MCU fans are still pinching themselves. Daredevil is back and audiences cannot believe it. as Charlie Cox is back as the fan-favorite comic book character after years of work as the hero on Netflix. Cox appeared She-Hulk: Attorney at Law after making his MCU return late last year in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with all this leading up to a series of his own - Daredevil: Born Again.
But with Marvel's Man Without Fear jumping back into the spotlight, there are plenty of questions about the canonicity of the character's Netflix adventures. Cox has called this "a new beginning" for the character, with this return being a "whole new deal," but it is still unclear if the events of Daredevil on Netflix actually happened to THIS version of the hero.
Well, Matt Murdock/Daredevil actor Charlie Cox has spoken on the subject yet again, offering up a bit more insight.
Cox Comments on Canon Controversy
In speaking with journalists about his appearance in Marvel Studio's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil actor Charlie Cox addressed the canon questions that have come with his return as the character.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Cox was asked if this version of Matt Murdock was the same as the one seen in Netflix's Daredevil.
Cox bluntly stated, "I honestly don’t know." He cited having not "read any scripts yet" for his lack of concrete answers, but noted that "it’s clear that there are going to be some consistencies" and "some differences:"
"I honestly don’t know. I haven’t really gotten to that point with the writers of our next 'Daredevil' show. So I haven’t read any scripts yet, and we haven’t really talked at length about what this current iteration will be like. Just by the fact that they’re using me as an actor to play the part, it’s clear that there are going to be some consistencies and there are also going to be some differences. What they are and how we integrate the two is going to be the challenge of the new show. These things are really complicated, and obviously, opinions are always divided. What people like is always varied, but we have an opportunity to at least take what worked really well and then also add some cool elements, ideas, concepts and themes that we weren’t able to do before. So it’s Daredevil, but upgraded."
THR followed up, remarking that Marvel can "have it both ways" to which the actor replied "I think so, yeah:"
"I think so, yeah. I’m just so thrilled to be included that I’m also keeping quiet. We’re making noise, but I like to let everyone else do their jobs. (Laughs.)"
Cox was prodded on the same topic of whether the MCU's Matt was the same as Netflix's Matt by EW recently, and the Daredevil and She-Hulk star told them "it should be and it is always the same character."
He reminisced about working on the Netflix series and working on a show that "was very dark and gritty and heavy." While admitting that he "[doesn't] know what [Daredevil: Born Again] will be like," he had fun with the "lighthearted and tongue in cheek" feeling of She-Hulk and Spider-Man: No Way Home:
"It should be and it is always the same character. The difference is just like with people, we morph and change and are very different based on what's going on in our lives. The Matt Murdock from the Netflix show, that world and what was going on for Matt meant that most of the time we were living with a man who had a huge amount of pressure and strain and tonally the show was very dark and gritty and heavy. I don't know what the new show will be like, but when I came over to do 'Spider-Man' and 'She-Hulk', the tone is much more lighthearted and tongue in cheek and fun and witty and full of levity, so the hope was that Matt is able to fit into that world and participate in it without it being a different character, a different person."
In the same interview, Cox commented on working alongside Tatiana Maslany on She-Hulk, saying "was such a joy" and complimenting Maslany for being "an incredible performer:"
"I certainly had a really good time exploring that, experimenting with it and seeing if it fit. And also just working with Tatiana [Maslany on She-Hulk] was such a joy. She's an incredible performer. I felt like it was important that Matt Murdock didn't become the overly serious one who's the kind of butt of the joke. I felt it was important that he goes toe-to-toe with her and matches her in terms of his charisma and wit and sense of fun, and it was really fun to do."
Still No Daredevil Canonicity Answers
So is Netflix's Daredevil canon or not? Well, it is still unclear, and it looks like it is going to remain that way for quite some time.
What is funny to note in all this though is that both Cox and Marvel don't seem all that concerned about answering this burning question. The Daredevil actor just looks happy to be back and doesn't really care if this is the same version of the character that he has played before or not. He is simply enjoying playing the role again.
He does mention that there is a possibility Daredevil and the other Netflix series are both canon and not canon. He laments that they can "have it both ways," taking some of what they want from the story Netflix told, and changing what they want to. While that may not be what fans want to hear, it could be interesting to see what elements they would choose to bring over should they go in this direction.
For now, though, the question still remains, just how canon is Daredevil, if at all?
Charlie Cox can be seen now on Disney+ in Season 1 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
