Daredevil: Born Again underwent a creative overhaul that brought back Netflix characters, and the show’s retooling was inspired by two Marvel series.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s creative overhaul was inspired by a Marvel Cinematic Universe series and another Marvel Disney+ show. Charlie Cox has been back as Matt Murdock since 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the actor is currently filming his first lead project under Marvel Studios — Daredevil: Born Again. The series was initially set to leave certain important characters and stories from Netflix’s Daredevil in the past; however, after a creative overhaul, Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, and more joined Daredevil: Born Again‘s cast.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum revealed that Loki and X-Men ’97 influenced Daredevil: Born Again‘s major changes. According to the executive, “It’s about honoring what came before in order to find a new arc for these iconic characters,” which is a sentiment that came from Marvel’s experience working on Loki and X-Men ’97. With The Defenders Saga being MCU canon, Daredevil: Born Again will have to consider Daredevil’s complete MCU timeline. Check out the full quote below:
“Frankly, a lot of that [ Daredevil: Born Again reinvention] was influenced as much from Loki as it was from our X-Men ’97 experience. It’s about honoring what came before in order to find a new arc for these iconic characters. So I am really excited about what’s on the horizon. There’s some great, great work coming down the pipe that audiences are going to really love.”
Why Daredevil: Born Again Needs To Succeed
Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock Is A Fan-Favorite
Daredevil: Born Again has a lot riding on it, and the series needs to be the MCU’s best or one of its top projects. The upcoming project will be the first to have Cox in a leading role under Marvel Studios. Different from other MCU shows, Daredevil: Born Again is a follow-up to a beloved TV series that is highly regarded as the best live-action Marvel show. With Netflix Daredevil‘s fan-favorite status, the new series has a high bar to clear, as anything less than the quality of the original show will disappoint fans.
Ever since his return, Cox has been racking up cameos and supporting roles in different MCU projects. Daredevil has interacted with characters like Spider-Man, She-Hulk, the Hulk, and Echo throughout his recent appearances. That should be continued, as Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has revealed that Daredevil will be one of the faces of the MCU’s street-level side. Based on Feige’s big plans for the character, Daredevil: Born Again has to succeed in generating more excitement for Matt Murdock’s MCU journey.
After Echo started a push for more violence and maturity in MCU shows, Daredevil: Born Again is expected to fully deliver on that premise. The original Netflix Daredevil series thrived on its grounded approach to the character, and while Daredevil: Born Again should include Matt Murdock’s new acrobatic skills that have been a mainstay of his recent appearances, the series can mix that with Daredevil’s raw fighting style from the Netflix series. Doing that and allowing Kingpin to be as violent as he can be while grounding the series with a darker tone would help Daredevil: Born Again succeed.
