Credit: Marvel Studios, NetflixNot a cowl or bandana anywhere in sight!
Related: Disney in Chaos: Outraged Fans Call For Feige To Go
It has been over ten years since The Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of Marvel Studios, which came in the wake of the success of Marvel Entertainment’s Iron Man (2008), a film that marked Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the spotlight. Since that time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has made significant progress, especially with the release of The Avengers (2012), a movie that redefined the superhero genre. The initial three phases of the MCU, collectively known as the Infinity Saga, ultimately culminated in Phase Three with the immense popularity of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
The (Original) MCU Daredevil Reboot Plan
In anticipation of Phase Five in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which is the second part of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios is expanding its horizons by including a diverse array of superhero teams beyond the core Avengers. As Kevin Feige disclosed during San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the MCU is set to unveil teams dedicated to addressing an extensive spectrum of antagonistic dangers, ranging from challenges of a “cosmic-level” to “supernatural” and “street-level” nature.
Related: Fan Outcry Changes Course of Disney’s ‘Daredevil’, No Longer a “Reboot”
Taking charge of this expanded superhero presence on Earth are none other than Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil. Naturally, Marvel Studios finds itself in the position of reintroducing the character of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to the current MCU audience, as the character has been absent from the franchise since the Netflix Marvel Daredevil series concluded in 2018.
Fans were taken by surprise when Charlie Cox’s Daredevil/Matt Murdock made an unexpected appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) as Spider-Man’s legal counsel, definitively affirming the character’s place within the primary MCU timeline after the occurrences of Avengers: Endgame. Nevertheless, this cameo was fleeting in nature, merely signaling the existence of a variant of Matt Murdock within the primary universe, without establishing a connection to the broader context of his own show’s narrative world.
Charlie Cox’s return as Daredevil in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), where he appeared in a cameo and as a love interest, marked a significant moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It solidified a much clearer connection between the previous Netflix Marvel properties in The Defenders (2017) continuity and the mainline MCU.
Daredevil was an integral member of the Defenders, a team that included characters like Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Coulter), and Danny Rand/Iron Fist (Finn Jones), all of whom had their own standalone shows on the Netflix platform in the past. These series have since been transitioned to Disney+ following the expiration of their contracts, but they remain inactive and unaddressed in the current MCU landscape.
The Unfortunate State of Daredevil Now
Currently, a notable section of Marvel fans are more than ready to remove President Kevin Feige from his position due to what they perceive as an absurd decision. Now, the Disney+ original series, Daredevil: Born Again is being scrapped and set to be completely retooled.
After the surprising revelation that Marvel Studios was, in fact, replacing the entire creative team of the Daredevil (2015) reboot, including its directors and writers, insiders have started revealing the original storyline of the series, causing a significant stir across online platforms.
Daredevil: Born Again… as Bluey?
As the entirety of Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again is being overhauled, and the SAG-AFTRA actors strikes are currently ongoing, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen himself took to New York City Comic Con (NYCC) to check out the fandom wares and cosplay sights. Since actors are unable to promote or talk about any of their projects past, present or future, actors like Cox have a little bit more freedom as of late.
Clearly, this is translating into more concerted efforts to, for example, walk the floor of NYCC in full Bluey getup, as the animated dog’s father, Bandit.
X (formerly Twitter) user @k_hicky cited their shocking encounter with a Daredevil who’s hung his cowl up for the day to don a load of blue facepaint and a bright yellow Arsenal soccer team jersey. The father of two was happy to pose for the fan as Bluey’s Bandit — who was completely unaware of the actors’ true nature:
APPARENTLY I MET CHARLIE COX AT NYCC TODAY??!?!??!!
I just thought he was a dumb guy dressed up as Bluey and asked to take his picture. I’m shook right now, I can’t believe I met him
APPARENTLY I MET CHARLIE COX AT NYCC TODAY??!?!??!!
I just thought he was a dumb guy dressed up as Bluey and asked to take his picture. I’m shook right now, I can’t believe I met him pic.twitter.com/kZDMN2PPsY
— checkeredwithflame 🔥 (@k_hicky) October 15, 2023
The post naturally blew up online, with fans on social media weighing in.
Some with jealousy, others in hilarity — like Colby Steffens:
Imagining not knowing you took a picture with Charlie Cox 🤣🤣🤣
Imagining not knowing you took a picture with Charlie Cox 🤣🤣🤣
— The Real Optimus Prime (@ColbySteffens) October 15, 2023
Others were just sad they missed this majestic sight, as @brookestarrr_ commented:
the fact that i didnt see him makes me so sad not even bc its charlie but bc why is he dressed like that its so funny😭😭
the fact that i didnt see him makes me so sad not even bc its charlie but bc why is he dressed like that its so funny😭😭
— brooke 🙂 (@brookestarrr_) October 15, 2023
Meanwhile, others are calling the original poster out for thinking that Cox is dressed up as Bluey — when he is clearly dressed as his father, Bandit.:
That’s obviously bandit, don’t you know your bluey lore
That's obviously bandit, don't you know your bluey lore
— LeGrandad (@LeGramDab) October 15, 2023
It’s always wild seeing people you usually see on TV or in movies out in the world — but when they’re as incongruously dressed up as this, it’s even wilder!
What do you think of Daredevil actor Charlie Cox’s NYCC Bluey cosplay? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More on Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil was a key member of The Defenders (2017) team, which also featured characters like Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Coulter), and Danny Rand/Iron Fist (Finn Jones), all of whom had their own individual series on the Netflix platform.
Under the fresh direction of director Michael Cuesta, in contrast to the previous long-standing original showrunner Steven DeKnight (who expressed discontent with Disney’s decisions concerning Daredevil: Born Again), the upcoming Disney+ Original will showcase Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn, Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blade, Sandrine Holt as Vanessa Fisk, Nikki M James as Kirsten McDuffie, Genneya Walton as BB Urich, Clark Johnson as Cherry, Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman, and Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera.
Currently there is no word as to whether Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson or Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page will return to the Disney series.