MCU’s Spider-Man 3 Should Repeat A 1990s Daredevil Crossover

With reports suggesting that Charlie Cox will reprise the role of Daredevil in the third Spider-Man movie set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many are wondering just how the two heroes could be teamed up. The answer may lie in two episodes of the 1994 animated Spider-Man cartoon, which saw Spidey join forces with The Man Without Fear in two battles without knowing it.

The sixth episode of Spider-Man Season 3, “Framed,” opened in medias res, with Peter Parker on trial for treason and being represented by ace lawyer Matt Murdock. Ever broke, Peter was in no position to turn down Murdock’s help or to wonder why such a famous lawyer would agree to help him. When the subject of payment did come up, Murdock claimed that an anonymous source had sent him a big cash retainer to represent Parker. However, the truth was that Murdock was working pro bono, as he suspected Peter was the fall guy in a scheme planned out by his archenemy, the Kingpin. The episode ended with Peter a wanted fugitive after he was broken out of jail with the aid of The Chameleon, who was disguised as Spider-Man. Thankfully, a drugged Peter was saved by Daredevil, who told him that Matt Murdock had sent him and asked him to take Peter to a safe place while they worked to prove his innocence.

The story continued into Spider-Man Season 3, Episode 7, “The Man Without Fear,” as a recovered Peter went to Kingpin’s company Fisktronics to search for proof of his innocence on his own. This brought him into conflict with Daredevil, who had also broken into Fisktronics looking for clues and honestly believed Spider-Man to be in the Kingpin’s employ. After briefly coming to blows, the two heroes teamed up to fight Wilson Fisk’s men, only to learn that Peter had been framed by Fisk’s son, Richard, who was following in his father’s footsteps. Peter Parker’s name was cleared and Richard Fisk sent to prison, with Peter Parker unaware that his lawyer was also Daredevil and Matt Murdock seemingly ignorant that his client was Spider-Man.

With a few twists, this storyline could easily be adapted into the MCU. With Spider-Man: Far From Home ending with Peter Parker’s secret identity exposed and the world convinced he was responsible for killing the “hero” Mysterio, it’s easy to see how the third MCU Spider-Man movie could open with Peter Parker going on trial for murder and Matt Murdock acting as his lawyer. This could bring Daredevil into contact with other heroes who knew Peter and might take action to help clear his name, such as Doctor Strange, who has also been confirmed to be part of Spider-Man 3‘s story.

While this is all highly speculative, it does seem a likely guess that Matt Murdock might get involved in Peter Parker’s legal troubles, having a long history of going to bat for various underdogs. How this will all ultimately tie in to reports that the movie will also feature Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx’s Electro is anyone’s guess, but the fact that Daredevil is now in the movie gives new hope to the reports that Vincent D’Onofrio wanted to reprise his role as Wilson Fisk in Spider-Man 3. While it seems impossible to imagine the movie could feature a Sinister Six united under the leadership of the Kingpin, it is no more unlikely than some of the other things confirmed about the upcoming movie.