It feels so damn good to be back on the streets with Red. Daredevil Born Again is one raw, brutal, and bloody return for the devil of Hell's Kitchen.
This review contains some spoilers from the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again.
Daredevil Born Again Review
It's been almost 7 years since Daredevil ended over at Netflix. Almost immediately “Save Daredevil” took social media by storm, with fans of the man without fear rallying to bring back Matt Murdock and company. Now it's finally happened. Of course we have seen Charlie Cox pop up in the MCU proper already. First in Spider-Man No Way Home, then She-Hulk, and finally Echo. (He also voices Daredevil in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man) Those cameos – as well as seeing Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin – served as a way for Marvel Studios to show that they were committed to getting these characters into the larger storyline now that they had the rights to do so.
Then there was the development. Originally, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) were not set to return and the show was going to be more courtroom drama than superhero show. When Dario Scardapane took over as showrunner, reshoots and more material were added. Karen and Foggy were back and Born Again became a balanced story about human nature, violence, trauma, and what it means to be a hero. The courtroom aspect is still prevalent but in a way that highlights the inner turmoil Matt is feeling. Outside of those shiny walls, we are treated to some of the best bone-breaking, brutal, and thrilling fight scenes in the MCU to date (although Echo and Moon Knight had some great ones too). After viewing all 9 episodes I just have to ask: when is season 2 coming out? And why do I have to wait?
Five years after the events of Daredevil Season 3, Daredevil: Born Again begins with Foggy, Karen, and Matt headed to Josie's to celebrate a friend's retirement and the pending win of a case. Everyone looks happy which means something awful is about to occur. Daredevil's old foe Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), shows up and kills Foggy leading Karen to flee across the country to get away from her grief. Matt deals with the loss by bottling up his emotions and giving up his Daredevil ways. A year later, Matt is still “letting the system work” despite the fact crime is skyrocketing around the city. He has a new apartment, a new firm with former DA Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James), and is going about his life devil free. But when Wilson Fisk (D’Onofrio) successfully becomes the new mayor of New York City, Murdock is haunted by what could happen with this man in power. Between Fisk and the wrongful imprisonment of fellow vigilante White Tiger (the late Kamar de los Reyes), Matt soon finds himself back in the world he swore never to step foot in again.
Within the first two episodes we get to see Fisk and Murdock share a scene together. Getting this interaction so soon, especially one as tense as this, is a treat for fans. Typically they play cat and mouse with each other, but Born Again brings them to the table (literally) in order to lay the groundwork for this new dynamic in their tumultuous relationship. Both claim to be “new men” yet also throw out some not-so-subtle threats that if one steps out of line the other will be there. They become a mirror for each other, with the editing cleverly showing their paths that eventually lead them to their inevitable reversions. The show feels Shakespearean in that way (Othello comes to mind), examining the soul and motivations of man and his tendency towards violence (whether justified or not). This is the beating heart of the story while Fisk's war against vigilantes rages around it.
When Murdock comes to the aid of Hector Ayala (White Tiger) who has been wrongfully accused of murdering a cop and is thrown in prison he also comes face-to-face with his own beliefs. He spends time questioning Hector's decisions to go out into the streets to help people, working as a vigilante despite the risk and looming threat of Fisk. When Hector calmly replies because it's the right thing to do something stirs in Murdock whether he wants to admit it or not. Just as Kingpin is a mirror for his darker thoughts, Hector becomes one for his hero side. Hector's reasonings are the same as his own and he begins to question whether leaving Daredevil to collect dust was the right decision. It all comes to a head when Murdock has a run in with corrupt cops (sporting Punisher tattoos… you know Frank is going to have something to say about that) and is forced to break his rule about violence in order to save himself.
Murdock screams after he unleashes his anger, partly out of frustration but also clearly out of the pain of uncertainty. Again he has to ask himself is he doing the right thing? In case Deadpool and Wolverine didn't drive it home, this fight (along with the others) prove that Marvel will not shy away from the mature and violent nature of certain characters. There are some absolutely insane bone-breaks and visceral takedowns that are going to leave a bloody mark in your memories.
For comic readers like myself, Charles Soule's Daredevil run gives us an idea on how certain events will play out. Not only did Soule introduce the world to the villain Muse but he also is responsible for the chilling prospect of Kingpin as Mayor of New York City. I won't spoil anything, but I was pleased with how both storylines are handled in the show. And as a fan of the MCU, I was equally happy with how the show knows it's part of the larger universe yet feels right at home with what came before it. There are fun easter eggs and nods, as well as cameos that should satisfy (shut up) anyone who loves to point out if they are all in the same city why don't they ever run into each other? I just hope Sony and Marvel Studios can work out a Spider-Man/Kingpin conflict in the near future. (Just hearing Fisk mention Spider-Man felt like something we were never going to get.)
Charlie Cox is just as formidable and charming as ever, lending the right amount of fierceness and vulnerability to both sides of the coin. He's clearly excited to be back in the suit(s) both the sharp lawyer ones as well as that infamous red one. D'Onofrio has somehow managed to add more layers to Kingpin's sinister aura all while being reserved. After all he isn't a mob boss at the moment, he's a politician. He is filmed with less dramatic angles, has seemingly lost weight (something Murdock comments on), and even ditches his blinding white attire for more muted tones. To the unknowing he is the poster child for self-control. These creative choices lend themselves nicely to making the more dangerous moments with him all the more thrilling.
Jon Bernthal's Punisher is exactly what fans have been waiting for since we last saw Frank Castle. He's somewhat unhinged, wallowing in hate, pain, but still with a solid penchant for violence. His scenes with Cox end up being some of the biggest standouts of the season, not just for the bone-crunching fights but the way these two's love-hate forces them to take a hard look at themselves. Bethel continues to put in the work as Bullseye and Ayelet Zurer gets more to do as the equally cunning Vanessa Fisk. Muse is a disturbing villain and the actor playing him fully sells how unstable this character truly is. Kamar de los Reyes was excellent as White Tiger, I only wish we could have seen more of him in the future.
Verdict
Daredevil: Born Again is one raw, brutal, and bloody return for Matt Murdock, 7 years in the making. The show captures the compelling drama and violent action sequences this series is known for while also giving more depth and intrigue to familiar characters. Cox and D'Onofrio step back into this world effortlessly, delivering powerful performances with a tease of what is to come when these two finally clash. It feels damn good to be back on the streets with Red. My only complaint is that I have to wait for season 2.
Episodes 1 and 2 of Daredevil Born Again are now streaming on Disney+.
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