The character of Daredevil first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1964 but didn't get the feature film treatment until 2003 when Ben Affleck (The Accountant) famously portrayed the blind, Hell's Kitchen lawyer by day / vigilante by night. Then, in 2015, Charlie Cox (Stardust) became the masked crusader in the Netflix limited series, which ran for three seasons. Now, after a seven-year hiatus, Cox is returning as the reluctant superhero in Daredevil: Born Again, premiering on Disney+.
As we rejoin the group, they are celebrating at a local bar. Matt and Karen (Deborah Ann Woll; True Blood) talk while Foggy (Elden Henson; The Mighty Ducks) attempts to hit on BB Ulrich (Genneya Walton; Never Have I Ever), Matt's business associate. Suddenly, the bar explodes with gunfire, and masked criminals rush in. As Daredevil goes after the villains, a rooftop shooter sprays bullets across the street where Karen and Foggy are standing. And just like that, we are off to the races, so to speak, as Daredevil drops the criminal he was chasing off the roof of the bar to the pavement several stories below.
If you thought Daredevil was dark before, this takes it to the next level as we see the pavement splattered with blood. One year later, BB and Matt have a fledgling law practice, and Matt has given up his "other" persona. Suddenly, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio; Ed Wood) emerges from the shadows and announces his bid to run for mayor of the city. After an intense meeting at a local diner, Matt and Fisk seem to cautiously come to an understanding, tenuous as it may be. However, when Fisk wins the mayoral race, that changes. Meanwhile, there is a serial killer on the loose, and Matt defends another masked vigilante in court, "outing" him in the process.
The cast, for the most part, was asked to return to the show because they were so good the first go-around. Cox does an excellent job portraying a blind man who can fight out of almost any situation, be it in the courtroom or on the City's dangerous streets. D'Onofrio is incredibly menacing as the former mob boss, enhanced by his bald head. Fisk is a conflicted character that D'Onofrio plays beautifully, almost as if the villain was tailor-made for him. Newer cast members Walton and Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Lawyer) are okay but don't bring the same kind of chemistry that Woll and Cox had previously. Jon Bernthal (The Accountant) also returns as Frank Castle/The Punisher and doesn't disappoint.
The action takes most of Season One to get going, but once it does, it is as sharp and cutting as ever. Stunts are typically well done, with only minor cringeworthy moments, and the writing is smart and biting, exactly as the first series ended. The romance between Cox and Levieva can't hold a candle to the sensuality of the first kiss he and Woll shared, which, at least for me, is disappointing.
Daredevil fans, especially those who were disappointed that after three seasons on Netflix, the show was canceled, will be delighted to know that this version is just as good, if not better, than the previous series. The character itself lends its inner dialogue to great, compelling storytelling. In the capable hands of Matt Corman and Chris Ord (Covert Affairs), with the full backing of Marvel and Disney, they have created something worth talking about around the office water cooler each week.
Strap yourself in, you are in for one hell of a ride.
Grade: A-
Daredevil: Born Again | | Superhero, Action, Drama | Streaming on Disney+
