When Kevin Feige became the primary producer of Marvel Studios in 2007, he envisioned a unified universe where all super powered individuals coexisted, mirroring the interconnected world of Marvel comics. Previously, superhero films typically spotlighted a single character, but Feige's revolutionary concept involved creating a series of films that could stand alone yet also interlink with one another. The major challenge with this approach was securing studios willing to distribute these films. Around the time of Iron Man’s release in 2008, Marvel approached several distributors, including Paramount and Universal. It wasn’t until 2009, however, that The Walt Disney Company secured exclusive distribution rights for all subsequent films, firmly associating Marvel with the iconic Disney brand.

 

However, these dynamics explain the inconsistencies occasionally seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Spider-Man, for instance, had to be "leased" from Sony, who held the rights, for his films Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home. Before Disney+, television rights to Marvel characters were still contested. Enter Netflix, which launched its own Daredevil series running from 2015 to 2018. Although technically set in the MCU, the series is seldom considered canonical by a significant portion of the MCU fanbase and is not deemed essential viewing like the more recent Disney+ shows. Nonetheless, Daredevil's popularity was undeniable, leading to his official incorporation into the expanded universe in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. After another cameo in the 2022 show She-Hulk, the blind vigilante was fully integrated into the MCU with Daredevil: Born Again.

 

Touting itself as a reboot/sequel series, the show aims to introduce new viewers to the character while continuing storylines from the Netflix series. It's a tricky balance, but ultimately, I believe it will resonate more with fans of the original show. Daredevil: Born Again sets up an ambitious plot, featuring a vast web of characters. However, the series relies too heavily on viewers' prior knowledge of the story and character relationships to fully deliver the level of mystery and intrigue needed for a truly satisfying payoff.

 

Set several years after the conclusion of its Netflix predecessor, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) has decided to abandon his vigilante ways to fully focus on his career as a lawyer. However, upon discovering that his arch-nemesis and crime lord, Kingpin, is running for mayor of New York City, Murdock is compelled to resume his role as Daredevil.

 

The show introduces a plethora of new characters and notably features no crossover from any established MCU characters in its premiere episode. While this approach is not inherently problematic, it presents a challenging amount of information for viewers to process all at once as an introduction into the cinematic universe. My biggest issue with Daredevil: Born Again was its assumption that viewers were already familiar with these characters, their relationships, and the ongoing storyline. Consequently, it did not serve as a proper introduction to the superhero. Instead, it seemed as if Marvel was trying to avoid alienating potentially new viewers while also satisfying fans of the original series, resulting in an episode that felt compromised and somewhat disjointed.

 

While it remains to be seen how the series will develop, I am confident that new viewers will quickly adapt to and become excited about the show's new characters. However, Daredevil: Born Again can be somewhat challenging to digest initially. Fans of the Netflix series will undoubtedly be thrilled with Murdock's official return, but new viewers may need a few more episodes and a bit more patience to reach the same level of enthusiasm.