The Netflix series Daredevil ran for three seasons. Until now Marvel were doing their series pretty dark. Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Punisher were not intended for the PG-13. They had serious overtones of depression, suicidal tendencies, aggression, and murder. The Punisher especially dived into the Post Traumatic events of Frank Castle, it isn’t a show I’d want my future child to watch anytime soon.
But for us adults, the dark tonality of such creations anchors us in some sense. The checks of reality ticker within the odds of fiction that we read. Many fans who contend themselves against Marvel as DC fans, often justify their reason as “Marvel is too light”. What exactly makes a series dark? and is Daredevil Born Again going to be dark?
What we can infer from the D23
In October 2021 Charlie Cox the Daredevil actor of the Netflix run of the franchise said that if he ever returned for a season 4, it would not be a sequel to what he was a part of. Boohoo flashback to 2022 and we have official announcements for Daredevil: Born Again. The D23 Expo had Marvel introduce a load of new productions, including Daredevil: Born Again. Obviously, it wasn’t limited to just that and also included a new entry of Fantastic Four, other than Iron Heart, Armor Wars, Werewolf by Night, Secret Invasion, and Captain America: New World Order.
Is Daredevil Born Again Going To Be Dark?
When asked Charlie Cox said that a light-hearted storyline is definitely up for the new Daredevil show. He could gather this from his time working in She-Hulk. But Cox told Variety –
#Daredevil star Charlie Cox doesn't think "slapstick Daredevil" would work: "Not with his character. I don't think that's truthful enough to the source material." #D23Expo https://t.co/asDsvcfNd3 pic.twitter.com/ZKXZu9M4NA
— Variety (@Variety) September 10, 2022
“Not over the course of an entire season, not with this character,” said Cox, “I don’t think that’s truthful enough to the source material for that to really work. But, there are plenty of Daredevil comics where there is levity, there is light-heartedness, there is fun, and I think with 18 episodes you have time to do a bit of both.”
Charlie Cox also talked to IGN during the Expo. He said that he doesn’t yet know how exactly the series will proceed. What he can tell is that he feels that the approach to the character will be different and not the same as his previous work.
Daredevil Born Again Actor on The Light Tone on She-Hulk
#Daredevil star Charlie Cox on adapting the character of Matt Murdock to fit the tone of #SheHulk: "He's a bit cheeky and a bit flirty." #D23Expo #D23Expo2022 https://t.co/asDsvcfNd3 pic.twitter.com/Cro0XQBep1
— Variety (@Variety) September 10, 2022
Charlie Cox said when confronted by Variety at the D23 Expo that it was fun adapting to his role in She-Hulk. He said after being used to playing Matt Murdock the way he did for Netflix, adapting to She-Hulk took him some effort. She-Hulk portrayed a Murdock that had his life together and was happy. This naturally ensued that his portrayal of Murdock would be lighter than his previous works
“Where life is good and he’s a bit cheeky and a bit flirty and it’s tonally slightly different. It was a bit of an experiment, but it was really enjoyable, and I really had a good time, and the chemistry I had with Tatiana was amazing. So, if they do lighten the tone a little bit, I’m not afraid of that.”
Is Daredevil Born Again Going to Follow Frank Miller’s written Born Again story run?
- When approached by Extra The Matt Murdock actor said that Daredevil: Born Again is something completely new. Cox said –Â
“It is a Season 1, it is not Season 4, so it is a whole new thing. Which I think is the way to go. If you are going to do it again, do it differently.”
- When asked if the new series will follow the storyline of Frank Miller, Cox said the following –
“I don’t think it means we’re gonna tell the Frank Miller story of Born Again in the comics. I don’t think it means that. I think it means that we made the show, it ended, and now we’re making another show. It’s a perfect title.”
Now, this could mean a few things, one that Charlie Cox knows sh*t about what’s going to happen. Or that he knows but has to keep his mouth shut. This isn’t the first time he had to keep his lips tight, a callback to Spiderman No Way Home. “I don’t know that it will be any darker or any less dark,”
Is Daredevil Born Again Darker than The Netflix Daredevil?
Cox said of Daredevil: Born Again compared to the Netflix series. “What does dark mean? There will be a tonal shift I’m sure because we’re doing more episodes and we’re now on a different platform. I don’t know, I haven’t read anything yet.”
Let’s assume that Cox does know his grand and the Born Again series only has the name Daredevil Born Again. This would really leave room for Marvel to be as light as a fairytale for children’s nighttime stories. It would allow them to not be limited to the Born Again storyline of the comics. This matters. Why? Because –
https://twitter.com/FistOfKhonshu07/status/1568989206675947523
Daredevil Born Again Original Comic Book Storyline is Very Mature, Dark, Grotesque
This is important because the Daredevil: Born Again storyline written by Frank Miller proceeds Matt Murdock’s life into a horrid animal cage endowed by Kingpin. The story proceeds with the rebirth of the vigilante as the new Daredevil and he goes on to join Captain America.
The story follows after a drug-affected Karen Page sells Matthew Murdock’s secret to Kingpin to gain a fix. What ensues is a gruesome chase of the Kingpin of the vigilante. Matthew loses his home, is followed everywhere he goes and has to see his life crumble apart. Matt Murdock almost loses his will to live and is pushed towards suicidal tendencies. Kingpin is absolutely merciless in decimating Murdock piece by piece. The comic story is by no means a sponge for lightheartedness.
Is Daredevil Born Again A Sequel to Netflix’s Daredevil?
Marvel Daredevil: Born Again is a standalone sequel. It means that it takes little from what was narrated in the previous series. Other than the basic storyline of Matt Murdock, which is that he’s an attorney who fights crime as a vigilante after losing his sight but developing inhuman hearing abilities. Such bits are the same, yet Daredevil: Born Again is a reboot of sorts.
It will not follow the story of season 3 of Daredevil by Netflix. Yet it may give easter eggs and hints about things that inspired previously. This is primarily due to the fact that the series are simply adaptations of the comic. Even if one were to discard the first 3 Seasons, Born Again would still be an adaptation of the comic by Frank Miller’s Born Again storyline.
Whenever I see Charlie Cox or Vincent D’Onofrio talking about their character https://t.co/dEzxreJAMc
— Spencer (@WebOfDestiny) September 11, 2022
Concluding
Like Murdock said, despite glimpses of comical elements every now and then, toning down the entire series would not be possible. Yet if Daredevil: Born Again takes such a route, they may have to hang between the thread where they keep the comic fans happy, attending to the mature audience.
But they may also plan on not leaving the younger and more sensitive audience behind. How they deal with it would be something to see. My only forbidding hope is that they don’t compromise quality for the sake of audience appeasing (of the younger, but the majority).
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