While there have been rumours about Charlie Cox reprising the role of Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed last night that if and when we see the Man Without Fear again, Cox will play him. That's big news, and means the Marvel Cinematic Universe now has its own Daredevil.
Marvel Television's shows don't appear to be canon, but we're sure more ideas and actors will be borrowed from them. Hawkeye is already setting the stage for Vincent D'Onofrio to return as the Kingpin of Crime, so it's clear there are very big plans for this corner of the MCU.
With that in mind, we're now taking a look at some essential things we need to see whenever 'ol Hornhead makes his presence felt. From a possible supporting role in Echo and She-Hulk to the characters we're anxious to join him on the big or small screen, we also delve into how Matt should be portrayed on screen and what that could mean for the Hell's Kitchen hero moving forward.
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10. More Mark Waid Than Frank Miller
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, we'd much prefer the MCU follows Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's award-winning Daredevil run. It found the right balance of humour and character drama and is actually a tone that would fit perfectly in these movies and TV shows. Of course, there’s nothing to say that there can’t still be some serious and darker elements to the movie which are inspired by Miller.
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.
9. The Yellow Costume
It's looking a lot like the MCU will pick up with Daredevil as an established hero, though how much the public and Earth's Mightiest Heroes know of his attempts to protect Hell's Kitchen remains to be seen. Either way, we'd love to see Marvel Studios take on Matt's classic yellow costume.
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 the 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...even if it's just a flashback!
8. Identity Crisis
Secret identities aren't really a thing in the MCU, but introducing Matt and building to his identity eventually being outed by his greatest foe (we'll get to him) has some real potential and wouldn't be too similar to Spider-Man: No Way Home. When a corrupt FBI agent sold Daredevil’s secret identity to a tabloid newspaper, the hero found himself dealing with a nightmare 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.
We'd want Marvel Studios to carefully avoid delivering anything too close to Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scene, but there are ways this storyline could be tweaked for a solo movie or series.
7. Real 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 (often making him more of a private investigator than a lawyer) 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.
6. Echo's Mentor
Hawkeye has established that Ronin was responsible for the death of Maya Lopez's father, likely meaning the MCU won't head down the direction of Kingpin making Echo believe Daredevil was the killer. Charlie Cox, meanwhile, is 38 and Alaqua Cox (no relation, obviously) is 24. That probably rules out any sort of romantic relationship between the two, though it may not be off the table.
So, what can Marvel Studios do with these two characters? Well, Daredevil serving as Maya's mentor and giving them a common enemy in Wilson Fisk is a ready-made storyline for Echo.
It's already been rumoured that the spinoff series will serve as a "Daredevil season 3.5" for fans, and it would be a good place to firmly establish the character's place in the MCU. Plus, with all due respect to Maya, it wouldn't hurt her show to have a little star power to make sure casual fans tune in.
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. It's about damn time he gets his comic book costume too, and we'd have no issue with Bethel reprising the role as Wilson Fisk's hired gun, albeit without any of the baggage introduced in the Netflix series.
4. Nelson, Murdock...And Walters
We alluded to this a little earlier, but why not incorporate Jennifer Walters into Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson's law practice? This would open the door to Daredevil playing a supporting role in She-Hulk, possibly even teaming up with her as a lawyer and vigilante over the course of the series.
The dynamic between these two in the comic books has always been a lot of fun. Plus, if the Man Without Fear is going to take centre stage in Echo, then expanding on who exactly the MCU's version of Matt is in She-Hulk following his Spider-Man: No Way Home cameo should be a given. He's a freaking lawyer, so where better than this to make use of the character and establish his status quo?
We'll see, but having this trio all work in the same law firm...well, it could lead to big things down the line.
3. 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.
While it's vital that any movie avoids retreading old ground, a complete overhaul for the character is now absolutely essential. Unfortunately, that means ditching Yung and finding a new actress who can bring Elektra to the big or small screen in a way that ensures she becomes an MCU mainstay.
There's no need to revisit their past, and utilising Elektra as a full-fledged character in her own right before she reunites with Matt (perhaps in Moon Knight or even something unexpected like Secret Invasion) would be no bad thing. Heck, she could even get her own movie or TV show when all is said and done.
2. The Kingpin Of Crime
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 that are felt across multiple franchises. To differentiate this version, though, why not have him masquerade as the kind-hearted Mayor of New York City? That's worked really well in the comic books over the past few years.
We also wouldn't say no to some CGI enhancements to make him look comic accurate, and we know D'Onofrio will soon make his presence felt in Hawkeye. After that, we'll have a better idea of the direction the MCU is taking the villain in, but it's time for Fisk to really make his mark on this shared world.
1. Spider-Man Team-Up
It sounds like Tom Holland will return as Spider-Man beyond this month's No Way Home, but there could be a bit of a wait based on recent comments from the actor. When it does happen, though, it makes nothing less than perfect sense to have the wall-crawler team up with the Man Without Fear.
In the comic books, their friendship is the stuff of legend, and as we're only expecting to see Matt as a lawyer in the upcoming threequel, the logical next step is a full-blown partnership in their superheroes guises.
Peter is more than likely going to owe Matt one after he lends a helping hand with his legal troubles, so Daredevil later turning to Spidey for help could lead to something comic book fans have only ever dreamed of seeing on screen We are, of course, talking about a live-action version of the image you see above and not making that a reality would be a major missed opportunity.