by Foster Harlfinger, Contributing Writer
Netflix canceled Daredevil on November 29, 2018, following a third season which, despite offering a more-than-satisfying conclusion to the majority of the storylines it had explored, left fans hungry for more. Netflix subscribers are no strangers to the pain of having a beloved television series canceled too soon, but fans of the Man Without Fear took this loss personally. With cast members like Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio stoking the flames, the more dedicated fans of the #SaveDaredevil campaign went as far as renting a billboard in Times Square to get their message seen.
When Marvel officially announced the development of Daredevil: Born Again for Disney+ in July 2022, the weight of expectations was high. The show was riddled with production troubles, from the 2023 Writers Guild strike, to shifting from a planned 18-episode season to two nine-episode seasons, to the partial re-filming of six already-completed episodes midway through the season. The hope for Born Again was no longer a question of whether it would respectfully honor the legacy of the original show, but of whether it would stand on its own as a cohesive season of television at all.
Given the behind-the-scenes patchwork that went into the production, it is a miracle that Born Again flows as well as it does. The season is far from perfectly constructed, but it largely works, in no small part because of the late hiring of directing duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead (“The real deal,” as D’Onofrio puts it). In addition to directing three of the season’s best episodes, they also assisted in blending the previously shot footage with the new direction of the show for the partially re-filmed Episodes Two through Seven.
The show’s pilot episode, constructed after the hiring of Benson and Moorhead, begins with a bold 15-minute opening which threatens to completely unravel the promise of Nelson, Murdock, & Page that had been put forth in the series finale of the Netflix show. Bold and upsetting, Born Again’s premiere makes it known that this series will honor the legacy of the characters fans have come to love, while telling an entirely original story.
Matt Murdock (Cox), left to grapple with the fallout of a Daredevil outing gone awry, begins a new practice with former district attorney Kirsten Mcduffie (Nikki M. James). Meanwhile, former mob boss and egomaniacal maniac Wilson Fisk (D’Onofrio) has returned to New York City to announce his run for mayor, a race he wins with apparent ease. The parallel journeys of Murdock and Fisk offer the primary tension of the show, as both men oscillate between denying and embracing their Daredevil and Kingpin alter egos.
If Born Again falters, it is with the pacing, rather than the contents of its various storylines. It takes a full six episodes before Murdock finally gives into his Daredevil persona, suiting up to fight back against the criminals he is unable to defeat with the sole power of the law. Unfortunately, the buildup to the Daredevil suit-up reveal takes far too long for a moment which itself feels rushed. Though these pacing issues are understandable given the production setbacks, they result in an awkward flow to what would have otherwise been a pitch-perfect continuation and evolution of the Netflix series.
The show certainly does justice to its returning characters in a way that fans will appreciate, but the new additions to Born Again hit with varying results. While Fisk engages in every manner of political overreach imaginable, with his anti-vigilante task force, a new villain is on the rise. A Banksy-esque artist who goes by the name Muse (Hunter Doohan) has been leaving politically charged street art across the city. But that vibrant red paint he uses? Muse — as Fisk and Murdock both come to realize — is a disturbed serial killer who paints the brick walls of the city with the blood of his victims. The character design and overall aesthetic for this character is sick, twisted, and gnarly, and Doohan makes the most of his character’s limited screen time. Unfortunately, despite the show’s exciting buildup to his introduction, Born Again breezes through his entire arc within two episodes, significantly reducing the potential of what could have been a season-long antagonist.
All this comes amid a myriad of interconnected subplots, including but not limited to Matt’s budding romance with therapist Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), Matt’s legal representation of the vigilante known as the White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes), budding reporter BB Urich (Genneya Walton) and her developing professional relationship with Fisk’s right-hand-man to be (Michael Gandolfini), Wilson and Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) Fisk’s foray into couple’s therapy, and a handful of character tie-ins to the broader MCU. Where the original Netflix series thrived in its nuanced character work, thematic exploration of topics of faith and forgiveness, and highly choreographed stunt work, Born Again is ultimately too stuffed to fully deliver on all its lofty goals, even when individual moments and performances rise above to deliver something truly special.
Benson and Moorehead’s work, in particular, stands out as the most creatively interesting on the show. In directing the pilot episode, along with the season’s two concluding episodes, there is a clear distinction between their stylistic and storytelling sensibilities and the rest of the show. Had their creative input been present from the start, and had Born Again been given an extra episode or two to fully develop and each of its disparate story threads, the commitment from the entire cast and crew could have resulted in the greatest MCU project to date.
Even allowing for the odd pacing miscues here or there, Born Again is one of the better pieces of Marvel media of the last five years. Not to mention Cox and D’Onofrio, who deliver some of their best work as characters they have inhabited for a decade, solidifying their status as two of the greatest comic book castings of all time. With a firm hand to guide the second season from the start, and a cast to die for, Born Again has the chance to build upon its first season by doubling down on every character and story element that worked, while offering a much-needed consistency when it comes to structure and tone.
Rating: High Side of Liked It
Daredevil: Born Again is currently streaming on Disney+
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