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Credit: Marvel Studios, edited by ITMNew video leaks of Daredevil: Born Again filming in New York City show something rather shocking.
Related: Feige Talks ‘Spider-Man’, Tom Holland and Charlie Cox to Lead Marvel’s “Street-Level” Heroes
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is presently constructing Phase Five AKA second installment of the Multiverse Saga. Marvel Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company, is actively broadening its storytelling scope by incorporating various superhero teams beyond the core Avengers. Kevin Feige revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 that the MCU is set to introduce teams designed to tackle a wide array of threats, ranging from “cosmic-level” to “supernatural” and “street-level” challenges.
Guiding the expansion of superhero narratives on Earth are none other than Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil, now designated as Marvel’s street-level “team leaders”. Now, Marvel Studios faces the challenge of reintroducing the Man Without Fear to the current MCU audience, considering the character’s absence since the Netflix Marvel Daredevil (2015) series, which was previously abandoned in 2018.
Marvel Studios: Back to Form?
Related: Disney Scraps Beloved Marvel Franchise Reboot Plan
The following may include video spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again.
Fan campaigns to #SaveDaredevil resonated with Disney, as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is now revived to return in a new Disney+ series titled Daredevil: Born Again. From the previously announced 18-episode-run reduced to better fit into the previous Netflix seasons, it appears that Disney and Marvel Studios are implementing major changes to bring Disney+’s (Disney Plus) Daredevil away from the initially promised “reboot” and closer to a “Season 4” of the Netflix show — to much fan excitement.
Fans of the M-rated series helmed by director Drew Goddard have been clamoring for a return to form for years. Fan-favorite bad guys such as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) have been so popular (and so effectively intimidating as a villain) that Kevin Feige has brought the Big Bad back to star as the major antagonist in Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2024), ahead of his big return in Daredevil: Born Again — and potentially Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4, should Sony agree.
A brand new villain on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen alongside D’Onofrio’s terrifying Fisk amid his teased bid to become Mayor (via Echo‘s ending scene) will be Muse, a criminal who kills for his art from the Marvel Comics, as revealed in this video leak by @WingFinn48:
Here’s the last daredevil thing I recorded. I think it’s supposed to be muse drawing the kingpin graffiti but the actor is a body double from what I can tell. Then they shot a bunch of background characters doing things
Here’s the last daredevil thing I recorded. I think it’s supposed to be muse drawing the kingpin graffiti but the actor is a body double from what I can tell. Then they shot a bunch of background characters doing things pic.twitter.com/sRVLBTOT9u
— Finn (@WingFinn48) January 27, 2024
Following Kevin Feige’s revelation that Born Again would serve as a soft reboot for the series, fans expressed worry over noticeable changes in casting that raised questions about the show’s direction. The seemingly arbitrary recasting, such as Sandrine Holt replacing Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk, and the noted absence of Matt Murdock’s best friends and law colleagues Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page and Elden Hensen’s Foggy Nelson generated apprehension within the Marvel fan community.
It’s likely that these growing fan concerns, combined with Marvel Studios’ recent poor reception, influenced Feige to suddenly scrap the first half season’s worth of content, including firing all writers and creatives involved, opting to start afresh.
The new Daredevil: Born Again team is officially bringing Woll and Hensen’s Karen Page and Foggy Nelson back, in a nod to the end of Daredevil Season 3. In this leaked video by @mickmicknyc on TikTok (via Daredevil Updates) they are seen exiting their law firm Nelson, Murdock & Page together:
Charlie Cox, Elden Henson, and Deborah Ann Woll behind the scenes of ‘DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN’
Charlie Cox, Elden Henson, and Deborah Ann Woll behind the scenes of ‘DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN’ pic.twitter.com/kOkE8Hcc32
— Daredevil Updates (@DDevilUpdates) January 27, 2024
This upcoming series will showcase Charlie Cox reprising his role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio returning as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, and Jon Bernthal taking on the character of Frank Castle/the Punisher.
Major Netflix-era characters like Benjamin Poindexter/Dex AKA Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) have also been reported to return —
Now that Netflix’s The Defenders-era of Marvel television has officially been grandfathered into Disney+’s mainline MCU continuity, Jessica Jones (2015-2019) starring Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Luke Cage (2016-2018) featuring Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Iron Fist (2017-2018) with Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist are now officially part of the MCU.
Only time will tell how Marvel intends to utilize these heroes and stories.
Are you excited for Daredevil: Born Again and Marvel Studios’ course change? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!