Category: TV

The new Daredevil series begins with a gorgeous, grounded coverage of the city bursting with busy-ness and life. A montage of the characters we’ve come to know from the 3-season Netflix series it follows – Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Karen Page – showing us that they’ve returned to working together and, for the first time, it seems our titular character Matt Murdock looks happy. The shots bring out the flavor and textures of New York; that of ordinary people, outside the usual hustle-and-bustle of the MCU. This is meant to bring us closer to real people and real lives. Probably a way to remind us that Murdock is unlike Tony Stark or Thor. He’s a lawyer, first, as well as a superpowered costume vigilante. His battle against injustice is at two fronts.

But when a battle ensues with someone from his past, Murdock is forced to don the mask and fight crime as Daredevil. People are hurt, tragedy strikes, and Murdock is pushed over the edge. As he later states in the pilot episode, “A line was crossed…”—and from that moment, the show takes an unexpected turn.

The prologue’s promise of a continuation of the series storylines is an illusion. ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ is exactly that: a rebirth. That tragedy changes Matt Murdock and the story continues a year after that monumental event, and he has not been Daredevil of that period of time. He starts a new firm and surrounds himself with new people, including an investigator, Cherry, who is aware of his former identity. Murdock is more cynical now, a bit jaded. So much so that his partner tries to set him up with someone new, a doctor, Dr. Heather Glenn. 

Things are looking different, quieter and peaceful until Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, runs for Mayor. And Murdock struggles whether he would return to his vigilante ways or has Wilson Fisk really turned a new leaf? Matt Murdock doesn’t think so. And the nine-episode season tells us, at some point, he will find a reason to put the mask on again.

There’s still a darkness to the series, with showrunner Dario Scardapane at the helm, but off the bat the cinematography is already a bit brighter, even during the dark. The flash of humor is a very Marvel + Disney thing and doesn’t hold the same bite that it did in the old Netflix series. The show is trying its best to hold on to its foundations – the old show – but also trying to present it in a new way. There’s a bit more CGI than I’m comfortable with; especially because it’s not clean and can get very distracting. There’s even a fight scene in episode one that is reminiscent to the famous first season fight scene of ‘Daredevil,’ the one shot that was a tribute to ‘Oldboy.’ Unfortunately, the fight scene in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ doesn’t have that same energy and is muddled by weird choreography and blocking and some unflattering CGI movements that makes it feel manufactured. It doesn’t have that grit and power that the originals have.

But once you’ve shaken that initial feeling of having to compare the two (because let’s face it, the Netflix Daredevil series is so loved) and acclimate to the Disney-fied version of ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ there’s quite a lot to enjoy from the new show. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are always a joy playing these two characters and with the premise of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ there’s an unsteady truce between them. It gives opportunities to meet and talk and their acting prowess just makes the screen sizzle with energy. From the first two episodes, we can feel the push and pull inside Murdock and Fisk, the way they are trying to hold on to a change they have committed to; but we can see them breaking. We can see the cracks. It’s wonderful and I can’t wait to see it unfold over the season.

Ayelet Zurer returns as Vanessa Fisk, Wilson Fisk’s wife, who has taken over his crime business while the Kingpin was recovering from a gunshot to the face (as implied in the last episode of ‘Hawkeye’ and possibly in ‘Echo,’ which I have not seen). Zurer had always made Vanessa such an interesting character and it’s nice to see her add a new layer to the role. Margarita Levieva plays Dr. Heather Glenn, who serves as an interesting romantic interest for the Daredevil, but we’ll get to see her flex her acting chops as her story seems to intersect into the rest of the plot beyond just as a love interest by the second episode. As previewed in press materials and on social media, the White Tiger will make an appearance by the second episode while the Punisher is nowhere yet to be seen.

Shot during 2023, there’s a lot of subtexts within the show’s premise that is mirroring America after its most recent election. The Kingpin running for office and the way the show tries to explore and navigate the social aspect of such a move directly articulates a lot of present-day feelings. The fact that the show began filming before the election will shield it from any political notions, though it could still reflect the current U.S. president’s first term. But the groundedness I mentioned at the beginning of this review makes ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ more than just a superhero TV show. The fact that Matt Murdock is struggling whether he will be more effective as a lawyer or as a vigilante in a political and social landscape in the show that is very similar to that in real life – it makes it something even more interesting to watch.

We’ve been waiting for this! Despite a few fumbles, it’s looking good. ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ is looking really good.

My Rating:

Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+.

On February 22, Disney+ held a virtual press conference for the cast and producers of its highly anticipated upcoming series, Daredevil: Born Again. In attendance were stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, who play Daredevil and Wilson Fisk, respectively, along with showrunner Dario Scardapane, episode directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, and producers Brad Winderbaum and Sana Amanat. ClickTheCity was granted access to the event and had the opportunity to watch the panel, moderated by Sade Spence.

Off the bat, it seems that this is happy production. The two leads easily share banter not just with each other but the creative team behind the show. In fact, Vincent D’Onofrio is quick to hand out praises for the team, especially to the directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. D’Onofrio compliments them by saying that ‘Loki’ season 2 is his favourite Disney+ show and that there are “stuff they did on the second season of that show that I’ve never seen before.”

Despite playing each other’s nemesis for three seasons of Daredevil, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio share a close and comfortable friendship. Cox even says, “Over the last 10 years, we’ve obviously become very good friends. And the good news is that it does feel like the better friends we become, the easier it is to hate each other.” D’Onofrio agrees but adds that their strong friendship fosters trust, which enhances their work. Their bond is so deep that whenever Daredevil and Wilson Fisk share a rare scene together, they instantly connect. D’Onofrio refers to this unspoken understanding as their “shorthand.”

There are two such scenes already in the first two episodes of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and what they are talking about is in full view.

But while there’s a lot of love and banter and laughter, the whole cast and artistic team are very, very careful about spoilers. Oftentimes, someone says out loud, “careful” why someone is trying to answer a tricky question about certain characters. As someone who was given a screener for the first two episodes, I got nervous about how some people were trying to skirt around these topics – mostly from the two directors – because the two actors were completely tight-lipped. 

One thing they were able to talk about is the fact that Jon Bernthal is returning to the show as Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher. Sade Spence shared a question directed towards Charlie Cox about what kind of relationship will the two characters have in the show. Cox was quick to say that he would watch anything Jon Bernthal was in and is a massive fan of the actor. Cox adds that he’s “got such amazing charisma and energy. Whenever he shows up, it’s absolute delight both in terms of his performance and as a human.” But then Cox also shares that Jon and Charlie (talking about himself in the third person) are very “different people” and he implies that the energy their differences create is utilized and made to make the show so much more fun.

“We’re very different people, in some ways,” Charlie Cox tries to explain, “but Daredevil and Frank are much more like one another than Charlie and Jon are so it’s much more fun to play with that. And often when I’m on a scene as Daredevil with Frank, he pulls me closer to the Daredevil that I’m frightened of and excited by, if you know what I mean.”

Now that’s a combination that’s making me extra excited about what else is to come in the show.

But while they can be open about The Punisher, when the moderator opens about a character called Muse, no one can give her a straight answer other than Scardapane saying that “Muse is one of the stressors” of the two characters. 

To sum up what Scardapane imagines for this show is how the hero and the villain, Matt Murdock as Daredevil and Wilson Fisk as The Kingpin, are filled with such humanity but carry with them “a kind of dark passenger” or their alter egos. So, what the made working on the show so interesting for him was how they “always try to find that humanity inside the heightened world with action that every time is trying to reset the bar for television.” They tried to keep the darkness and the grit of the earlier versions of the show when it was on Netflix and pushed against the boundaries of what was acceptable in a Disney+ show. Producer Brad Winderbaum said they took a “softer approach at the beginning” but then they kept pushing the material further and further because that’s what the fans would want (in terms of tone and aesthetic) but also because the story demanded it. Brad concludes with the fact that they “never found the breaking point” and achieved the darkness and the tone they wanted.

Now, it’s time to see the results for yourself! Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+—don’t miss it!