Fans of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil have been celebrating since the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. For years, they petitioned for Cox to be added to the glorious cast roster of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, and it seems like Marvel Studios has finally heard their pleas. If the announcements at the San Diego Comic-Con are anything to go by, the character’s journey in the MCU has just begun.
Marvel Studios had a lot of exciting announcements to share at the SDCC, including the Daredevil: Born Again series on Disney Plus. News of the upcoming series sent fans into a frenzy, with comments about the character pouring in on social media, to the extent where Cox was trending on Twitter. Daredevil’s appearance in a few other MCU projects was also confirmed, which has fans wondering if the studio is now setting him up as a major figure moving forward.
This won’t be Cox’s first run as the character, though, as he has portrayed the role of Matt Murdock in three seasons of the Netflix series Daredevil. It was the most watched independent Marvel series on the streaming service. After it was canceled, fans petitioned for Cox’s Murdock to be welcomed into the MCU, and after years of hoping and theorizing, their moment of glory arrived in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Cox only appeared in one scene in the film, and was a "really good lawyer," it was enough for loyal fans, as it promised his appearance in future MCU projects.
Daredevil was not only the most appreciated Marvel series on Netflix, but among the list of the biggest television shows on the streaming platform. The third and final season of the series premiered on October 19, 2018, and in November the news of the cancellation broke. It was a shock for hardcore fans of the series, as the third season had just ended, leaving Murdock’s story at an interesting cliffhanger.
Apart from Daredevil, Netflix also axed their other Marvel shows around the same time, including Iron Fist and Luke Cage. It was tough for fans to accept, as the streaming giant did not provide any solid reason at the time for the cancellation. It was probably in preparation for Marvel Studios’ venture into television, with Phase 4 of the MCU consisting of many exclusive series premiering on Disney Plus. But, fans were not aware of this back then, and it seemed like the streaming giant had turned a blind eye to their demands.
One thing that did stand out though is upon Daredevil’s cancellation, Marvel issued a statement that not only thanked fans for the love and support, but also promised that the “character will live on in future projects for Marvel.” None of the other Netflix Marvel series received the same treatment, including the popular show Jessica Jones. It seems like the studio always had a plan for Cox’s fan-favorite character, and bringing him into the MCU was inevitable. The studio watched as fan requests to reinstate Daredevil or include the character into the MCU poured in. But, the executives were just waiting for the right time and place, and that came in the form of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Before the film premiered in theaters, rumors of Cox’s appearance in the project started swirling online. Fans claimed that they had spotted the Daredevil actor on set, and others even found leaked images that confirmed his involvement in the film. At one point, Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed Cox as the MCU’s Daredevil, and revealed that any future appearances by the character would be portrayed by the actor. When the record-smashing Spider-Man: No Way Home was released, Daredevil began to trend on Netflix’s top 10 list, more than three years after the series was canceled, as interest surrounding the character rose again.
To further peak this interest, the studio made some interesting announcements regarding the character at the SDCC. It was confirmed that Cox would be the voice of Daredevil in the animated Spider-Man: Freshman Year, a prequel series that covers the origins of the web-slinging hero in the MCU. A new trailer for the She-Hulk was also revealed at the SDCC, which features Daredevil. It is confirmed that Cox will in fact play the Man Without Fear in the upcoming Disney Plus series, which isn’t only a revelation for fans, but was also a pleasant surprise for the show’s creators. Some expect him to also make an appearance in the Echo series, considering the protagonist is connected to Daredevil’s arch-nemesis.
The most important reveal at the SDCC about the character was the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again. While a lot is still unknown, Marvel can use this series as an opportunity to bag a large fan base that has been feeling disappointed for years. The show premieres in 2024, which might seem like a long wait, but the 18-episode season could hint at a major shift in MCU content moving forward. Many fans have complained about the Marvel series on Disney Plus being too short, which leads to the studio trying to wrap up stories and missing out on some key points. With 18 episodes, not only will Daredevil: Born Again be the longest Marvel series, but also the most number of episodes the character has had in any given season, including the Netflix show. Apart from Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio will also be returning as Kingpin, the villain who made an appearance in Hawkeye.
When Netflix’s Daredevil was canceled, fans were disheartened to see one of their favorite heroes’ go, especially considering his story hadn’t even ended. But, it seems like Marvel Studios is living up to its word, and the character is truly living on. Even though it has been almost four years since fans last saw Daredevil in action, not counting Spider-Man: No Way Home, his popularity only seems to grow. Cox has repeated in several interviews that he is more than happy to return as Daredevil, and with his involvement in multiple MCU projects, it seems like his character is gearing up for an epic comeback, which could be bigger than just about wrapping up his story arc. Daredevil was gone momentarily, but not forgotten by fans, and his comeback is one thing that they all are looking forward to.
Daredevil: Born Again is in production, and scheduled to premiere on Disney Plus in 2024.