The MCU’s Daredevil Can’t Undo The 60 Year-Old Rule Marvel Comics Broke Repeatedly

It’s still unclear what changes will be made to Daredevil when he enters the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again, but Marvel should make sure to keep one key aspect of the character intact: his no-killing rule. Daredevil’s rule against killing is inspired by his Catholic faith, which often informs his sense of morality. It has been firmly established in comic books and was reaffirmed in the Netflix Daredevil series when Matt made the difficult decision not to kill Kingpin.

Daredevil has killed people in the comics before, but it is usually seen as a big departure from his usual code of conduct. Other MCU heroes have shown they aren’t afraid of killing, but Daredevil’s strict rules for himself are often a big part of his character. As such, it would make sense for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to also hold Matt to different standards than someone like Captain America who was originally a soldier. This is especially true given Daredevil’s status as a more street-level hero.

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Daredevil’s History Of Not Killing Explained

Daredevil’s Catholicism became a more prominent part of his character in the 1970s. Though Daredevil hadn’t been killing people consistently before this, his faith helped explain why he was so against the use of lethal force. Daredevil’s faith also had a bigger thematic impact on the “Born Again” story arc by Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli. Since Daredevil: Born Again is lifting the name from this arc, it could also be continuing to examine Matt’s Catholicism, similar to how the Netflix show did.

Daredevil has killed people in the comics before – sometimes to protect people, and on rarer occasions to make him into a more antagonistic force. For instance, in Daredevil #232 (1986) by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Matt shoots down a helicopter to save innocent bystanders its pilot was targeting. Another one of Daredevil’s kills was against an undead Hand assassin called The Fist, though it’s hard to say if killing a zombie counts the same. While the comics can get away with doing this on rare occasions, that is very different from Daredevil killing in the show.

Daredevil Breaking His Rule Too Often Ruins His Appeal

If Daredevil kills a few characters over the course of his 60-year comic book history, that preserves the spirit of the rule and makes it seem like a big deal when he does break it. If Daredevil were to kill in his first MCU appearance, it wouldn’t have the same effect. Instead of feeling like an exception to an established rule, it would feel like a new norm, similar to when Superman snapped Zod’s neck in Man of Steel. Daredevil would need to be around longer before breaking his rule.

Of course, not all heroes need a no-kill rule. Certain heroes, like The Punisher, are appealing because of their ruthlessness. However, Daredevil’s strict code of ethics is part of what makes the character appealing. Changing too much of Matt’s personality would make him feel less distinct and simply like any other MCU hero in a different costume. In fact, killing would actually be worse for Daredevil than heroes like Iron Man because of the specific types of threats he faces.

Street-Level MCU Heroes Killing Is An Issue

As a street-level Marvel hero, Daredevil is in a very different position than the Avengers. Often, the Avengers go up against villains or organizations bent on world domination who are actively trying to kill them. On the other hand, street-level heroes are usually facing threats on a much smaller scale. If Daredevil were to kill petty criminals, it would feel much more violent than killing someone in self-defense or to save the world. This is why street-level heroes typically have no-kill rules in the comics, as can seen to be the case with Spider-Man, and Hawkeye after he reformed.

Even when Daredevil is going up against organized crime, it still feels unjustified to use lethal force. Characters like Melvin Potter in Daredevil proved that just because someone is working for Kingpin doesn’t mean they’re irredeemable. If Daredevil were to kill all of his enemies, he would be denying them similar chances at redemption. With all this in mind, if Daredevil: Born Again wants to depict Matt Murdock as a hero, and not compromise his character’s appeal, the show will need to maintain Daredevil’s strict no-killing rule.