The power of hardcore fandom is at an all-time high for better and for worse across the world of superhero media in the modern day. One extremely popular movement to restore a beloved but once-discarded chunk of a larger cinematic universe was kept alive by years of public interest in a revival, and it finally has an answer.
The Netflix Marvel series were a mixed bag, but many fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would eagerly describe Daredevil as one of the best products ever produced by the franchise. In the messy acquisition of those series by Disney+, the show was canceled after three successful seasons. Now, four years after its cancelation, the show is coming back.
Daredevil: Born Again was finally revealed at SDCC, causing excitement and joy from a huge percentage of the MCU's fanbase. Over the past few years, fans have eagerly sought the slightest hint of the series' two big stars. Both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio have reprised their roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the show's cancelation. Cox's Matt Murdock popped up in Spider-Man:No Way Home, and he'll be back for both Freshman Year and She-Hulk. D'Onofrio has only shown up as Kingpin once, in the Disney+ series Hawkeye. Marvel has been teasing fans with these performers so much that their legend has grown out of control. With the show finally revealing itself, should fans be expecting a return to form, or a cheap repackaging of what they used to love?
News is limited since the fact that Born Again is happening at all was a big reveal. The panel didn't show off any footage or shots of the series, it just dropped the title and release date. The show will be coming to Disney+ Spring 2024. The one other big piece of information is the cast. Rest assured, the only two names fans were waiting to hear are attached. Charlie Cox will be reprising his role as Daredevil, as he has evidently been thrilled to do at every opportunity. He seems to genuinely love the role and wants the series to continue, so it's great to have him back for more. Vincent D'Onofrio is also returning as Kingpin, the villain so immediately beloved that he single-handedly broke the bad Marvel villain trend. With both lead actors returning, even if the show doesn't live up to its predecessor, it'll bring in fans excited to see the reunion.
The title also holds some possible clues to the direction of the new series. Like many Marvel projects, the new series borrows the name of a famous comic book run, in this case, Frank Miller's 1986 run. While Marvel often subverts or abandons the source material, they often provide some basic outline for the plot or characters on display. The problem is, that Born Again was already loosely adapted into the third season of the original series. Its central elements, which saw Matt Murdock become more violent and paranoid as the Kingpin ramped up efforts to kill him, formed the backbone of that series. The show threw in Bullseye and the corrupt DEA agents for flavor. This means that most of what could make it to the screen probably won't. That series also featured Karen Page turning to adult film to support her heroin habit, a super-soldier named Nuke, and Murdock losing his law license and working in a diner. It's intensely grim, and they probably won't adapt what's left of it. The title's likely just a charming way to reference the series' hiatus.
Fans know the two big names in front of the camera, but a couple of writers have also been revealed. Chris Ord and Matt Corman are the only credited writers so far. Ord and Corman write as a duo, sharing credit on most of their projects. Those projects include the 2010 spy dramaCovert Affairs, which the pair created together for 75 episodes. The show told the tale of a CIA agent trying to adjust to a double life in the intelligence industry. It's relatively well-received, but far from prestige TV. The pair also have writing credits on shows like The Enemy Within and The Brave. Ord and Corman are also credited as executive producers. Kevin Feige and Chris Gary are also credited as producers, but they're the only other names on the sheet.
The big concern for many fans is tone. Daredevil and the other Marvel Netflix shows were able to deal with more mature subject matter than the larger MCU. It was free from the obligations of tying in with other projects and able to exist in its own universe. Marvel killed that version of the series to create this one specifically to put it into their profit model. It's hard to believe that the MCU could make something as unique as Daredevil without washing off all the blood and lightening up the tone. Fans will have to wait and see whether Matt Murdock really is back in proper form when Daredevil: Born Again premieres in early 2024.