After almost seven years since the premiere of the third season of Netflix’s Daredevil (and after the rights being bought by Disney), the Daredevil story is finally being continued in a new series streaming on Disney+: Daredevil: Born Again. The first two episodes will be released on March 4 with the following episodes released weekly. These first episodes premiered in New York on Feb. 24 and reviews have slowly started to pour in as fans start to get a taste of the series.
Daredevil: Born Again was originally announced at the 2022 San Diego Comic Con as a continuation of the Netflix story with the return of the original cast and 18 new episodes, something starkly different than the other six-eight-episode Disney+ series. However, after other creative decisions were made, they announced it would only be nine episodes.
All cast members, including Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, and Wilson Bethel as Bullseye are returning to continue their characters’ stories in Hell’s Kitchen. At first, I was nervous about this announcement because of previous Disney+ series and how I thought they weren’t successful, and I worried that this same fate would befall a series I originally loved so much. However, I had a lot of hope for the series after seeing all the members of the original cast join and advocate for their hard work and trust in the series.
Based on the short teasers and the few trailers released, I think the series looks promising. When I first heard the announcement, my main concern was Disney+ maintaining the tone of the original Netflix series. What I loved about the seasons from Netflix was the grit of the show. The themes were mature, the fight sequences were well choreographed, they weren’t afraid to show gore and intense scenes, and it balanced seriousness and humor well. I felt let down by previous Disney+ shows but have hope for this series.
What especially piqued my interest and excitement for the new show was seeing where some unfinished stories and character arcs might go. Season three notably ended on a cliffhanger with the reveal of Ben “Dex” Poindexter, also known as Bullseye from the Marvel Comics — the character will return in Daredevil: Born Again, where, hopefully, his story will continue and receive the justice it deserves.
So far, the reviews that have come in for the first two episodes are positive. Variety posted an article detailing both official critics’ and fans’ responses, which all seem to offer praise. Liam Crowley, an on-camera reporter at Screen Rant, said, “[Daredevil: Born Again] has the best pilot of any MCU series thus far, and it’s not close. Edge of seat energy w/ audible gasps throughout. Charlie [Cox] & Vincent [D’Onofrio] haven’t lost a step, Benson & Moorhead bring the sauce. Above all else, it’s EPISODIC. We *might* be back” on the social media platform X.
While I can’t wait to see the first episodes, as they seem promising, I hope the show will be able to maintain its momentum and deliver a complete and powerful story in its nine episodes without feeling rushed. Hopefully, it will overcome what hesitancies I have about the Disney+ series and show that these are characters and a story worth investing in!