While some Marvel fans have been a bit lukewarm on some of the more recent releases from the MCU, one thing that everyone seems to be anticipating more than anything else is the Daredevil series. Daredevil: Born Again is the upcoming dedicated series debut for Daredevil, and his brief appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk have gotten everyone excited. While the series is shaping up to be promising, some recent developments have given people some pause.
Whenever creative changes take place, fans always tend to get a bit defensive, and it’s hard for anyone to blame them. When something seems like a sure success, any kind of major change can signal a variety of different things, and when it comes to a beloved and lesser-used character like Daredevil, hopes are high for something excellent. With the Netflix series to compare it to, Daredevil: Born Again has some big shoes to fill when it eventually releases.
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What Changes Were Made For Daredevil: Born Again?
While many will undoubtedly know of the incredible writers' strike that took place only a short while ago, that wasn’t actually the catalyst for the potentially concerning changes. Instead, after a handful of episodes for the series were shot, it was supposedly shown to the man himself, Kevin Feige (among other higher-ups) and clearly he wasn’t loving what he saw. It seems that the series simply wasn’t working for what those behind the big plans at Marvel were looking for, and as a result, writers and directors were fired. While some aspects of what is already shot are said to be usable, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t significant changes coming despite having already shot multiple episodes.
The entire aim of the show itself is said to be the main target of the massive changes on the fly. This makes sense once the fact that the series seemed to function more like a legal drama than anything else. With a massive change in writers, directors, and the overall aim and style of the story, fans of Daredevil have a lot of opinions. The series has had a lot of reported changes, and even more reactions, but it’s not yet clear whether or not those changes will end up being for the good or for the better.
Why Fans Shouldn’t Be Worried
One of the biggest reasons why fans shouldn’t be worried about this massive change is the fact that it’s happening at all. Marvel could have easily allowed a series focusing much more on procedural legal drama to come out and justified it by saying they wanted to try something new, but instead, they scrapped what they felt wasn’t working. The fact that Marvel isn’t scrapping all of their work shows that the higher-ups are looking at things with a clear mind. They intend to cut the fat of what’s been made and make sure that what fans get is much closer to the classic PG-13 MCU action and adventures everyone has come to love.
Another major reason fans shouldn’t be worried is that the decision to make sweeping changes shows that, for the first time in a while, Marvel may have a serious vision of what their Daredevil show needs to be. Obviously, the MCU Daredevil will be and is rather different than the darker and more brooding Netflix version, but that doesn’t mean Marvel isn’t interested in recapturing some of that edge the character once had. Whatever changes Marvel feels need to be made are clearly necessary, and it shows that the studio knows they need a big win with the character.
All of this goes even further because fans of the Daredevil character should be excited, as the willingness to make such decisions signals that the character may have a major role to play moving forward. If Marvel so desperately wants Daredevil to work both creatively and with the fans in the MCU, it’s entirely likely that more team-ups and even a potential slot on the Avengers in the works for the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Changes absolutely can be scary, but that doesn’t mean that every time a big change occurs, it is the absolute end of the world.
Why Fans Should Be Worried
On the other side of the coin, there are a few legitimate reasons why fans of Daredevil should be worried. First and foremost is Marvel’s recent track record, which to some fans, hasn’t been great. The fact that Marvel has to re-do aspects of already shot material, fire writers and directors, and have everything reworked shows that the studio didn’t do enough homework and preplanning with those involved in the series, and additionally failed to oversee them. While directors and writers should have some level of freedom, if Marvel has a united vision that includes Daredevil, they need to make sure his show will do exactly what they need it to keep the overall MCU story moving forward.
Then there is the risk of too much overcorrection. If Marvel’s executives felt like the direction of the show was too boring and didn’t work, there is potential for a new focus to diverge too much from the legal aspect of Daredevil as a character that is so central. Fans don’t need any kind of gritty legal drama in place of their superhero show, but that doesn’t mean that well-written legal proceedings couldn’t or shouldn’t be included. However, it should be said that thanks to Marvel’s previous track record with the behind-the-scenes of She-Hulk, the writing team needs to be equipped to handle interesting writing if actual legal scenes are to be included.
A final reason fans should be worried comes down to the creative aspect. While the show may not have been working, that may just be from the standpoint of what has traditionally worked in the MCU. Oddballs have succeeded in the MCU, something that is clear when looking at Werewolf By Night, Moon Knight, and even the Guardians Of The Galaxy, but it could be argued that all of those featured plenty of action as well. A legal procedural is an interesting avenue to explore creatively, especially if the writers are of high caliber, providing another unique outing for the MCU. All it would need is a bit more action injected to keep it feeling like the MCU, but now it is much more likely the series will feel more like Marvel going through the motions.