‘That’s a world unto itself’: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ showrunner resurrects my desire for a Defenders reunion
Daredevil: Born Again is almost here. Nearly seven (seven!) years after Daredevil season 3 premiered on Netflix, Charlie Cox will again lead a Marvel project as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Daredevil is one of my favorite shows of all time, and honestly, if Born Again is even half as good as the original series, I’ll never shut up about it.
Now, I’ll admit that I’ve had doubts about this series. It went through seemingly thousands of changes behind the scenes—at one point, Matt Murdock’s best friends, Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy (Elden Henson), weren’t even meant to be a part of it. Thankfully, though, in 2023, Daredevil: Born Again’s current showrunner, Dario Scardapane—an executive producer on Netflix’s The Punisher—came on the scene, and Born Again became more of a continuation of the original series rather than a full-on MCU-ified reboot. He fought for Karen and Foggy to be included, too. When he recently spoke to Empire, Scardapane revealed he “wouldn’t have done the show without them.” A hero, if there ever was one.
Of course, the fact that Daredevil: Born Again is now a proper sequel series rather than a reboot has led fans—I’m talking about myself—to question whether other Marvel Netflix characters could reappear in that tiny yet weirdly important corner of New York City.
We already know Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will have a role in the series, too (Hallelujah!), but what about Matthew’s fellow Defenders? What about Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and yes, even Danny Rand (Finn Jones)? In a recent interview with RadioTimes.com, Scardapane was asked whether audiences should prepare themselves to see any familiar faces other than Fisk, Karen, Foggy, Frank Castle, or Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye, and the showrunner replied, “As we work in that little corner of the MCU that is Hell’s Kitchen, that’s a world unto itself. I think there [are] a few familiar faces that we definitely want to bring back, and we’re gonna see how that plays out.”
Please, Marvel, I want some more.
No, The Defenders culmination miniseries wasn’t as spectacular as Daredevil or Jessica Jones. Nevertheless, I had a blast watching it, and even though I wasn’t entirely sold on Finn Jones as Iron Fist, I genuinely loved it when he showed up in Luke Cage season 2. I loved Matt and Jessica’s snarky interactions, too. I loved Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) and Misty Knight (Simone Missick) kicking *ss together. I loved Sigourney Weaver as an ancient villain, and I especially loved how Defenders perfectly set up the masterpiece that was Daredevil season 3. Why wouldn’t I want to see more of these characters?
Marvel’s had some misses recently. I enjoyed Captain America: Brave New World well enough (Anthony Mackie is and always will be a perfect Sam Wilson), but other projects like The Marvels, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Secret Invasion have been frustratingly underwhelming. If anything can 100% restore my faith in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be a commitment to bringing more of its street-level heroes to the small (or big) screen.
Yes, of course, I’m invested in Thunderbolts* (actually, I think it looks joyous) and The Fantastic Four. But, as Marvel’s world grows increasingly complicated and multiversal, perhaps a return to a bunch of misfits banding together to fight a mystical ancient cult is exactly what the doctor ordered. Why would Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or the Iron Fist need to concern themselves with the threat of Celestial beings and copycat variants of themselves? There’s enough crime to fight on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.
Maybe I’m reading too much into Scardapane’s words, but honestly, given how he managed to turn Daredevil: Born Again’s fate around, I think he probably understands the significance of the Defenders supergroup better than anyone.
Daredevil: Born Again premieres March 4 only on Disney+.
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