Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 Episode 1 & 2 Review
‘Daredevil’ is a seminal superhero series on Netflix, with its brutal violence, killer cast, and generally stellar plots across its three seasons. So, naturally, it’s unsurprising that Marvel Studios wanted to recapture some of that magic when they announced ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, featuring returning cast members and kind of but not really following on from the original. Retooled after initial feedback, ‘Born Again’s’ first two episodes do manage to recapture some of the magic of the Netflix series, with its own shocking moments and twists, while maintaining a darker tone.
Charlie Cox returns to play Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer turned hero, and it’s clear that he’s not lost a beat with his brooding performance. He was perfect casting for the character, one of the great decisions made across the MCU. Vincent D’Onofrio equally returns as a tortured Wilson Fisk, who’s attempting to prove to both him and New York City he’s moved from his days as Kingpin yet slides back into that persona when he needs it. Cox mirrors this with an equally tormented Murdock. The other cast haven’t made much of an impact thus far, but Clark Johnson’s Cherry is one to watch with his quiet but caring ex-police investigator.
The plot of ‘Born Again’ pays homage to the old Netflix series but without feeling chained to it. Karen and Foggy are fleeting presences due to a shocking first 15 minutes, and gore isn’t used quite as liberally as in the Netflix adaptation. That isn’t a knock, but highlights how Marvel Studios have adapted the series for their own. It is ever so slightly goofier than the Netflix iteration, which doesn’t fully work with the darker tone, but these moments are fleeting.
Murdock’s hearing powers are a struggle to display, but the team behind the series have come up with a clever solution, using changing aspect ratios to divert and focus audience attention where Murdock is listening. It’s clever, and is easily the best technical achievement so far. This is made even more true by the fact that the CGI in the first and so far only Daredevil fight is lacking in this area. The only other notable fight in episode two is similarly hamstrung, with choppy editing obscuring what’s going on.
But while the fighting has been somewhat disappointing, outside of this the episodes have excelled. Murdock and Fisk have a beautifully tense scene together, with all the subtext that entails as they compare their alter egos. Fisk rises to Mayor of New York City, and this is treated with nuance and care, a lesser script would have had him ride into office on a wave of populism. The show instead presents a divided public (using effective media pieces like the BB report highlighting citizen’s views in a TikTok style). The NYPD hates his guts for example, forcing Fisk to return to classic tactics that Kingpin would approve of to keep their support. It makes for topical watching.
Now that the show is set firmly inside the MCU, audiences can expect all of the interconnected goodness that it entails. And it delivers, with Fisk’s inaugural speech referencing Spider-Man and The Punisher, calling out vigilantes. It’s a small but noticeable touch, helping draw on that shared universe without shovelling it down people’s throat. Speaking of other vigilantes though, Daredevil isn’t the only one. White Tiger joins the fray, resulting in what looks to be a lengthy trial, highlighting Matt’s skills as a lawyer just as much as a fist-fighting hero. It’s tightly written and shows some research into court proceedings, adding that authenticity.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ is Marvel Studios’ taking on the most beloved Marvel Netflix series, with their own take that carries a lot of the nuance and isn’t afraid to lean on long scenes without action, relying on the strength of its quieter moments by looking at New York’s citizenry. It’s of course anchored by phenomenal performances by Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio. If future weeks can maintain this quality, audiences will be excited to tune in each week.
