This review contains spoilers.
Daredevil: Born Again was one of my most anticipated shows ever since the project was first announced in July 2022. After changes in the show’s creative direction, including the gutting of entire episodes, longtime fans got to watch the first two episodes on March 4 of this year.
Serving as a continuation of the previous 2015 Daredevil series that originally streamed on Netflix for three seasons, I’m glad to see Charlie Cox return as the titular, red-suited superhero. And, yes, the suit is red again as opposed to the yellow-and-red suit he wore in the forsaken She-Hulk series. Also returning is Vincent D’Onofrio as our favorite crime boss, Kingpin, but we now see his character in a new light as mayor of NYC.
He’s not the only character we see differently, as Daredevil himself has stopped being the devil of Hell’s Kitchen. In fact, after the pilot episode, we have yet to see him put the suit on again. And on that point, the suit is a cool redesign of the original Netflix outfit, which is a more comic-accurate bright red.
Daredevil: Born Again focuses more on the legal work of Matthew Murdock, the man behind the Daredevil mask, making the show more of a drama than a full-on superhero series. That was also the case for the Netflix series, though we saw more action cut in between. The show is very character-based and dialogue-heavy.
A scene of Matt and Fisk at a diner showcases what their relationship is like — they are sportsmanlike but can still act as mutual acquaintances if they both go out of line. Both have an idea of wanting to help their city, but with different interpretations. It’s the classic story of good vs. evil, but there’s the added element of nuance where our hero isn’t fully heroic, and the villain still has some redeeming qualities.
The acting is great, and I like the story, although I am biased in terms of just really liking the character. Cox once again convinces us he’s a blind guy with a sixth sense that lets him “see.” He plays a character who’s troubled and wants to do good in a corrupted city. He is Kingpin, and even though this time he’s softer, he will revert back to his roots. I got chills as he gave his first speech as mayor, and fanboyed over the quote, “Or a man who dresses in a spider outfit.”
The last actor I want to point out is Jon Bernthal, returning as The Punisher. He appeared in only one episode but made the episode his. Bernthal is The Punisher, a man more broken than Murdock, and one who works well with the titular hero.
Bernthal adds an almost primal nature to Frank, a man who works outside the law and the system and is the more extreme version of the main character.
Heather Glenn, a marriage therapist for Wilson Fisk and his wife Vanessa, is a major part of the story. She is now dating Matt Murdock, which brings interest to the show, as she’s working for both the good guy and the bad guy.
Then there is BB Urich, the young journalist who is written more as a cameo than a full character, and the only interesting thing about him is a major spoiler for those who didn’t watch the Netflix series. There’s also Matt’s new legal team: Cherry, a retired cop turned PI, and Kirsten McDuffie, his law partner. The most fleshed-out newcomer is Daniel Blake, played by Michael Gandolfini, son of Sopranos actor James Gandolfini.
Daniel is the young advisor working for Mayor Fisk. He represents the modern-day concept of a younger generation being involved in politics — though kind of cringey in certain scenes, I think it’s done on purpose. He’s loyal to Fisk yet has no idea what will happen. He’s in a dirty game that will only corrupt him as it goes on, which we can see in a scene where Fisk threatens him after an incident where Blake naively leaks information after attending a nightclub.
On the topic of politics, this show is not afraid to include it in its story. Besides Fisk being mayor now, the show explores the ideas of police corruption, the need for journalism, and the government needing to actually get things done. There was one scene that I liked more than I thought I would, in which Matt represents a repeat offender, and it goes on to show how the system works more to imprison people instead of helping them. Mayor Fisk, a criminal who won the election, has a following of rowdy men wearing caps with a catchy slogan, and he is highly involved in police operations. Granted, this show was in production way before the election year, but the comparisons are a bit uncanny. The politics are moving the story, rather than being the spotlight of the series, which I really love.
While this show will probably not live up to the three seasons of the Netflix series, I enjoyed what I’ve seen of the series so far. VFX could be better, I want more of the actual Daredevil suit, and the Muse character was only just now physically seen at the time of writing this. But I’m still going to say this series is great.
4 out of 5 crabs.