After Recent Comments, I’m More Worried Marvel Has Learned The Wrong Lesson About Daredevil Ahead Of His MCU Return

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After recent comments from the showrunner of Daredevil: Born Again, I am more worried than ever that Marvel has learned the wrong lessons from the titular character"s previous appearances. As many now know, Daredevil: Born Again is a continuation of the Netflix show. Initially, the MCU project was planned as a soft reboot of the Netflix series until an overhaul of Marvel"s upcoming TV shows saw the story"s direction change somewhat. Now, Daredevil: Born Again is expected to be essentially Daredevil season 4, just under a different title.
This came as a welcome surprise to me and the many other fans of Netflix"s Defenders timeline, with many holding several of those shows in high regard. The ranking of the Netflix Defenders shows often sees Daredevil at the top, with the ongoing hope being that Daredevil: Born Again will continue what it started and carry over the show"s strong elements to an MCU setting. While the trailer for Daredevil: Born Again gave me hope that Marvel Studios has succeeded in this regard, recent comments from the showrunner have caused my worries to resurface.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Showrunner Has Commented On The Best & Worst Parts Of Netflix’s Show The Wrong Lessons May Have Been Taken From Netflix's Daredevil

In a bid to promote Daredevil: Born Again, showrunner Dario Scardapane was interviewed by SFX, revealing what elements of the Netflix show would be carried over to the MCU project. However, I am concerned that Scardapane has misunderstood what the best and worst parts of Netflix"s Daredevil were after reading his comments. Scardapane insisted that Daredevil: Born Again will have "more fun in the moments with these characters and a lot less navel-gazing than before."
Scardapane was also a screenwriter for Netflix"s The Punisher, also set in the Defenders Saga.
Scardapane goes on to say that "the earlier show, at its best, was fantastic... at its worst, it was two characters in a room talking about what a hero is." While Scardapane does insist he is not simply "taking swipes" at the Netflix show, he insists that Daredevil: Born Again will feature fewer scenes of "characters grousing about their lot in life." Evidently, Scardapane is going into Daredevil: Born Again with very specific views about the Netflix show, but I am worried he has misunderstood what made the latter so great in the first place.
The Idea That Daredevil’s Worst Aspects Were Its Character Interactions Is Worrying Netflix's Daredevil Excelled In Its Character Work

Although I will concede that Scardapane wanting to inject more fun character interactions into Daredevil: Born Again is a positive thing, it is his comments that the worst parts of Daredevil were the characters sitting around and talking that I take issue with. Many would likely agree with me when I say that the biggest strength of Netflix"s Daredevil was exactly this, its character work. Hearing the showrunner of the new iteration of Daredevil for the MCU say otherwise is admittedly worrying.
It is the heartfelt, excellently written, brilliantly performed character scenes in Daredevil that stand out to me...
When I think about my favorite moments from Daredevil"s three seasons, it is not the conventionally fun action sequences I think of. Of course, these are great scenes and should be included in any adaptation of Marvel Comics, but it is the heartfelt, excellently written, brilliantly performed character scenes in Daredevil that stand out to me. Be it Matt and Foggy"s back-and-forth about why the former should be Daredevil in season 1, episode 10 or the many compelling interactions between Matt and Kingpin, Daredevil"s strength was its exploration of morality and heroism that was driven by its characters.

Related Matt Murdock’s 10 Best MCU Scenes Before Daredevil: Born Again, Ranked Charlie Cox"s Matt Murdock will be returning in 2025"s Daredevil: Born Again, so it"s time to look back at some of his best scenes in the MCU so far.
Posts Daredevil season 2 had similarly amazing moments, most of all the conversation between The Punisher/Frank Castle and Matt on a rooftop in episode 3. This seems like the specific scene Scardapane is referencing due to Matt and Frank talking about what it means to be a hero. The scene is one of the best in the entire show, but knowing that Scardapane may think otherwise is concerning. The following episode has a similar scene, which is a gut-wrenching monologue where Frank tells Matt about his murdered family. These are the scenes from Daredevil I remember most, not the action.
How Daredevil: Born Again Can Still Work In Light Of The Showrunner’s Comments Close Despite my worries about Scardapane"s comments, I admit that I am still expecting Daredevil: Born Again to work. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons behind this is the show"s shorter runtime. If I had any criticisms about Netflix"s 13-episode mandate for Marvel shows, it was that the middle section of each season tended to drag slightly. Daredevil: Born Again is expected to have nine episodes, meaning the pacing will tighten up in a way that could be reflective of Scardapane"s comments.
Scardapane does reference The Punisher in this light, explaining that less time will be spent trying to fill scenes with dialogue before the next big action scene. While this could be worrying and enforce my concerns, the fact that Daredevil: Born Again"s cast has spoken openly about how much better the show is since Marvel"s revamp gives me some hope. Overall, I am still excited about Daredevil: Born Again and hope that Scardapane has found a balance between dialogue and action, but I cannot deny that I fear Marvel may have learned the wrong lessons from Netflix"s Daredevil.
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Daredevil: Born Again TV-MA CrimeActionSuperheroThrillerAdventure Release Date March 4, 2025 Showrunner Chris Ord Directors Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff Writers Chris Ord Franchise(s) Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe Cast