Following the (record-breaking) trailer for Daredevil: Born Again being released online, fans question whether the Disney+ series is a sequel or reboot of the Netflix show.
At long last, Daredevil: Born Again is set to begin streaming 10 years after Netflix's Daredevil premiered. At the heart of the new series, fan-favorites Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) have been set to return for the new series since day one.
Both characters have made various MCU appearances since the character rights reverted to Disney/Marvel Studios. Cox appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk, while D'Onofrio appeared in Hawkeye and Echo.
However, the characters will not meet again until 2025, after "a lot of time has passed."
Is Daredevil: Born Again a Reboot?
The creation and production of Daredevil: Born Again was lengthy and troublesome.
When initially announced, Daredevil: Born Again was planned to be an 18-episode reimagining distinct from Netflix's Daredevil series, with writers/producers Matt Corman and Chris Ord leading an episodic approach.
However, after filming six episodes, Marvel Studios decided the series wasn’t working, citing concerns like Daredevil's late appearance in costume and a tone that diverged from the Netflix series.
In response, Marvel Studios replaced the creative team, hired Dario Scardapane as showrunner, and refocused the series on a serialized format more consistent with the original series' tone.
Filming restarted in January 2024 with much of the pre-overhaul material retained, while new episodes and scenes were written to create a cohesive final product.
One of the most significant initial changes, which would have suggested a soft reboot, was that actress Sandrine Holt was initially cast to replace Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa.
However, Zurer returned after the series was re-written and heading in a new, more familiar direction, as seen in the latest trailer.
Jon Bernthal also returns as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, in Daredevil: Born Again.
He was confirmed to come back before the rewritten script, but his role could be even more expensive as Scardapane notably was a writer on Netflix's The Punisher series.
Daredevil: Born Again is being treated as a sequel to the Netflix original series. The series's scrapped direction would have been more like a soft reboot, but the final product will relate directly to Daredevil Seasons 1-3.
In addition to Punisher and Vanessa, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye are reprising their past Netflix roles.
What Is Daredevil: Born Again About?
Daredevil: Born Again will follow Matt Murdock, who has seemingly given up his Daredevil vigilante role and focuses more on putting bad people behind bars through the legal system.
As Murdock seeks justice, his long-time nemesis, former mob boss Wilson Fisk, launched a campaign to become mayor of New York City, which was teased in last year's Echo.
The new series, set years after Netflix's Daredevil Season 3, will explore the idea of Murdock and Fisk being brought more into the public eye, eventually setting them on an unavoidable collision course.
However, Daredevil will seemingly have his hands full for most of the season as Punisher returns, alongside the return of past Daredevil impersonator Dex and newly added villains White Tiger and Muse.
Now firmly established within the MCU, under the tutelage of Marvel Studios, fans will be excited to see if the series explores past events like The Blip or sets up future Multiverse stories.
Daredevil: Born Again begins streaming on March 4.
