Daredevil: Born Again Is Right To Ignore The Netflix Continuity

Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again is ignoring Netflix’s Daredevil in favor of a reboot, and that is the right thing to do for both the MCU and Matt Murdock. Charlie Cox debuted as Matt Murdock in Daredevil, the first show in Netflix’s slate of Marvel series that included Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Punisher, and The Defenders. The actor played the hero lawyer for three seasons before the series was canceled. After much speculation regarding his return, Cox reprised the role for the MCU in Spider-Man: No Way Home and played him once again in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. He is also slated to appear in Echo, after which he is getting a standalone, 18-episode series on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again.

Charlie Cox’s return to the part and Vincent D’Onofrio stating the Kingpin he played in Hawkeye was the same one he portrayed in Daredevil prompted speculation about the streamer’s Marvel universe possibly being MCU canon. Cox put said speculation to rest when he confirmed during the D23 Expo that Marvel Studios considers Born Again a new series, as opposed to a season 4 continuation of the Man Without Fear’s prior streaming venture. Daredevil is typically lauded as one of Netflix’s best Marvel offerings. The show also ended with a tease at a new beginning for Matt Murdock, as he reclaimed his superhero identity and returned to his lawyer duties alongside his friends, Karen and Foggy. Yet, despite its high quality and continuation setup, it’s good for the MCU to ignore Netflix’s Daredevil.

Related: Marvel Made 3 Changes To Daredevil’s First MCU Costume

Throughout its three seasons, the show explored Matt Murdock’s story quite thoroughly. It touched on his origin, dealt with his rivalry with Wilson Fisk from beginning to end, and introduced different pivotal elements of his world, such as Elektra and The Hand. The series laid out a full arc for the hero, and picking up where it left off would greatly hinder Marvel Studios’ creative possibilities. By presumably starting from scratch with Daredevil: Born Again, the MCU has the opportunity to explore a fresh take on the character. The company is also free to explore different interpretations of the seminal Daredevil comic storylines adapted by Netflix. Matt Murdock has many facets to him, and with one iteration already in place, Marvel Studios can take him in exciting new directions.

Daredevil: Born Again Prevents MCU Canon Problems

Another benefit of Born Again ignoring Daredevil’s previous series is avoiding the storytelling baggage of Netflix’s universe. Marvel Studios making Born Again the continuation of Daredevil would have brought Netflix’s other superhero projects, collectively known as “The Defenders Saga,” into MCU continuity. The streamer introduced very specific versions of key Marvel characters, such as Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, which, had they been made canon, would have stopped Kevin Feige and co. from potentially putting their own spin on them down the line.

Moreover, despite starting out as fairly straightforward stories, nearly every one of The Defenders series began exploring increasingly intricate arcs as their seasons progressed, resulting in drastic status quo shifts for some of its main characters. Danny Rand, for example, gave up his Iron Fist mantle, while Luke Cage became a crime boss at the end of his show’s second season. If Marvel Studios had integrated The Defenders into MCU continuity, their complex mythologies would have probably required overly complicated storylines to fit into the franchise’s narrative. That, in turn, could have resulted in an even more complex backstory for the Defenders, which could have further impacted Marvel’s creative freedom with them for future iterations.

Now, however, with the studio opting to not consider the Netflix Marvel universe canon, the MCU can introduce more faithful and, perhaps most importantly, straightforward versions of the characters. Marvel’s Netflix series were a commendable endeavor that provided a grounded and fascinating perspective on the House of Ideas’ universe, but it has come to an end. Daredevil: Born Again shows that Marvel’s Disney+ shows are ushering in a new era for at least some of these heroes. That will be beneficial to the characters and the MCU as a whole, especially as the franchise explores more street-level crime fighters like Matt Murdock and She-Hulk.