to Daredevil’s debut look from 1964. Before Murdock and Jennifer Walters' She-Hulk ultimately team-up to stop the actual bad guy, they have to have the prerequisite superhero v. superhero battle. The pair quip back and forth as Matt showcases some of the leaping ability he is known for in the comics that hasn’t made the jump to the small screen all that much. She-Hulk also de-masks him at the end of the fight with very little effort, which is always funny to see, especially in a comedic show such as this one.
Matt Showing Echo What A Real Fight Looks Like
Echo
AlthoughEchocame and went without much fanfareback in January 2024, the five-episode miniseries does feature some hard-hitting fight scenes. Charlie Cox shows up near the end of the first episode after Echo and some of Kingpin’s goons run afoul of Daredevil and promptly see what it is like going up against a superhero. Unlike Kingpin’s cronies, Echo manages to hold her own against Daredevil in a pretty brutal tête-à-tête with numerous handheld weapons and some serious blows.
What Will Daredevil: Born Again’s Standout Fight Be?
We know Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher are returning. Footage of a fight between Daredevil and Bullseye has been released.Supervillain Muse is finally making his jump from the comic books to the MCU. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen will surely beat up on more than a few lackeys and henchmen along the way. There’s no telling which fight will stand out among the rest or who it will be against, but it is a safe bet that there will be some bodacious battles looking to take the top spot.
Daredevil: Born Again
Cast
After Charlie Cox’s cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home and supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again gives Matt Murdock his first show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Daredevil: Born Again continues the story that started in Netflix’s three-season Daredevil series and sees Wilson Fisk ascend to mayor of New York City.
