Marvel's Netflix shows have been making headlines lately due to their upcoming jump to Disney+. The series' transfer to the House of Mouse once again prompted speculation about how the Netflix series' characters could be integrated into the MCU moving forward. However, long before the massive shift, the conversation was pushed to the forefront when Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock made their triumphant returns in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home respectively.
Cox's brief return in No Way Home raised more questions than answers since the threequel didn't give enough context if the character is the same one from Netflix's Daredevil. This makes sense since the focus is on Tom Holland's Peter Parker, thus leaving fans to speculate about the matter.
However, it's a different story altogether for D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk. The Marvel actor has been vocal about his return during interviews, and as expected, he was asked if he's the same villain from Marvel's Netflix show.
D'Onofrio indicated that Daredevil is canon to the MCU, with him saying that he believes Hawkeye's Kingpin is the same one from the show. However, the actor admitted there are some "dots that can't be connected" in regard to the two versions of the character being the same person.
Now, it's Cox's turn to chime in on the topic by sharing his thoughts about a potential continuation of the storylines presented in Daredevil Season 3.
Charlie Cox Opens Up About Daredevil & MCU Connections
Daredevil actor Charlie Cox served as a guest at the 10th edition of the Middle East Film and Comic Con event in Abu Dhabi.
During the convention, the Marvel actor was asked about the direction for his character now that he's in the MCU. Cox first shared that he learned "not to speculate out loud in public," citing the fact that it might become headlines that could disappoint fans.
The Daredevil star also pointed out that it's best to "allow the real creative force" of the show to "figure out what they think is best" for the character and the storyline: gd
"I’ve learned it’s better not to speculate out loud in public because that then becomes a headline and then you set it you start to warp expectations and then it becomes a conversation of whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, so I’ve learned to keep that to myself. I think it’s better when you allow the real creative force behind these shows to figure out what they think is best on their own rather than putting ideas in their heads. That’s my opinion so I’m not gonna speculate in any certainty, in any detail."
Cox then admitted that he thinks that it doesn't make sense to "pick up where we left off" with Daredevil Season 3, suggesting that Daredevil's future in the MCU might ignore certain storylines from the Netflix show:
“The only thing I would say is… I don’t think it’s… I don’t think it makes sense to pick up where we left off. I think… in keeping with a lot of things in the MCU right now, where there’s this kind of there’s this alternate reality, kind of thing going on. You know what they did in Spider-Man [No Way Home] and [Into the Spider-Verse]… so it’s a good moment to have this, you know, there’s been… a few years have passed, you know, and now I don’t know it’s Daredevil but maybe there’s it’s not quite… it’s reimagined. It’s slightly different. It’s… you know what I texted one of my friends when I found out this is all happening? ‘It’s born again.’ You know, so it’s like an homage to… so, you know, the sky’s the limit. Let’s see."
A Soft Reboot for Daredevil?
Charlie Cox's latest comments support the previous statement of Vincent D'Onofrio about Daredevil's canon status in the MCU. However, it's reasonable to assume that it would add more fuel to the fire when it comes to conversations about the topic.
Cox's remark falls in line with his previous response about his character being a "reimagining."
Back in November 2021, when it was not yet confirmed that he would return as Matt Murdock, the Marvel actor pointed out that "there's going to be some elements of [Daredevil] that are, of course, the same."
Based on the actor's past and recent response, it's likely that the character will indeed be reimagined, yet parts of the Netflix series remain canon.
At the end of Daredevil Season 3, Murdock was able to successfully defeat Wilson Fisk, forcing him to go behind bars and leave him and his friends (Foggy Nelson and Karen Page) alone. The show also teased Dex Poindexter's transformation into Bullseye.
It's possible that plot points such as Bullseye's arrival could be left out in order to give way for another actor to take over the role. D'Onofrio previously discussed the impact of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame on his Kingpin, with him noting that his empire likely "fell" due to the "otherworldly stuff" that happened during the movies.
That said, the five-year gap between those movies would've explained why Kingpin is out in the open, hinting that Murdock might be a victim of the Snap, which could've prevented him from stopping Fisk from escaping.
Whatever the case, it's a safe bet that all will be explained sooner rather than later, especially now that Cox's Marvel character is officially back in the MCU.
Marvel's Netflix shows, including Daredevil, will premiere on Disney+ on March 16, 2022.
