Summary
Daredevil: Born Againhas finally arrived on Disney+ with a bang, and now the show’s leading man is weighing in on the first episode’s explosive developments and how it affects the version of the character that fans will see over the rest of the show.
Daredevil: Born Againhad a long and arduous path to get to its recent premiere on Disney+, rising from the ashes of Netflix’s Marvel Television projectDaredevil. Geared towards bringing the character into the mainline MCU,Daredevil: Born Againwould begin development and even film more than a quarter of the total episode count for the series order before it was decided that the show required a complete creative overhaul. This meant new creatives working on the project and a new production paradigm that went on to change Marvel Studios’ entire process. While the end result has been an instant success on Disney+, there are still issues that meanDaredevil: Born Againstill doesn’t hit the samedespite the creative overhaul.
Part of the reason for this missing piece could be thatDaredevil: Born Againhas a multiple-season narrativethat fans will have to let play out over multiple installments of the series. However, that doesn’t mean that the first season doesn’t have some heavy moments, as the very first episode shows fans the death of Foggy Nelson—Matt Murdock’s best friend and business partner—at the hands of the villain Bullseye. Even more impactful is what follows: Daredevil attempts to murder Bullseye in an act of emotional revenge. Speaking toTheWrap, the man behind the iconic horned mask discussed how big a deal this moment was. “It’s massive,” Cox opines. “I mean, obviously there’s something else that happens in that scene that is hugely traumatic and is going to change Matt Murdock for the rest of his life. But that cannot — what you reference, the almost attempted murder, is huge for a person like Matt. I mean, that goes against everything that he is, that he believes. Any thread of faith that he has, that challenges it. That endangers it so much. And I think that going forward, he will spend a lifetime trying to reconcile that moment and try and pull himself further away from it as possible.”
This gritty, brutal approach toDaredevil:Born Againisan aspect of the show that bosses at Marvel Studios encouragedand promoted as a selling point, and it’s clear from the first episode that it’s integral to the story the show is trying to tell. Cox’s Daredevil will never be the same again, crossing the line that has defined characters like Daredevil and Batman for decades. Whereas Batman’s line-crossing usually comes close to the end of his life (giving fans the epicBatman Beyondanimated series, for example), Matt Murdock’s own betrayal of his values won’t be the end, as the hero must once again do battle with the Kingpin. Cox’s co-star Vincent D’Onofrio was also on hand to give his opinion on the pivotal moment and how it affects his character, the Kingpin, as well. “You know, it’s an interesting question too, because as my character, I’ve actually asked him to kill me when he was in a position to do so… and he can’t,” D’Onofrio said. “So it’s a big deal, that. It’s a big deal for Fisk and it’s a big deal for him, simultaneously. For different reasons, obviously, but yeah, it’s not something to be taken lightly.”
Daredevil: Born Again’sshowrunner promised a better, more tense dynamicbetween Fisk and Daredevil than the Netflix show had, and this is likely going to be a big part of it. With Daredevil having approached the edge of that moral precipice, their clashes will forever more be marked by a far more lethal air than previously possible even on the Netflix show. Fans will have to wait till the season finale to get a sense of the scale of the plot that will unravel in the connected second season, but D’Onofrio assures everyone that the journey will be enjoyable as well.
