Getting Charlie Cox back in the Daredevil suit has been a labor of love. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen was part of the beloved Netflix Marvel series that was effectively killed after Disney’s buyout.
Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Punisher were also on the chopping block. Each show was grittier than the last, forming their own super squad called The Defenders. But it isn’t a stretch to say that Daredevil was the favorite among the group, and for quite a while it seemed unlikely that Matt Murdock would cross over into MCU-land. Now almost half a decade after the Devil used his batons, the unified Marvel universe welcomes him back in the form of Daredevil: Born Again. But this is a feat in and of itself. Cox acknowledged in an interview with Empire Magazine that the series underwent a complete overhaul to create the final product.
“There was talk early on about reinventing the whole thing, to see if Matt was a slightly different person. But it ended up more of a continuation. A lot of the history follows on. The relationships and dynamics set up in the previous seasons still exist.”
This is a relief for fans who were horrified by the news that Marvel had considered killing off Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) off-screen. Soon after, the creative team was fired and they started from scratch. Slated to premiere in March of 2025, Daredevil will feature Matt’s found family of Foggy and Karen.
Charlie Cox sets up Daredevil: Born Again
The plot of Daredevil: Born Again is still mysterious, but the return of fan-favorite characters is more than enough to tide fans over. Along with the return of Nelson & Murdock, Vincent D’Onofrio will reprise his role as Kingpin. This is not a complete surprise since the character resurfaced in Hawkeye and again in Echo. Getting rid of one of Marvel’s most infamous villains isn’t something done lightly. Fans can also expect the return of fan-favorite Jon Bernthal in the role of The Punisher. The Netflix series ended on a bit of a high note as Frank fully accepts his moniker. Still, Cox fills in some of the blanks of what can be expected in the upcoming series.
“A few years have passed. In that time, Matt, Foggy, and Karen have found a pretty good rhythm. Matt’s made peace with his role both as a lawyer and a vigilante. Then, of course, s*** hits the fan.”
This is the sweet spot of the show. In many ways, the Netflix series were origin stories, trying to get the characters to a place where they were the familiar characters of the comics. This is a first step in what hopefully becomes a long and fruitful endeavor. Not seeing Jessica Jones or Luke Cage together again would be a travesty. Luke and Danny have a storied friendship in the comics, and then of course there is the Elektra of it all. Depending on how well Born Again shakes out, Jessica and the rest of the Defenders could find their way into the MCU next.
