Daredevil has had an interesting ride to becoming a fixture in television. The character appeared in the 1989’s The Trial of the Incredible Hulk and has inched his way into the pop-culture zeitgeist with other appearances. The creation of Marvel Studios and its partnership with Netflix cemented the Man Without Fear series in the “required viewing” category. This, in turn, made the character a major player in the era of comic adaptation. With the Netflix series put to rest, Marvel Studios had a chance to either reboot or bring the well-established storyline, tone, and actors to their Disney Plus streaming service.
Fortunately, Marvel Studios made the right move when creating their newest Daredevil series, Daredevil: Born Again, yet the powerhouse wasn’t quite able to replicate the Netflix formula that made the previous such a landmark in television.
Daredevil: Born Again brings us the return of Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox. The show has the savior of Hell’s Kitchen battling wits and fists with his nemesis, Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. Without going too deep into spoiler territory, Matt must go through trial and tribulations to suit up as Daredevil in another battle with The Kingpin, who now holds the position of power as the mayor of New York.
One big question that any show fan would ask is, “Does Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio have what it takes to play their roles again?” Thankfully, yes. The two men have jumped back into the flow of the characters without skipping a beat. Some of the best scenes and dialogue in Daredevil: Born Again occur when the two share the screen. I got a true sense of history between the actors in the show that heavily reminded me of their comic book counterparts.
Cox and D’Onofrio carry this trend throughout most of the season in ways that continually elevate the show. For example, the two start the season by showcasing their need to leave and borderline running away from their alter egos. Murdock and Fisk are constantly being pulled or tempted to go back but fight harder and harder to run away. Cox and D’Onofrio showcase this inner turmoil in a way that signals the two are on an explosive reveal and collision course with one another. Furthermore, those emotions fall equal to the action.
Daredevil: Born Again isn’t laced with many action set pieces; however, you’ll feel them when they happen. The first episode starts familiarly with Matt, Foggy (Elden Henson), and Karen (Deborah Ann Woll). Everything seems all right in their world until it’s interrupted in a way that would set the show’s tone. What follows is a series of heart-pumping moments that reminded me of those memorable hallway scenes the series is known for. Yet, it still stumbles a bit.
The hallway fight scenes associated with Daredevil are some of the highlights of television fight choreography. Daredevil: Born Again tries to reach those heights but comes up short. Seasons 1-3 of Netflix’s Daredevil were raw and authentic because of how practical they were. You could feel the bodies thrown against the walls or the knee drops Matt delivered to his adversaries.
The Disney Plus version becomes a bit lackluster because of the VFX used in a crucial action scene in the first episode. The punches and hits didn’t feel real, and some surrounding areas were obvious greenscreens that took me out of the shots. I get what the directing and stunt crew were doing, but it wasn’t genuine enough and looked out of place in some of the shots I could see. It’s the most significant issue because it’s a huge misstep that leaves a lingering, unflattering taste. However, the show barely makes up for it through some smaller action set-pieces throughout the season.
The story feels like rehashing Matt becoming Daredevil from the third season of the Netflix series. Despite that, there is more nuance in the choices the writers and showrunners Dario Scardapane and Matt Corman & Chris Ord made with the series. Murdock and Fisk are in this constant battle to leave their past lives behind and take the straight and narrow route. These two men face opposition repeatedly on their way to do right and find ways to save the city and its people. Nonetheless, the essence of Daredevil and Kingpin peak out more and more until these personalities make their presence known in the most violent way by the end of the season. The men are pushed to the breaking point until very little of Murdock and Fisk are left.
Daredevil: Born Again is not the best Daredevil “season,” but this iteration of the characters and their world is on the right track. The season ended in a way that left me excited for season two and burst open the doors to the possibility of these characters showing up in Marvel Studio movies (cough, cough, Spider-Man). Episode five could’ve been combined with another episode, but the most prominent action set piece lacks the right flavor. Yet, seeing everyone back—including Jon Bernthal—reminded me why this take on the world of Daredevil is just so damn good.