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Daredevil: Born Again has some extraordinarily large shoes to fill. The original Daredevil stands as perhaps the most beloved Marvel series in history, if not one of the most revered superhero projects of all time. To not just bring another take of the character to the small screen, but continue from where the legendary show left off, is a monumental undertaking to say the least.
Helmed by Dario Scardapane, Daredevil: Born Again seeks to reintroduce the character of Matt Murdock (played by Charlie Cox) to fans from all walks of life. This includes longtime fans of the original series, fans only acquainted with the character from his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even those entirely new to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
Despite being seven years since the final season of Daredevil launched on Netflix, and a full decade since he officially took on the role, Charlie Cox has not lost his step in the slightest when it comes to portraying Matt Murdock. In fact, he’s better than ever. From the first scene Matt has the charming swagger and effortless charisma that has had fans (and She-Hulks) swooning for him for nearly ten years running.
The nuances of his character also aren’t dulled down for Disney Plus. Daredevil: Born Again breaks Matt Murdock down to his most base components, and lets him shine at his brightest in new circumstances that he was never forced to face in the Netflix series. Fans can almost feel the chemistry bleeding through the screen with every cast member he interacts with, a history apparent in every word spoken.
Mostly since, for many members of the cast, there is a rich and storied history carried over from the Netflix incarnation of Daredevil. Perhaps the most obvious of which is Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays the ever maniacal Wilson Fisk. His portrayal of Kingpin continues to be as excellent as it has been during his prior appearances in the MCU, now elevated by the fact he no longer has to play second fiddle to other heroes of plot points.
Every other returning cast member is just as electrifying. Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Ayelet Zurer (Vanessa Fisk), Wilson Bethel (Bullseye), Deborah Ann-Woll (Karen Page), and Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson) all reprise their roles in Daredevil: Born Again. Each one brings their A-Game to the Disney Plus revival, matching, if not sometimes surpassing, their Netflix incarnations in many key moments throughout the series.
Yet even despite their experience in the universe, the new faces of Daredevil: Born Again manage to go toe-to-toe with each of these comic book legends. From Margarita Levieva’s authorial eye to Michael Gandolfini’s schmoozing protégé of the Kingpin himself, every new addition to the cast brings something fresh to the show, without feeling out of place when compared to the many elements of the old guard brought in.
The most exceptional of the roles above is that of White Tiger. Kamar de los Reyes plays Hector Ayala in his final posthumous role following his passing in 2023. While not much can be said about his role in Daredevil: Born Again without dipping into spoiler territory, Hector sits at the heart of the series’ most emotional moments. It’s a performance Marvel fans will likely talk about for quite some time, and the biggest shame is that there won’t be more of it.
But when talking about new characters in Daredevil: Born Again, minds likely shift to the topic of Muse. Marvel kept the character close to its chest during the promotion of the series, leading many to assume that he’d play a large role as the main villain of the revival. It would be wrong to say that the character stacks up as a truly “great” villain when compared to the likes of characters such as Kingpin and Purple Man. However, he is a very fun and dynamic villain that serves his role in the story as well as could be expected.
This is because the story of Daredevil: Born Again isn’t about Daredevil rising once more to take down a specific villain. Instead, it’s a story of man versus his very nature. Both Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk find themselves in a brave new world with their transition into the MCU, with the core conflict of the show revolving around not just whether man can truly change, but whether they ever wanted to in the first place.
These themes are showcased with some genuinely beautiful cinematography. Daredevil: Born Again is home to some of the best camera work on Disney Plus, hands down. The show also follows in the footsteps of its Netflix series by using harsh shadows and striking color to portray the emotional contrasts of key characters like Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk.
Though it’s important to note that the use of lighting and color is not the same as the Netflix show. Daredevil: Born Again makes the city feel much cleaner than the dingy, often muddy Netflix series. This is on purpose, as the main conflict of the series is what happens when these two titans of the Marvel universe are taken from the grimy underbelly of Hell’s Kitchen and thrust directly into the public eye thanks to Wilson Fisk’s campaign to be Mayor of New York.
Of course, no review of Daredevil: Born Again could be complete without discussing the creative reboot that the series underwent. The show was originally helmed by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. Filming on that version of the revival was put on hold in 2023 due to the Hollywood strikes. This gave Marvel time to evaluate the state of the project, ultimately deciding to replace Corman and Orb as showrunners and try to rework the series into something better.
This is important context because it meant Daredevil: Born Again was not playing with a full deck of cards. Contracts were already inked, sets were already built, and quite a lot of the show was already shot. Even if Dario Scardapane and his team were able to manipulate these assets as much as they wanted, their budget and toolbox were severely limited due to these factors.
The impact of this is most heavily felt in the first episode. In order to set the status quo for the already shortened episode count, things move at an absolutely breakneck speed. While the episode still has some absolutely phenomenal moments, splitting it into two and allowing some of the more impactful narrative beats to have their time to breathe would have likely allowed for a more fulfilling start to the series.
Does this small issue keep the show from being perfect? Perhaps. It’s hard to call Daredevil: Born Again flawless when compared to the impeccably crafted Netflix series. Occasionally fast pacing, less than perfect wardrobe choices, and the occasional lack of coverage shots aren’t major issues, but they’re still there. However, the show is as close to perfect as anyone could expect given the circumstances of its creation. And if this is what Dario Scardapane was able to do with one hand tied behind his back, Daredevil fans are going to be eating phenomenally well when season 2 drops in 2026.
Score: 9.5/10
