Daredevil: Born Again Review
Every Marvel fan has been waiting an excruciating amount of time for Matt Murdock and Hell’s Kitchen to return to the big screen. From persistent fan campaigns to #SaveDaredevil to small cameos in other MCU projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, it took some time for Marvel Studios to figure out what to do. However, with Daredevil: Born Again, those efforts have paid off to manifest what’s truly the studio’s most brutal series to date. If you thought Moon Knight was brutal, then you’d better think again.
For those who doubted Daredevil: Born Again’s canonicity to the MCU lore, there’s no need to worry. In fact, the series feels like a strong continuation of the original Netflix show while picking up elements from other projects like Echo and Hawkeye. Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) is at the forefront of a huge political campaign to win the mayorship of New York despite his shady criminal enterprise. Though a terrible incident draws Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) away from being Daredevil, he’s forced to don the mantle as a new conspiracy unfolds.
This mystery sees old friends and adversaries from Murdock’s normal and superhero life converge once again. From his friends, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), to the no-holds-barred Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), Murdock and Fisk’s paths might’ve already been set in stone.
From its initial episodes, Daredevil: Born Again is able to quickly return to its roots of that gritty, yet emotional, feeling that was mastered by Steven S. DeKnight, Doug Petrie, Marco Ramirez, and Erik Oleson. Yet, it possesses a striking visual intensity that both aligns it with other MCU live-action shows and imbues it with a sense of honor for the original.
Daredevil: Born Again builds on that tension as we get Murdock, Nelson, and Page – the esteemed “avocados at law” – doing what they do best. They’ve essentially made peace with Murdock’s double life, but, while it’s a nice change of pace from the brooding overtone, that doesn’t last very long. It gradually crescendos to this long, yet brutally energetic, fight as Bullseye makes his return to confront Murdock on rooftops. This sequence, much like every other scene in Daredevil: Born Again, contains this feeling of isolation between the combatants that highlights the ruthlessness in the choreography and cinematography. While, at some points, it can be a little too Netflix-y, the action is still able to captivate you in every way.
However, past this episode, Karen Page and Foggy Nelson are pretty much out of the picture until the final two episodes. For those that loved the friendship that these three shared, like myself, it can be a bit of a disappointment to see them gone. Fortunately, when they do ultimately return, Page and Nelson are able to stride in with ease. Nonetheless, it’s always refreshing to see Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson shine wherever they’re present.
In general, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio perfectly bring Matt Murdock and Kingpin back. In every moment Murdock and Fisk share, they capture both the rage and fear both characters share with this delicacy that proves they’ve never lost a step. This really shows in the later episodes, but the tension between both of them, both when Murdock is and isn’t Daredevil, always remains consistent. It goes to show that Cox and D’Onofrio are truly amazing and their on-screen chemistry can’t really be replicated.
As for other characters within the world of Daredevil: Born Again that shine, Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) stands out among them. Overall, Blake’s arc throughout stands as one of the most compelling arcs in the world of Daredevil. He’s initially in the background as he’s merely a cunning yes-man for Fisk in the beginning few episodes. However, unlike Fisk’s previous assistant in James Wesley, he’s slowly developing into the “son” of Fisk much like how the comics had Richard Fisk, Fisk’s biological son. Their relationship is akin to the painful, yet graceful, relationship between Vito and Michael Corleone from The Godfather (without all the family drama that broke the camel’s back.)
Blake’s arc actually coincides with the investigation of BB Urich (Genneya Walton), Ben Urich’s niece. Both are treated as these legacy characters where their respective mantles have been passed down to them with BB acting similarly to her father. However, unlike her father, it’s an interesting turn of events to see her embracing working with Fisk’s team, making her friendship with Blake unique.
While it was devastating to hear that Reyes’ last performance would be White Tiger, real name Hector Ayala, he truly gives it his all. Reyes is compelling as Ayala, giving White Tiger this sensibility that counteracts the Punisher in every way. Murdock and Ayala together probably lends to one of the most poignant moments of the show where the thematicity of being a vigilante heavily comes into play. The presentation of this moment not only emphasizes the core of the ego’s role, but confidently maintains the mysterious complexity of it all.
Speaking of, the Punisher is probably more rugged in this series than he’s been since he first appeared in Daredevil Season 2. He’s still as unapologetic, but develops this twisted wisdom that makes him a little sadistically comedic. The interactions he gets with Murdock later on are definitely reminiscent of their previous encounters, but with a bit more of that “middle-ground” understanding.
However, Daredevil: Born Again faces some challenges that could be easy fixes in the future. Particularly, in some of the fight scenes, the use of CGI can be somewhat weird for viewers, particularly when Muse (Hunter Doohan) enters the picture. Doohan’s performance is still very entertaining, but the action can be improved in some areas with the fights between Muse and Daredevil.
Furthermore, in some of the middle episodes, the writing around some character moments retreads that narrative territory from Daredevil. Viewers have seen the same tropes around the “heroic fall into despair” throughout the original and watching that again may be somewhat tiring. Still, it’s confident enough in all areas to be captivating to every fan of the original series.
Daredevil: Born Again not only respects what made the original Netflix show special, but gets the Marvel Studios cinematic blessing that elevates Matt Murdock’s story to a new level. With a second season already in the works, I’m very excited to see where Murdock faces in the future (potentially with the return of the Hand and Elektra? We’ll see!)
Rating: ★★★★
Daredevil: Born Again premieres with the first two episodes on Tuesday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+ with new episodes dropping weekly.
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.