Daredevil: Born Again | |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
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Executive producers |
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Producer | Rudd Simmons |
Production location | New York |
Cinematography |
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Editor | Cedric Nairn-Smith |
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Original network | Disney+ |
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Daredevil: Born Again is an upcoming American television series created by Matt Corman and Chris Ord for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Daredevil. It is intended to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and will be the second series centered on the character following Daredevil (2015–2018) by Marvel Television. Corman and Ord serve as head writers of the series with Michael Cuesta as one of its directors. The series is also produced by 20th Television.
Charlie Cox reprises his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil from Marvel's Netflix television series and prior Marvel Studios productions, with Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, and Sandrine Holt also starring. Development of the series began by March 2022 and the hiring of Corman and Ord was revealed that May. The series' title and episode count was revealed in July. Filming began in early March 2023 in New York before it was suspended in June due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Cuesta joined the series by the start of filming, with Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Clark Johnson, and David Boyd also directing.
Daredevil: Born Again is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in early 2024, and will consist of 18 episodes for its first season. It will be part of Phase Five of the MCU. A second season is planned.
See also: List of Daredevil characters |
Additionally, Michael Gandolfini,[7] Margarita Levieva,[8] Nikki M. James,[9] Michael Gaston,[5] Arty Froushan,[10] series' director Clark Johnson,[11] and Marc Geller have been cast in undisclosed roles.[12]
The series will consist of 18 episodes,[13] with Michael Cuesta directing the first episode; other directors are expected to work on blocks of episodes.[5] Clark Johnson directs two episodes,[11] while Jeffrey Nachmanoff and David Boyd also direct on the series.[14][15]
Main articles: Daredevil (TV series) and Marvel's Netflix television series |
Daredevil, from Marvel Television and ABC Studios, premiered on Netflix in April 2015,[16] and lasted for three seasons until its cancellation in November 2018. Netflix said the three seasons would remain on the service, while the character would "live on in future projects for Marvel". Deadline Hollywood noted that, unlike some of the other Marvel series on Netflix that were also cancelled, "the door seems to be wide open" for the series to continue elsewhere, potentially on Disney's streaming service, Disney+.[17] However, The Hollywood Reporter felt this was unlikely,[18] especially since, as reported by Variety, the original deal between Marvel and Netflix stipulated that the characters could not appear in any non-Netflix series or films for at least two years following the cancellation of Daredevil.[19] Kevin A. Mayer, chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International, noted that, while it had not yet been discussed, there was a possibility that Disney+ could revive the series.[20] Hulu's senior vice president of originals, Craig Erwich, said his streaming service was also open to reviving the series.[21]
Star Charlie Cox was saddened by the cancellation, explaining that he was excited by the plans for a fourth season which he and the rest of the cast and crew had expected to be made. He was hopeful there would be an opportunity to portray Matt Murdock / Daredevil again in some form.[22] Amy Rutberg, who portrayed Marci Stahl in the series, said the cast and crew had expected it to last for five seasons, with a new antagonist being introduced in the fourth before a final showdown between Daredevil and Wilson Fisk / Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) in the fifth.[23] In June 2020, Cox was contacted by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about reprising his role for Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) productions,[24] with Feige confirming in December 2021 that Cox would reprise the role for Marvel Studios.[25][2] He first did so in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), with D'Onofrio first reprising his role as Fisk in the Disney+ series Hawkeye (2021).[26] Daredevil was moved from Netflix to Disney+ in March 2022 after Netflix's license for the series ended and Disney regained the rights.[27][28][29]
In March 2022, Cox discussed a potential reboot for the character and series, believing it should begin a few years after the end of the previous series and be "re-imagined" as slightly different rather than continue from where the third season of the Netflix series finished.[30] He also discussed a new series potentially not being rated TV-MA as the Netflix series was, stating that he believed Marvel Studios would be able to create a faithful version of the character with those restrictions even though he personally found the comics "more exciting, readable, relatable when it lives in a darker space" such as Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev's comics run. Additionally, he felt attributes of the character such as his age, Christian guilt, and history with women tended to cover more mature subjects.[31] Cox was hopeful that a new series could have a more faithful adaptation of the "Born Again" storyline from the comics,[30][31] which he described as "kind of a PG comic" and a guide for how the series could work with that rating.[31] Later in the month, Production Weekly included a Daredevil reboot in their report of upcoming projects in development. Feige and Chris Gary were listed as producers.[32][33][34] The series was confirmed to be in development for Disney+ in late May, with Matt Corman and Chris Ord attached as head writers and executive producers.[35] The Hollywood Reporter said it was the first of the Marvel Netflix series to "get a new but continued series",[36] later stating it would "technically be its fourth season".[37] Deadline Hollywood also described it as a fourth season.[38]
During the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, the series was announced as Daredevil: Born Again and revealed to have 18 episodes for its first season.[13] Cox called an 18-episode series "a huge undertaking", but felt Murdock being a lawyer allowed for many story possibilities, believing that was one of the reasons that amount of episodes was chosen for this character.[2] The series shares its name with the comic storyline "Born Again", which elements of the Netflix series' third season had been inspired by.[1] Christian Holub at Entertainment Weekly believed the title was a reference to the character "literally being 'born again' into the official MCU" rather than the series being an adaptation of the "Born Again" comic.[39] Cox described Born Again as a "whole new thing" and not a fourth season of the Netflix series and he felt that was "the way to go" in order to make a different series.[40] In March 2023, Michael Cuesta was revealed to be directing the first episode of the series. Additional directors were expected to direct blocks of episodes for the series.[5] Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Clark Johnson—who was previously a director on the Marvel Netflix series Luke Cage (2016–2018)—were revealed as additional directors in May, with Johnson hired to direct two episodes.[14][11] David Boyd was also set to direct.[15] Executive producers include Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Gary,[34][41][additional citation(s) needed] and Sana Amanat,[15] alongside Corman and Ord.[35] Rudd Simmons serves as a producer.[42] 20th Television also produces the series.[41][additional citation(s) needed]
Development on a second season had begun by March 2023, with D'Onofrio stating that there were plans for "gigantic payoffs" during the second season.[43]
Writers for the series include Grainne Godfree, Jill Blankenship,[44] Aisha Porter-Christie, David Feige, Devon Kliger, Thomas Wong, Zachary Reiter,[45] and Molly Nussbaum.[46] Cox believed the series would be dark but not as gory as the Netflix series, and wanted to take what worked from Daredevil and broaden it for Born Again while also appealing to a younger audience.[47] D'Onofrio stated that the series Echo would lead into the events of Born Again.[48] Kevin Feige noted Marvel Studios was hoping to experiment with more episodic, "self-contained" episodes with the series, unlike some of their Phase Four series that had a larger story split into various episodes.[49]
In June 2022, Variety reported that Cox and D'Onofrio were expected to return for the series.[50] Their casting was confirmed a month later at San Diego Comic-Con.[1] Cox was notified by Marvel Studios by early 2022 that they were looking to feature the character in another project following his appearances in No Way Home and the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), and learned that it was Born Again shortly before the series was formally announced at San Diego Comic-Con.[2] In December, Michael Gandolfini,[7] Margarita Levieva, and Sandrine Holt were cast in undisclosed major roles.[8] Deadline Hollywood stated Gandolfini was potentially portraying "an ambitious guy from Staten Island" named Liam,[7] and that Levieva and Holt were reportedly playing love interests for Cox and D'Onofrio;[8] Holt was later revealed to be playing Vanessa Fisk,[5] who was portrayed by Ayelet Zurer in Daredevil.[6] In January 2023, Nikki M. James was cast in an undisclosed role.[9] In March 2023, it was revealed that Jon Bernthal would reprise his role of Frank Castle / Punisher from the Marvel Netflix series for Born Again.[4][51] At that time, additional cast members from Daredevil, such as Deborah Ann Woll (who played Karen Page) and Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson), were not expected to return, and it was unclear if those characters would make appearances in Born Again.[4] It was also revealed that Michael Gaston and Arty Froushan were part of the cast,[5][10] with Froushan in a major role, reported to be an associate of Fisk's named Harry.[10] Clark Johnson was revealed in May to be cast in a recurring role, reported to be named Cherry.[11] Marc Geller has been cast in an undisclosed role.[12]
Cuesta directed the first episode of the series,[5] with Nachmanoff, Johnson, and Boyd also directing on the series.[14][11][15] Principal photography began on March 6, 2023, in New York,[54] under the working title Out the Kitchen.[55] Pedro Gómez Millán and Hillary Spera serve as cinematographers.[42][56] Filming took place in Yonkers outside the city's mayor's office from March 7 through March 10,[57] and moved to New York City in Harlem, Manhattan on March 13 and 14,[58][59] and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and at the Manhattan Municipal Building on March 15;[60][61] Williamsburg was previously used as a shooting location for Daredevil.[60] Filming took place at the New York County Courthouse on March 17.[62]
Soundstage work occurred at Silvercup Studios East in Queens.[63] Filming was set to take place at Silvercup East on May 8, when picketers participating in the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike caused production to shut down with no filming occurring. Filming was planned to resume the following day. Because of the strike, Corman and Ord were unable to be on set.[63] After further picketing on May 10 at the series' set in Brooklyn that once again shut down filming, production was paused for the remainder of the week.[52] Additional production shut downs because of picketing occurred in early-to-mid June at Silvercup East,[64][65] before being suspended on June 14 until after the strike concluded.[53] Filming was expected to last for eight months.[63]
Cedric Nairn-Smith serves as an editor. Nairn-Smith previously worked on the Marvel Studios series Moon Knight (2022) and Ironheart (2024).[15]
Daredevil: Born Again will debut in early 2024 on Disney+, and will consist of 18 episodes. It will be part of Phase Five of the MCU.[13]