The stakes forDaredevil: Born Againare going to be higher than ever as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen makes his return to theMarvel Cinematic Universe. With Marvel Studios makingthe Marvel-Netflix shows canon to the MCU, Disney+ is about to expand Matt Murdock’s mythology as Charlie Cox returns as the Marvel icon. Taking place a couple of years after the original series,Daredevil: Born Againwill explore Matt reviving his superhero crusade after having initially retired from his life as a vigilante.
Netflix’sDaredevilTV showraised the bar for what can be done within the superhero TV genre, but Matt is dealing with a familiar but even more dangerous threat inDaredevil: Born Again. Vincent D’Onofrio is back as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, Matt’s greatest nemesis, and he is now attempting to become the Mayor of New York City, which will give him more power than ever. This is an instance where the MCU gets to explore more political themes while also taking on one of Kingpin’s biggest cornerstones in the comics world.
To get a better idea of the impact thattheDaredevil: Born Againstorywill have on these characters,ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley sat down with Marvel Studios' Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, who teases aGame of Thrones-esque type of endgame for the Phase 5 TV show. Winderbaum also previews the future of Marvel Television following some recent reports.
“He is Thrown Right Back Into The Tone Of Daredevil”
The MCU audience has been able to catch Cox appearing inSpider-Man: No Way HomeandShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawover the last few years, showing him in different corners of the beloved franchise. AsDaredevil: Born Againepisode 1 jumps ahead one year later in the story,ScreenRantchecked with Winderbaum if he could clarify where the new series takes place inthe grander MCU timeline.
While Winderbaum didn’t “want to get into the nitty-gritty,“the Marvel Studios executive deferred to their continuity expert.“The guy’s an absolute genius. He tracks our continuity and really keeps us honest.“However, Winderbaum gave a more concrete response:“For me, She-Hulk exists before the first episode starts. That’s Matt during the good times.”
“He’s got a thriving law firm with his two best friends. He travels to LA to take a case. He gets to live in that She-Hulk tone for a little while.” But”[Matt] eventually comes back to New York, and tragedy strikes, [so] he is thrown right back into the tone of Daredevil.”
The Return Of Bullseye In The Larger MCU
“If You Know The Continuity & You Remember The End Of Season 3, It May Explain Why Certain Things Happen…”
One of the biggest villains in Matt’s rogues' gallery who enteredDaredevilseason 3 was Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel, who is finally back in the MCU forDaredevil: Born Again. However, Bullseye is now returning in a post-Captain America: Brave New World, where Adamantium has become a huge concept in the overall MCU.
As the Daredevil foe’s Marvel Comics history involves Adamantium, Winderbaum was asked whether Bethel’s iteration of the character would have a similar outcome. In true Marvel fashion, Winderbaum kept it very cryptic, sharing that"We’re trying to tell a very grounded New York story,“before referring to the end of Daredevil season 3:“It may explain why certain things happen, but you don’t need to know that information coming in.”
With Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, Winderbaum looks at them as"victims of the fates [laughs] and the world around them is going to squeeze and press them until they eventually erupt. But you’ve seen the first episode, you know what happens to Bullseye and that is probably why he’s able to survive that incident.”
Daredevil: Born Again Will Bring Traditional Television Formula Back To Marvel Studios
ThroughDaredevil: Born Again’screative overhaul, Marvel Television is set on a different path as it looks to bring back a more traditional television structure for the Disney+ properties. SinceDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 has already been greenlit and is prepping for filming in the coming weeks, the goal is to have the series, if it runs for multiple seasons, be released annually.
“Season 2 will come out next year, and then hopefully season 3 and season infinity after that. This world is extremely rich and there are many stories to be told on the streets of New York.”
Winderbaum continues,“Certainly something very fundamental to Marvel, going back to the earliest days of publishing with Stan, Jack, and Steve and the original Marvel bullpen, it is New York for New York, and the fact that we’re able to shoot here and tell a story about New York made by New Yorkers is just fundamental to the series.”
How The MCU Hopes To Give Daredevil: Born Again The Game Of Thrones Treatment
“Tensions Drive Matt Murdock & Wilson Fisk To Give Into Their Baser Natures.”
Longtime fans of the MCU have had the opportunity to see New York as a central location in many different movies and TV shows, including the originalDaredevilseries on Netflix.
WithDaredevil: Born Againtaking it back to New York, Winderbaum has previously said the new series is aiming for aGame of Thronesapproach, which, in theory, could lead to the series running formany years on Disney+, as the executive added,“I hope so!”
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Winderbaum explained that"What Dario’s done is he’s really created a New York City that feels like a medieval kingdom where there’s different people vying for power and control, and in many ways squeezing the ordinary person on the street.”
AsDaredevil: Born Againwill"see those tensions build,“Winderbaum teases that"we see how those tensions drive Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk to give into their baser natures.”
The Future Of Marvel Television & The X-Men At Marvel Studios
“…Anybody could say anything online, and it hits the rumor mill, and people get excited.”
While work onDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 is next for Marvel Television, there have been a number of reports about future potential Marvel properties on Disney+. However, one report has also indicated that Marvel Television is slowing down development on a handful of projects, withNova,Strange Academy, andTerror, Inc, reportedly paused for the time being.
When speaking with Winderbaum,ScreenRantasked if something likeStrange Academyhas been halted in light ofAvengers: The Kang Dynastyshifting focus, thus becomingAvengers: Doomsday. Given that the MCU introduced a player like America Chavez, who would have been a natural fit forStrange AcademybeforeAvengers: The Kang Dynastydue to her power set,ScreenRantchecked in with Winderbaum to see if if theAvengers: Doomsdayre-work played any factor in the hypothetical series being paused.
Winderbaum stressed that"it’s very important that we develop many things at once. I don’t want to just rush into making shows.“For Marvel Television and its success, Winderbaum wants"to make sure that we have a reason to make them, and that it’s something that can sustain for a long period of time, season over season.”
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He says it also needs to"be something that people feel like is an event when a new season comes out, and they can rely on [that] year over year. It’s something that traditional television has been doing since the very beginning, but when Marvel does it, there’s a little bit more attention on us.”
“The rumor mill starts flowing. People get excited about certain seeds that are planted, but not everything is going to be made because we just want to make the best things we possibly can. There are a lot of forces at play.”
Going further into Marvel’s television-making process, Winderbaum continues:“There might be things that we get very excited about inside and might go down a development road that feels very fulfilling, but ultimately, we have to respond to many different factors. One of them [is] the shared universe, but that, I think, is on the list. But it’s not the main factor that we consider when we’re proceeding with the show.”
“Anybody could say anything online, and it hits the rumor mill and people get excited.”
While staying cryptic aboutStrange Academy,ScreenRantalso checked in with the Marvel Studios executive about a different MCU academy series being in the works, with reports floating around thatan X-Men TV show,Academy X,is in development. Winderbaum kept it vague there as well, stressing that"anybody could say anything online, and it hits the rumor mill and people get excited."
For the time being, the primary focus for X-Men on Disney+ is onX-Men ‘97season 2, which Winderbaum says is"coming together amazingly. The scripts for season 3 are insane, and that is certainly scratching the X-Men itch for me on television.“As far as X-Men in live-action for the MCU, Winderbaum added that"there’s an X-Men feature in development right now. So that is the focus of X-Men, currently.”
Daredevil: Born Againpremieres with the first two episodes on Tuesday, March 4, followed by weekly releases only on Disney+.
Daredevil: Born Again
Cast
Daredevil: Born Again follows blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who uses his heightened abilities to pursue justice in New York. As he manages a bustling law firm, former mob boss Wilson Fisk navigates political ambitions, leading both men toward a confrontation as their pasts resurface.
