That’s right, Daredevil fans. At the end of November, one of the most cherished properties in the entire Marvel roster comes back home, thanks to the righteous crusaders of the show, #SaveDaredevil.
And seriously, outside of Season One ingenue Steven DeKnight, how many geckaphiles out there would have bet that moniker would have gone to the man without fear? (I’ll take “NO ONE” for $1,000, Alex.)
This was in June…
Following the first season of Daredevil on Netflix, fans everywhere couldn’t wait to see where, when, and how ‘The Defenders‘ would finally join forces. Following lackluster inaugural efforts from Jessica Jones and “white-privilege-meets-I-read-a-Bruce-Lee-book-once” Iron Fist, we got Cheo Hodari Coker‘s stellar storytelling of Luke Cage.
Fast forward almost three years and it seems the cryostatus of these important properties will begin to thaw at the end of the month. Thank God!
What Daredevil Dared To Do
Daredevil ushered in a new sense to comic live-action fans everywhere — reality. When you watch Avengers, you kind of know you’re not going to bump into this mystical shapeshifter named Loki in the subway. However, a masked guardian angel who can whoop ass on anyone who “dares” him? That could happen in every metropolitan city worldwide.
Steven DeKnight (Spartacus, Smallville, Angel, Pacific Rim) brought us a hero that was unlike any we had seen before from Fox or Marvel Studios. In the Netflix groundbreaking series, Matt Murdoch was a flawed guy — one torn between what was best and what was right. Sure, he had an obstacle but never allowed that to impede him from defending the defenseless.
All three seasons, even following DeKnight’s departure, were gritty, dark, and electric. There wasn’t schmaltzy humor and superheroic foibles. This was a story about a man on a journey for his city, his love, and himself. And it was brilliant. Few series in the CBM world, or any other, have performed as well as Daredevil did.
And why? It seemed and felt real.
Following a night on the town, Daredevil didn’t show a perfect hero; we got a hurt one. Bruises, bones, aches, pains, and personal struggles all to keep both his city and his friends safe from harm. Matt Murdoch is a “street-level” hero and one all of us wanted to follow and cheer on to victory.
No deified powers. No extraterrestrial strengths. Just a man with a heightened sense of hearing, a drive to save the lost, a faith to serve a higher calling, and a skill set that meant he could whoop your ass whenever he deemed necessary.
This was Daredevil and that is the new hero Steven DeKnight brought us all, which is why we deserve to get him back at the end of this month. That is, if Marvel Studios is listening to the fans.
Who Was Daredevil?
Credit: David Glesbrecht/Netflix/DeKnight Productions
From Charlie Cox (Matt/Daredevil) to Elden Henson (Foggy), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page) to Royce Johnson (Sgt. Mahoney), and then of course, the diabolical and damn amazing Vincent D’Onofrio (Wilson Fisk/Kingpin).
This was a stellar cast who deserved better. And let’s not forget all those amazing fight scenes in Daredevil. That was the work of Chris Brewster (@NinjaBrewski), who actually grew up wanting to be a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle”. Guess that worked out…
This series had it all, and then, gone. The crossovers with Luke Cage, gone. The possibility of Heroes for Hire, like it didn’t even exist. Fans were irate and still look for the opportunity to bring this concept to the screen or even Disney Plus (if they dare to air something as raw and real as Daredevil).
So, how will it happen? Marvel Studios is already floating ideas about Daredevil joining the MCU with another disenfranchised property, Spider-Man. There is no confirmation on that connection, and even less news on if Marvel plans on bringing back the original cast or just retooling the entire thing.
In fact, Charlie Cox hasn’t been silent on the subject (although we pray he’s been lying to make his pants catch fire).
For his part, Charlie Cox is either unaware of the rumors or is denying his involvement due to non-disclosure agreements. On April 30, Cox spoke to ComicBook.com to promote a Daredevil watch party during the COVID quarantine. When asked about the rumor mill spinning in his direction, we got this:
I hadn’t heard those rumors…but it’s certainly not with my Daredevil. If that’s true, it’s not with me. It’s with another actor…I think you’ll definitely see Daredevil again. I just think the best bet for them, in the unlikely nature of being able to get all of us together again, it should be a whole new team, and, you know, start again.
Charlie Cox, ComicBook.com, May 2020
Although Daredevil is coming back to Marvel at the end of November, we still some time before we get a ‘Defenders’ reunion. Due to the nature of the contract between Netflix and Marvel, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones won’t be back until late 2021. They have to refrain from using the characters for 18 months after the shows cancellation on Netflix. That means Punisher too.
It’s no secret Kevin Feige knows what he is doing at the helm of Marvel Studios, but for the love of Stan Lee, bring that cast back!
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