The Marvel Cinematic Universe creates strong responses from fans and critics. Almost every entry has an assigned value among the fanbase.Daredevilis a fan favorite, prompting Disney to bring the series back for a revival. Part of what fans love aboutDaredevilis its unique position in the franchise. While modern Marvel projects feel like tangled messes of callbacks and continuity,Daredevilis a solid standalone story. Many fans unfortunately forget the subtle and clever waysDaredeviltied itself to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Continuity has become a dirty wordin the modern MCU. Fans are sick of having to watch every show and movie to understand the projects they want to see. While the problem is unquestionably overstated, the cinematic universe model is no longer a selling point. This leads to several Marvel outings proudly proclaiming themselves independent and standalone. While the franchise rarely delivers on that promise, the fact that it works as a pitch suggests a sea change in the movie-watching public.
Dario Scardapane
Stars
Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Deborah Ann Woll, and Elden Henson
18
Release Date
March 2025
Marvel has been teasing aDaredevilrevival for a few years. Vincent D’Onofrio’s excellent take on Kingpin returned after a six-year absence to play the final boss inHawkeye. Only a month later,Spider-Man: No Way Homebrought Charlie Cox backto play Matt Murdock as a respected New York City attorney for superheroes. Matt would return for an episode ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, giving everyone a reminder of what they loved about Cox’s performance.Echois the biggest culprit. Looking back at the instantly forgotten miniseries, Disney damaged that show massively by trying to make it a five-episode teaser forDaredevil: Born Again. The show came as part of the newMarvel Spotlight brand, which promised disconnected shows that required no homework to enjoy. Sure enough,Echosold itself with D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, who became the show’s main villain. The first episode saw Daredevil make a cameo to influence the plot and rehash the original show’s visual style. The final episode sets Kingpin on the path to his position inBorn Again. Finally,Daredevil: Born Againwill attempt to recapture the Netflix series' glory when it hits Disney+ in March 2025.
The immediate failure of the Marvel Spotlight brand only has one lesson to teach. Fans want shows with very little connection to the MCU.Echodidn’t offer that, but it did focus heavily on a personal story about a semi-new character. When people say they want something likeDaredevil, they don’t necessarily mean they want something set in its own universe. They mean they want something gritty, meaningful, mature, well-executed, and distinct.Daredeviltook place in Hell’s Kitchen, a neighborhood in Manhattan’s West Side. The series begins in 2015, three years after Loki led an army of Chitauri invaders that almost destroyed the city. That seems unrelated, but it provides the inciting incident for the series.
The new crime wave in Hell’s Kitchen developed out of the Battle of New York and its resulting destruction. The first few episodes depict Wilson Fisk gradually consuming the varied crime organizations and massive corporate corruption at the heart of the new New York City. Union Allied, the construction company Karen almost died trying to expose, won the contracts to clean up the cityafter Loki blew halfof it up.Daredevilis, in part, a show about the long-term effects of the God of Mischief leading Thanos’s alien army into human territory.Daredevildoesn’t waste time on cameos or callbacks, but it depicts the world ofThe Avengersfrom a new perspective. That’s the perfect way to handleDaredevilin the MCU.
Daredevil: Born Againshould use continuity in clever ways
What people want from the MCU’s shared universe gimmick is the feeling that all of these very different movies and shows somehow inhabit the same reality.Doctor Strange’s magical Sanctum Sanctorumsits just down the street from Jessica Jones' Alias Investigations office, and that’s fun to imagine. This level of engagement with the MCU is fun to think about and easy to accomplish. No one wants constant cameos, callbacks, and hidden details established in other series.Daredevil: Born Againwill take place in a very different New York City. Let the events of every previous Marvel movie and show affect Matt Murdock’s life. Use the street-level perspective to explore new takes on familiar materials. Spend the overwhelming majority of the timeon Matt’s personal story, but consider the reality of sharing that city with Spider-Man, Hawkeye, and Doctor Strange. They don’t have to show up to let the audience feel their impact.
Daredevilcaptured elements of the comics that few other Marvel projects explore. The show is unique in several ways, but some fans unfairly focus on some to the detriment of others.Daredevilhas adult themes, R-rated violence, a grim and gritty tone, and enough blood to feel like it’s “for adults.” The great part about comics is that it can do all of that and still be part of the media franchise it stepped out of. LetDaredevil: Born Againgive the world a new perspective on the modern MCU.
