The Daredevil canon debate has been an ongoing discussion for Marvel fans across the fandom, and it has since propelled even further after the announcement of Daredevil: Born Again at San Diego Comic-Con 2022.
Aside from making history on Disney+ due to its 18-episode run, the upcoming series is expected to be a must-see since it should finally address whether the events of the Netflix series are canon.
Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio's appearances as their respective Marvel characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye, respectively, didn't help in terms of answering the question regarding the Netflix shows' canonicity. As a result, it led to a passionate debate that is still apparent ahead of Daredevil's guest star role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Now, Cox has addressed the confusion in a new interview.
Charlie Cox Clarifies Daredevil Canon Confusion
Charlie Cox was asked by ScreenRant if the events of Netflix's Daredevil are canon to the MCU.
While the Marvel actor didn't give a definitive answer, he did point out that he feels that it is a "whole new deal" due to it being called Born Again and the fact that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige "talks about it as being a Season 1, rather than a Season 4:"
“Yeah, I don’t know. But my instinct is based on the name of the show, it’s called Born Again, the fact… that Kevin [Feige] talks about it as being a Season 1, rather than a Season 4, my feeling is, this is a whole new deal, you know?”
This isn't the first time that Cox addressed the Daredevil canon debate.
In a previous interview with Extra TV, the Marvel actor stated that Born Again "is a new beginning," with "new ideas" and won't be tied to the Netflix series:
"I don’t know anything. I haven’t seen a script… My feeling is, based on the title ‘Born Again,’ I think that the sense is it is a new beginning, it is going to be different, it is going to be totally different. It is going to be new stories, and new ideas."
Cox also addressed his upcoming reunion with Vincent D'Onofrio in the Disney+ series, noting that it will be a "momentous occasion" when he gets to walk on set with the actor:
Screenrant: “Reunited with Kingpin and Vincent [D’Onofrio]?”
Cox: “Yeah, my dear, dear friend and archnemesis.”
Screenrant: “… How does that feel… how excited are you to go toe-to-toe?”
Cox: “There’s gonna be a day at some point in the future, where I’m gonna be in New York, I’m gonna show up to work, I’m gonna put on my costume, and I’m gonna walk on set with him, and that is gonna be a momentous occasion. I’m like, emotional just thinking about it. Like we haven’t had that since we shot the scene at the end of Season 3 where the big fight and emotional dialogue that we have, we haven’t been on set together since then. So, it’s going to be six years, so… I can’t wait for that moment to be on with that lovely man on set going back deep into these characters and making great stories.”
Why Daredevil: Born Again Will FINALLY Reveal What's Canon and Not
While it's clear that Charlie Cox knows the answer to whether Netflix's Daredevil is canon to the MCU or not, the actor's recent comments are expected to build more anticipation for the Disney+ series.
Cox's latest remark also adds to the growing evidence that Daredevil: Born Again is its own thing, but it still doesn't disregard the idea that some elements of the Netflix series will remain, such as the cast and story threads that are worth continuing.
Still, the question remains on how Daredevil: Born Again will address the canon confusion. Although the show has no fourth-wall-breaking element that can directly mention the answer like She-Hulk, it's possible that it will be addressed through dialogue or the series will show a conflicting plot thread that completely negates the events of the Netflix show.
Hopefully, the answer will come sooner rather than later so that fans can move on and embrace Daredevil's new adventure in the MCU.
Daredevil: Born Again is set to premiere on Disney+ in Spring 2024.
