Marvel Television's Netflix TV shows made a lot of mistakes, but there was still plenty of love about them. That was particularly the case with Daredevil, and it's no wonder fans remain desperate to see more of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk.
The latter is rumoured to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe return in Hawkeye, and the actor has only increased speculation by liking Tweets and sharing cryptic messages on Twitter.
Screen Rant recently caught up with the actor and asked about the rumblings surrounding him reprising this villainous role. "I do take it as a compliment. I so badly want to play that character again. I love that character. I just have to wait for Marvel to ask me. I think it's very clear that I would, and the fans know that I would jump at the chance to play again. I just need to be asked."
He appears to be choosing his words carefully, but dialling back expectations wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. Scoopers have been wrong many, many times before, and it remains unclear exactly how much, if anything, Marvel Studios plans on plucking from that Marvel Television era. However, Kevin Feige has to be taking note of how much fans want these returns to happen!
In the same interview, D'Onofrio looked back fondly at his time as Fisk and praised the scripts he had to work with. "[With] Wilson Fisk, there's no performance of mine that I did that wasn't written first. It was just great [work] by all the writers that did each season. They were all great in their own way. I never touched those scripts. I never altered dialogue; I never asked to alter dialogue."
"It was all there, all the time - and that's rare," the actor explained. "Especially in the first and third season, I would look forward to cracking open the script and reading it."
We're just going to have to wait and see when it comes to The Kingpin's MCU future, but if he is in Hawkeye, then it's probably a safe bet that we'll see Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Click on the "Next" button below to check out 10 things
we need to see from Daredevil's eventual MCU debut!
10. Original Yellow Costume
Whether a Daredevil reboot turns out to be an origin story for the character or picks up with him as an established hero remains to be seen, but an appearance from his original yellow costume is a must.
The Man Without Fear is one of only a handful of superheroes to receive a drastic costume redesign after being introduced, but this suit has since been referenced in various comics, including Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Daredevil: Yellow (which didn't influence that Netflix series anywhere near enough).
It might be a smart way to differentiate this Daredevil from previous iterations by putting him in his yellow costume, and fans would definitely appreciate the opportunity to see what has become a beloved look for the hero since it first debuted well over 50 years ago.
9. Mental Instability
If you're not the biggest Daredevil fan, it may come as surprise to learn that Matt Murdock has suffered from some serious psychological issues over the years. The Kingpin once succeeded in mentally breaking Daredevil, while the murder of his girlfriend at the hands of Bullseye pushed him into a spiral which saw him eventually carve a literal bullseye into that villain’s forehead.
Pushed to breaking point, Matt even ended up declaring himself New York’s new Kingpin of Crime!
These issues have been a constant struggle for the hero, and though dealing with Daredevil’s mental health would potentially be a dark path to take a movie in, having The Kingpin break the Man Without Fear only for him to find his way back to the light is the kind of story which would actually be more inspiring than anything, while also bringing attention to some serious issues.
8. Courtroom Drama
As great as the Daredevil series on Netflix often was, it's crazy that it never really devoted a serious amount of time to exploring Matt Murdock's career as a lawyer. This was only ever really addressed on a surface level, and even Frank Castle's day in court proved to be something of a let-down.
It's said that the MCU's version of She-Hulk will specialise in superhuman law, so taking Matt down a similar route might not be the worst idea in the world. We're guessing those two will actually be part of the same legal practice if the hero really is set to appear in that Disney+ series, thereby explaining why it's Matt who ends up acting for Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Matt and Foggy Nelson's courtroom battles need to be a big part of whatever comes next for Daredevil.
7. A Not So Secret Identity?
Secret identities aren't really a thing in the MCU, and should Marvel Studios decide to explore this storyline, we could be in for a real treat. When a corrupt FBI agent sold Daredevil’s secret identity to a tabloid newspaper, the hero found himself dealing with an insanely difficult situation.
His identity now public, Matt Murdock was pursued by the law, faced problems from the New York State Bar Association due to his vigilante activities outside of his law career, and was forced to deny these accusations very publicly as his greatest villains targeted those closest to him.
This wouldn't necessarily fit into a reboot, but the groundwork could definitely be laid for a sequel, even if it's something as simple as a post-credits scene showing that FBI agent selling Daredevil's secrets to...well, why not TheDailyBugle.net's J. Jonah Jameson? That might be fun!
6. Karen Page
Originally introduced as the secretary in Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson’s law firm, the two friends spent years battling for the affections of Karen Page. She had her sights set on Daredevil, but finding out that he and Matt were one and the same pushed their relationship to the limit and led to her leaving New York behind.
If that sounds familiar, it's because we have already seen something similar play out on the small screen! Should Deborah Ann Woll return? As of right now, we're definitely on the fence about that.
Regardless, Karen would still make for a great addition to a reboot, especially if her fate is the same as in the comics. After reuniting with Matt, Karen saved Daredevil’s life when she was impaled on a billy club thrown at her lover by the villainous Bullseye. She died in The Man Without Fear’s arms, and this set the hero on a dark path...
5. Bullseye
Colin Farrell and Wilson Bethel both brought a lot to the table as Bullseye, but it’s about time we see a faithful take on the psychotic villain. The deadly assassin for hire is capable of using practically anything as a lethal projectile weapon with flawless accuracy and deadly force.
He needs to be more than just a henchman though, and Marvel Studios would be smart to really let him show off his sadistic side (even if it means pushing the boundaries of a PG-13 rating).
Over the years, Bullseye has been responsible for killing both Elektra and Karen Page in cold blood, making his rivalry with the Man Without Fear all the more personal. There are a number of villains they could feature in a reboot, but Bullseye should definitely be a priority - he just needs the damn costume already, as it still infuriates that season three of Daredevil shied away from that.
4. Less Frank Miller, More Mark Waid
Frank Miller is rightly considered one of the best Daredevil writers of all-time, and as bad as it was, his influence could still be felt in some of the best moments of the 2003 movie. It also heavily influenced the TV series, whether it was the black costume or some of the story arcs we ended up seeing.
However, an MCU reboot would be better off following in the award-winning footsteps of Mark Waid’s Daredevil run. It found the right balance of humour and character drama and is actually a tone that would fit perfectly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Of course, there’s nothing to say that there can’t still be some serious and darker elements to the movie.
However, with the comic book runs that followed Waid's mostly serving as "Miller-lite," it would be no bad thing for a reboot to shake things up and deliver a drastically different tone.
3. The Kingpin
Even though he played a major role in the 2003 movie and the Netflix TV series, there's still plenty that can be done with Wilson Fisk, this time in a slightly more comic accurate fashion.
That's not to say Wilson D'Onofrio's take was bad, but a Kingpin who is literally the Kingpin of Crime in New York City would be fun to see, especially if he pulls strings which are felt across multiple franchises. To differentiate this version, though, why not have him masquerade as the kind-hearted Mayor of New York City?
We also wouldn't say no to some CGI enhancements to make him look comic accurate, but D'Onofrio being given another shot at this villain is a must. As we mentioned, it sounds like he could factor into Hawkeye and the Echo TV series that's coming to Disney+, so we're cautiously optimistic.
2. A Spider-Man Team-Up
Spider-Man's MCU future is uncertain; while Tom Holland is signed up for Spider-Man: No Way Home and an appearance in another Marvel Studios project, what comes next is hard to say.
With any luck, Sony Pictures will be smart enough to continue their deal with Disney, and that should leave the door open for a long-overdue team-up for Spider-Man and Daredevil after their initial meeting this December. Their friendship is the stuff of legend, and it would make perfect sense to add the wall-crawler into any solo project revolving around the Man Without Fear.
Peter is more than likely going to owe Matt one after he represents him in court, so Daredevil turning to Spidey for help could lead to something comic book fans have only ever dreamed of seeing on screen. We'd love to see 'ol Horn Head suit up later this year, but aren't banking on it, sadly.
1. Elektra
Played by Jennifer Garner in 2003’s Daredevil and the terrible 2005 spin-off, Elektra is a character who definitely deserves to be done justice on the big screen. She was really little more than a love interest for the Man Without Fear in the movie, and while we appreciated Elodie Yung's take on the assassin, the way things ended for her on the small screen left a bad taste.
Depending on what point in Matt Murdock’s life this reboot is set, we could see them meet in college or even years later when she returns to New York City as a trained assassin for The Hand.
Of course, it's vital that any movie avoids retreading old ground, so a complete overhaul might not be a bad thing at this point. Providing a reboot gets Elektra's personality and relationship with Matt Murdock right, a fresh take that breathes new life into the anti-hero definitely makes sense.