Kaitlyn Murphy
Last week, Marvel Studios dropped a bombshell announcement on fans— Disney+ show Daredevil: Born Again is getting a full creative reboot.
The writers’ strike halted production on the show, which had a completed script and episodes in the filming process. Marvel executive Kevin Feige allegedly reviewed the footage and decided to let go of the show’s writers, a sign that the show just wasn’t right.
This isn’t the first time concerns were raised about Daredevil: Born Again. While Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Bernthal will reprise their roles as Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk and Frank Castle, a few crucial actors have been left out of the reboot.
In August of this year, it was reported that Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson would not be returning as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, Murdock’s business partners and best friends. It’s hard to imagine a Daredevil story that they’re not a part of, since the trio’s dynamic was one of the most endearing aspects of the original series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daredevil: Born Again was more of a “legal procedural” that “did not resemble the Netflix version,” which was a major issue. It was also reported that Murdock didn’t suit up in the Daredevil costume until episode four.
The original three-season Daredevil show is beloved by fans because of its dark, gritty nature that’s much different from MCU projects that typically opt out of showing intense violence and gore.
Season one of Daredevil has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with seasons two and three not far behind. The combination of audience and critical acclaim is surely daunting for any writer, director or showrunner looking to sign onto the reboot, since they have to deliver the caliber fans expect for a Daredevil project.
Now, there’s also the issue of the show’s transition from Netflix to Disney+. While Daredevil was originally a Netflix production with Netflix maturity ratings guidelines and branding, Born Again is set to be a Disney+ original.
When the Marvel Netflix shows including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher and more transferred over to Disney+, the streaming service had to create a new option to set parental controls on users’ accounts.
This way, mature films and shows would not be displayed on younger Disney+ users’ profiles. This change raises the question— will Born Again deliver the same grittiness as the original series, or be “Disney-fied,” like some people say happened to the Star Wars sequel films.
Cox also added that he wonders if it’s possible to appeal to a younger Disney+ audience, while still keeping the framework Daredevil laid.
It’s a tricky situation for Marvel, since they can’t seem to decide on how to present Daredevil in an MCU setting. He took on a serious lawyer cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, but then a comedic and love interest role in She-Hulk last year.
Hopefully, this rewrite of Daredevil: Born Again will clear up any confusion on the character’s position in the MCU, and satisfy fans who’ve been with him since 2015.
