The world needs heroes. Whether that means saving kittens from a burning building or working a double shift to put food on the table for your family, heroism looks different to everyone. But when it comes to superheroes — a genre beloved by people of all ages the world over — few do double duty better than Daredevil.
First introduced to the Marvel Universe by Stan Lee in April 1964, the blind, red-clad vigilante has been fighting crime day and night in books, in film and on television ever since. Now, six and a half years after the Netflix series “Daredevil” ended, the Disney-owned Marvel Cinematic Universe launches a brand-new installment. “Daredevil: Born Again” premieres Tuesday, March 4, on Disney+.
Reappearing at a time when many need him the most, Daredevil, a.k.a. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox, “The Theory of Everything,” 2014), is back in action after “a line was crossed,” leaving him little choice but to take a necessary hiatus from vigilante crime fighting.
While those familiar with Netflix’s “Daredevil” may remember the incident alluded to in the “Born Again” trailer, let’s just say — for the sake of providing some context while avoiding gratuitous spoilers — that the masked man of the people may have let his impulse get the better of him, leading to unnecessary brutality and, quite possibly, the death of an innocent or two.
While the reboot’s “Born Again” subtitle does heavily allude to Murdock’s Christian faith and the return of his crime-fighting alter ego, it is also a title that holds some historical significance for fans of Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s “Daredevil” comic book run. With the phrase “Born Again” often uniquely attributed to the 1986 story arc that spanned “Daredevil” comic issues 227 to 231 — and which would later come to include No. 226, 232 and 233 in order to tie up loose ends — its plot follows Daredevil’s path back to vigilantism after his true identity is revealed to his archnemesis, Kingpin, leading to the hero’s downfall and eventual humbling destruction.
While it is unclear if “Daredevil: Born Again” will stick to the main themes of the 1986 comic book arc — which include, among other things, heavy Catholic imagery and iconography — it does seem unlikely that all plot details will be rehashed in full, as Season 3 of Netflix’s “Daredevil” already covered much of that content in the lead-up to the character’s current period of “rebirth.” Instead, “Daredevil: Born Again” looks poised to pick up shortly after the events of Netflix’s final season, with Fisk in power and Murdoch having hung up the red suit for good; only donning suits of the professional variety for his day job as a lawyer.
One thing that is clear from the “Born Again” trailer regardless of the viewer’s level of context, however, is that Murdock is inextricably linked to Wilson Fisk, a.k.a.
Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio, “Full Metal Jacket,” 1987), who is now the mayor of New York City, for better or for worse. While he insists he is “serving his city,” Fisk is known for strong-arming his way into deals, pressuring his opponents into submission and eliminating his problems through less-than-legal means. Now that Kingpin is more powerful than ever, Murdock is likely to have plenty of work on his plate — either at his day job as a criminal attorney or as his highly tuned, nocturnal counterpart. Either way, “Daredevil: Born Again” is slated to feature oodles of violence and rumored to bring about a few highly anticipated “fixes” to the 2015-18 Netflix series.
“The earlier show, at its best, was fantastic,” showrunner Dario Scardapane (“The Punisher”) told SFX Magazine. “At its worst, it was two characters in a room talking about what a hero is.”
As for how “Born Again” compares to Netflix’s series on a stylistic level, Scardapane says the new series is “more New York crime story” than “noir.”
“It has elements of ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘King Of New York’ [1990].... They were very dark, cinematically, not necessarily story-wise, although there were some dark elements.” He then added, “We’re much darker.”
When actively comparing “Born Again” to other TV/streaming superhero content, however, Scardapane acknowledges that DC’s 2024 Batman spinoff “The Penguin,” starring Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin,”
2022), is the series’ best competition out there to date. Lauded for its gritty depiction of big-city crime, its impressive character development and its nuanced, sensitive portrayal of a character widely accepted as evil, “The Penguin” unknowingly helped to set the stage for “Daredevil: Born Again.”
“It’s really strange,” Scardapane told SFX. “I would say in many ways ‘The Penguin’ is our direct competition. However, we’re even more grounded, even less stylized, even more rooted in the here and now. I loved ‘Penguin,’ [but] we’re a little faster, meaner [and] cleaner in our storytelling.”
“Daredevil: Born Again” co-stars Wilson Bethel (“Hart of Dixie”), Jon Bernthal (“The Bear”), Elden Henson (“Idle Hands,” 1999), Deborah Ann Woll (“True Blood”) and Genneya Walton (“Candy Cane Lane,” 2023).