It seems that the blind attorney with superhuman senses, Matt Murdock, is struggling with an identity crisis. The Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again finds Murdock has abandoned his life as the horned defender of Hell’s Kitchen.
A year earlier, the vigilante hero retired despite the urge to resume his old ways. So, what drove Murdock to leave the mask of Daredevil behind cold turkey? The upcoming series should have the answer. Furthermore, Marvel has released the schedule for the six episodes for March, with all episodes available to stream exclusively on Disney+.
Marvel Brings Back Iconic Daredevil
As Murdock navigates a regular life as a civilian, the familiar rush of adrenaline that occurs when his anger threatens to boil over is becoming increasingly difficult to stifle. From sipping coffee while catching up on local news to defending a pro-bono client in court, the temptation to put on his iconic costume and mask simmers just below the surface. Due to this internal conflict, Murdock must figure out who he is outside his alter ego.
Disney struggled with an identity crisis with Born Again. While filming the 18-episode first season in 2023, the series’ title hinted at a rebirth of the original Netflix series. Furthermore, the new iteration of the Daredevil’s character is Marvel’s way to reintegrate the street-level superhero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Four years ago, Netflix removed the original series and its Defenders spinoffs, as well as The Punisher. The series has Charlie Cox reunited with his longtime co-star Vincent D’Onofrio, who once again plays the formidable Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin. Jon Bernthal also returns as Frank Castle/The Punisher. Although the details of Daredevil: Born Again required refinement, the creative team behind it had their work cut out for them.
Issues Surrounding Series’ Production
Due to the Hollywood writers’ strike, the production of Born Again would abruptly stop in June. To make matters worse, the actors’ strike further prolonged the pause. During this downtone, Marvel reviewed the footage they’d already shot, which resulted in them coming to a crucial realization.
They believed that the show’s direction wasn’t quite on track with Charlie Cox reiterating that it was somewhat confusing. Specifically, the series’ tone and style were unclear, which would have audiences questioning whether it would continue the original Netflix series or a complete reboot.
The head of Marvel TV, Brad Winderbaum, provided some clarity to address this main concern. Ultimately, the decision boiled down to how much of the Netflix series would be incorporated into the Disney narrative, which was already complex. Overall, they had a daunting task as they had to consider 35 films and 14 Disney+ series.
As Winderbaum reflected on the process from his action figures-filled office, he understood that the team had initially taken a more flexible approach. Following the strike and after reviewing the series, the team realized that the show needed clearer direction.
Major Overhaul in Born Again
In a shocking turn of events, Marvel parted ways with the original Born Again writers, Matt Corman and Chris Ord. In their place, however, they brought in a new showrunner, Dario Scardapane, who had previously worked on The Punisher. As a result of these changes, the first season’s 18 episodes were dropped to nine, with the other 11 episodes allocated to a second season. Notably, the series’ second season is scheduled to commence five days after the first season’s launch on March 4. Additionally, the cast sees the return of several familiar faces, including:
- Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
- Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson
- Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk
- Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye
