Marvel Studios has officially announced a new Daredevil TV series: Daredevil: Born Again. With that title, the expectations for the show are extremely high. The Netflix series Daredevil was beloved and so was the “Born Again” comic book arc. Naming the series after this famous story has fans excited… but there is some trepidation that the TV show won’t be able to live up to its predecessor.
Netflix’s Daredevil did an incredible job of portraying the iconic hero and creating a new group of Daredevil fans. The show was gritty, emotionally intense and featured some impressive acting. Charlie Cox in particular was the perfect Daredevil. With Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio — who will reprise his Kingpin role — back together, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have a lot to look forward to when the Disney+ series premieres. However, they’ll be expecting a lot.
“Born Again,” written by Frank Miller and illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, is arguably one of the most famous Daredevil stories. It told how Kingpin systematically destroyed Matt Murdock’s life and brought him to the brink of insanity. From Karen Page selling out Matt to Matt becoming homeless and paranoid, the plot is devastating from start to finish. The story shows Daredevil’s fall and subsequent rise and how far Kingpin would go to destroy him. With the new series having the same title, fans are immediately thinking about this legendary comic arc. Is the name simply a nod to Daredevil being restarted in the MCU, or will the show actually use elements from the comics?
Adding to the confusion is that Season 3 of Daredevil loosely adapted the “Born Again” story already. This makes it more likely that Disney is using the title more as an homage to the Netflix series. It may also indicate that everything which occurred within the previous seasons will become canon to the MCU. It’s possible that the Disney+ show could feature a more lighthearted take on the Man Without Fear, but if the two shows are connected, that means the new Daredevil will have a darker, grittier tone different from most MCU series.
Daredevil is already confirmed to appear in both She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and the upcoming Echo series. These appearances will give a good indication about the kind of character he’ll be in the MCU and in Daredevil: Born Again. Daredevil has always been a conflicted hero — torn between his faith, his duty to the law and his duty to Hell’s Kitchen. How will the MCU set its version of Daredevil apart from the Netflix series while still keeping him recognizable?
Daredevil: Born Again is a huge win for Daredevil fans. It will be the longest Disney+ series to date with 18 episodes and will serve as the character’s first feature project in the MCU. By naming the TV show after the character’s best-known comic book arc, however, Marvel has set very high expectations. Especially since elements of “Born Again” have already appeared on the small screen, the upcoming show will have to work very hard to meet all the hype.
Daredevil: Born Again is expected to premiere in Spring 2024.