Ever since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters six years ago, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a quest to rediscover its identity. The once genuinely great MCU films now feel like relics of the past, as the franchise delves into lackluster sequels that struggle to escape the massive shadow cast by its pre-Endgame legacy. The box office says that the quest so far has been unsuccessful, to say the least.
As Disney struggles to assemble a new MCU with standalone characters that rarely get a second chance on the big screen (Shang-Chi, anyone?), the House of Mouse seems to focus most of their creative talents on its streaming series. Even though most people have already forgotten about it by now, there was a She-Hulk show on Disney+ around 2022. It wasn’t exactly a hit with either Marvel fans or critics, but it did promise us one thing that’s been teased since Spider-Man: No Way Home: Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was finally coming back to the mainline MCU.
Netflix’s Daredevil vs Disney+’s Daredevil
Netflix’s Marvel shows were an oddity – and by that, I mean that they were mostly great. Both Punisher and Daredevil were some of the most faithful adaptations Marvel has ever produced – and if the worst Netflix has to offer is Iron Fist, it’s still a cinematic masterpiece compared to something like Secret Invasion.
Now, the MCU is finally following up on the Netflix blueprints with Daredevil: Born Again – a continuation of the original Netflix show now on Disney+. Unfortunately, the show isn’t precisely what fans were expecting. A complete tonal mismatch and a questionable narrative structure permeate what could have been a glorious return for one of Marvel’s most beloved vigilantes. The worst part is that everyone saw it coming.
Another Disney MCU Filler TV Show
A major issue plaguing every MCU series so far is how they need to self-contain their stories in a way that doesn’t completely intersect with the “real” MCU in theaters. It’s the reason why shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier felt pointless: Endgame already told us who the next Captain America was going to be – all the show did was introduce a couple more characters into the mix and called it a day. The same thing happened to WandaVision bringing back Vision (but not really – sort of).
With Daredevil: Born Again, we get a Matt Murdock and a Wilson Fisk who are ready to retire from their alter egos. Except, we all know they won’t do it. It’s pretty obvious that both characters will stay as Daredevil and the Kingpin. This kind of “fabricated” drama brings down shows like these, making us yearn for the more “genuine” feel of the Netflix show.
Charlie Cox’s Daredevil Has Become The Clean Vigilante
One thing that made the Netflix shows feel unique is how raw and gritty they felt. It was as if someone had resurrected the Marvel Knights brand just to turn Daredevil and Punisher into TV shows. Disney+ isn’t exactly renowned for its gritty shows. It would be unwarranted to expect the same levels of violence we saw in Deadpool & Wolverine to make a comeback only for this show.
Just like Moon Knight, the violence in Daredevil: Born Again feels like the kind of stuff you’d find in a slightly edgy teenage drama. Even the most shocking scenes in Born Again lack the usual raw emotion the show is known for. That whole climactic moment between Daredevil and Bullseye felt like a late-night rendezvous between two friends. If movies like Captain America: Brave New World have taught us anything, it’s that Marvel is in dire need of some better cinematographers.
As it is, Born Again fails to capture what made the original Daredevil show so special. It doesn’t even feel as competent as Ben Affleck’s Daredevil – and that’s a sentence I’d never thought I’d get to write. Let’s just hope Disney takes all the criticism the show has received online and delivers a great follow-up to Netflix’s The Punisher.
Read our full review of Daredevil: Born Again.
Tell us, do you prefer Charlie Cox’s Daredevil in the Netflix show, or are you happy with the Disney+ series too?
