The Man Without Fear is back. Picking up where we left off, Daredevil: Born Again is essentially a continuation to the three exceptional seasons that originally aired on Netflix. Within the opening minutes of the two-part premiere, the latest Disney Plus original wastes no time in setting the tone. It’s bloody, dark, and delightfully violent.
For those who were disappointed by the horned vigilante’s appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again will come across as a much-needed course correction. Reprising his role as Matthew Murdock, Charlie Cox does an incredible job in portraying a Matthew Murdock that’s riddled with inner demons. Furthermore, Vincent D’onofrio makes an astonishing return as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, in a manner that feels more at home instead of the bastardised version we’ve seen in Hawkeye.
Across the two-part premiere, Born Again makes a considerable effort in weaving itself into the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. As it is now part of brain thrust of Marvel Studios, characters feel more reactionary to the events that take place around them, which is something the later ABC/Netflix Marvel seasons often struggled with. In Born Again, Marvel fans should be able to pinpoint its position in the timeline based on the dialogue exchanged between characters.
Narratively, Daredevil: Born Again takes big swings that are bound to shock some viewers. To a certain extent, the bold direction helps in ensuring that the new series is exciting and unpredictable. Conversely, some fans might be put off by the narrative choices considering the foundation that was originally laid by the original show. Among the various narrative choices, Born Again’s decision to pit the civilian-facing personas of Daredevil and Kingpin against each other is the most promising one.
Daredevil: Born Again kicks off with a bang by capturing much of the essence of the original show. Maintaining much of what made those original seasons exciting to watch, it’s refreshing to see the Man Without Fear back in his element. While it makes certain calls that may be hard for fans to accept, the premiere succeeds in setting the stage for an exciting season to watch.
Daredevil: Born Again is available to watch on Disney Plus Hotstar.
