Summary
- Daredevil has become a beloved character in the MCU and made a triumphant return after a cancellation.
- Charlie Cox excelled in portraying a dark yet hopeful Daredevil, earning the character recognition.
- Daredevil’s journey is portrayed through various seasons and crossover appearances, showcasing his popularity.
Spanning across a decade of shows and movies starting in 2015, Daredevil has become a beloved character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since the beginning, he has been played by Charlie Cox, who has excelled in conveying the inner turmoil of a dark vigilante and the optimism of an altruistic lawyer.
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Due to his popularity, Daredevil is one of the few characters to appear in other MCU projects, either as a guest star or in cameo roles. Despite the cancelation of his original Netflix show, Daredevil has made a comeback as the main character in Daredevil: Born Again, which is a continuation of his previous series. His journey to this point required significant effort and dedication.
8
Daredevil Season 1
Daredevil And Kingpin’s Rivalry Began Here
Fans did not expect Charlie Cox, of all people, to be cast as the titular vigilante in Daredevil Season 1, but he quickly won over the hearts of many with his dark yet hopeful portrayal of the character. It felt straight out of a comic book, but it still offered a unique take for the MCU, with Foggy Nelson and Karen Page becoming beloved supporting characters.
The first season deals mainly with the origins of both Daredevil and Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin, as they rise to become more like their comic book counterparts. Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance as the Kingpin has earned tremendous praise, with some considering him on par with Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. The first season also establishes iconic fight sequences, with entire fights taking place in single, continuous shots.
7
Daredevil Season 2
The Punisher Stole The Show In The Best Way
- Release Date: March 18, 2016
- Created By: Douglas Petrie; Marco Ramirez
- Network: Netflix
Daredevil Season 2 branches out the MCU even more with the inclusion of more street-level superheroes, including Jon Bernthal as The Punisher, Elodie Yung as Elektra, and even a brief appearance by Luke Cage, who would go on to get his own Netflix series. The Punisher would also become such a fascinating anti-hero that he, too, would get a two-season spin-off series.
On the one hand, the second season earned praise for introducing more creative action sequences, thought-provoking dialogue between Daredevil and Punisher, and going into less grounded territory with The Hand. On the other hand, Season 2 is considered the weakest season, with many considering The Hand to be less interesting than the Punisher storyline from the first half.
6
The Defenders
Netflix’s Heroes Come Together To Save New York
- Release Date: August 18, 2017
- Created By: Douglas Petrie; Marco Ramirez
- Network: Netflix
After the individual shows featuring Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones, the characters came together in a limited crossover series, The Defenders. If the Avengers had even more anger issues, the resulting team would look a lot like these four heroes, who struggle to work together to stop The Hand from destroying New York City.
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These MCU characters have the potential to add depth to Daredevil: Born Again’s narrative or, at least, deliver exciting cameos.
The Defenders series showcases each hero’s strengths and hints at the potential for more stories in the future. It even brought together supporting characters from all the shows, who are just as enjoyable as a team. The series was not as action-packed as other famous Marvel crossovers, but fans were pleased to see four TV shows collide before the CW Arrowverse did it years later with Crisis On Infinite Earths.
5
Daredevil Season 3
The Third Season Is Often Considered The Best
- Release Date: October 19, 2018
- Created By: Erik Oleson
- Network: Netflix
Matt Murdock is at his lowest in Daredevil Season 3, with Wilson Fisk out of prison as the big villain of the story this time. Daredevil has given up his Matt Murdock life in favor of being a vigilante 24/7, having lost his faith in people after the events in The Defenders. The third season spends more time developing all the characters, with the debut of Bullseye being a major highlight.
The show’s third season features a significant build-up, with themes of vengeance and justice woven throughout. It culminates in an intense second half, showcasing a chaotic battle between Daredevil, Bullseye, and Kingpin. Many fans consider this season to be the best. Unfortunately, just a month after its release, Netflix canceled Daredevil, leaving viewers heartbroken.
4
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Daredevil Made His First Appearance In The Broader MCU
Spider-Man: No Way Home
9/10
- Release Date
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December 17, 2021
Even in the extended cut of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Charlie Cox has a brief but memorable role as Peter Parker’s lawyer after Mysterio frames and exposes him as Spider-Man. It was the first time fans had seen Matt Murdock after the Daredevil series was canceled, with some believing that Daredevil was going to be abandoned by the MCU.
Fortunately, Spider-Man: No Way Home would just be the seed that would bloom into Daredevil’s triumphant return. Audiences were screaming in the theaters, as it was not only fan-service for the Daredevil series, but also for comic book fans who know that Daredevil and Spider-Man are good friends, which could lead to future crossover movies or specials.
3
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
New Sides Of Daredevil Were Explored
Since She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is a Disney+ Marvel series all about a superhuman lawyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many assumed that Daredevil would at least make a cameo. They were wrong and correct at the same time, as Matt Murdock became the guest star of an entire episode where he and She-Hulk work together on a case and become lovers along the way.
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It was the first time Charlie Cox was officially back in a Daredevil suit, and it wasn’t the same one from the Netflix show, either. After Bullseye tainted the image, the first MCU suit featured gold and red colors, reminiscent of the character’s first appearance in the comics. Additionally, Charlie Cox was able to play the more lighthearted and quippy version of Daredevil, also closer to the comics.
2
Echo
Matt Murdock Was Back In Red With This Cameo
In showing the history of Maya Lopez, Echo, as a once-loyal lieutenant in the Kingpin criminal empire, the Echo series features another brief cameo for Daredevil. He fights Maya, and she proves that she’s able to last longer than any of Kingpin’s other thugs, just as she did against two versions of Hawkeye in the Hawkeye Disney+ series.
Daredevil never appears again after their action-packed encounter in the Echo series, but with Kingpin shaping up to be a threat to multiple heroes, there is a chance that she will reunite with Matt in the future. Whether it’s in Daredevil: Born Again or a crossover of the MCU street-level heroes, Daredevil and Echo share a common enemy in the form of Kingpin.
1
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil Finally Has His Own Show Again, This Time On Disney+
After years of campaigning by fans and even the stars of the original Daredevil series, Disney+ finally made Charlie Cox the star of his own show once more with Daredevil: Born Again. Vincent D’Onofrio reprises the role of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, after first appearing as the villain in Hawkeye and Echo. This time, he’s been elected as the new mayor of New York City with the determination to outlaw vigilantes.
Meanwhile, Matt Murdock retired from the Daredevil moniker after a tragedy in his life. As his tension with Fisk and crime start destroying his city again, he returns to the mask. With a bigger budget and heavily embracing a TV-MA rating, Daredevil: Born Again boasts a strong return for a character that respects the past and embraces a new style for the future.
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