As exciting as the return of titans Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio in the MCU has been, it's brought with it one extremely controversial question: is Daredevil canon? Some think that it obviously is, given the same actors playing the characters. Others, however, aren't too sure—for many, it seems like Marvel Studios is going the route of a soft reboot or using selectively using the canon it wants to.
When talking about coming back as Kingpin in Hawkeye, D'Onofrio said that he aimed "to do the same thing" with his character as he did on Daredevil. Though, he did admit there were some "dots that [couldn't] be connected" when it came to Fisk's history back over with Netflix.
Previously while talking about Born Again, star Charlie Cox mentioned how he feels like it's a "whole new deal." It's a sentiment that certainly makes it seem like he believes it to be different than his former series.
Well, now, some words of his from D23 have been uncovered, and they give a little more fuel to that sentiment's fire.
Netflix Canon May Be Re-Done
In a newly-published interview with Entertainment Tonight from D23 Expo, Daredevil and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law star Charlie Cox commented on his upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again. In doing so, he may have even confirmed that he considers his former Netflix show an entirely different thing.
So what does Charlie Cox know about his upcoming 2024 Disney+ series? Well, according to the star, "[he] knows what everyone else knows," and he "[hasn't read anything:"
"I know what everyone else knows, which is a great feeling because I can't spoil anything. I met some of the writers for the first time last night. I haven't read anything. I'm psyched to discover how they're gonna—what stories they're gonna tell over that long period of time [between Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again]. Tonally what it's going to be like. How is it different, how is it the same. You know, [Marvel Studios President] Kevin [Feige] has been very clear about it being Season 1, not a Season 4. So, it's a whole new deal."
Cox continued, noting how Born Again presents the opportunity to go back and retell some of the important stories in Matt Murdock's life again, even if they've already been told—something that happens all the time in the comics.
The star specifically noted how they might be able to "tell the whole origin story again:"
"And, in a way, what's great about that is that we potentially get to tell some of the stories over and over again in the same way that they do in the comics, you know. Every now and again, they start back at the beginning of Murdock's journey as a little boy and they tell the whole origin story again. So maybe we'll get to do that, I don't know."
But how does the star feel about the intense praise and reaction to his hero coming back? Well, to him, all that flattery horrifies him and "gets a little embarrassing:"
"You know, I'm horrified by any kind of, form of flattery. It gets a little embarrassing. So when you get a reaction like that, it's like, it just feels surreal. Like, you can't quite imagine it. So, yea, I feel really emotional."
As for his second chance at portraying Matt Murdock, Cox simply declared that "it feels like a dream:"
"It's a bizarre experience to have played this character, to have the experiences I've had with this character and the journey that we've been on with the show. For that to be finished and ended, and in my mind and heart, it's over, and then to be yanked back in suddenly, and suddenly we're starting again, and it's all happening again. It feels like a dream."
No, There's Still No Definitive Canon Answer Yet
There's no denying that Cox's words certainly lean towards Daredevil: Born Again being a soft—if not straight-up—reboot. But, as the actor made clear, "[he doesn't] know," and "[he] hasn't read anything" yet.
With that in mind, there sadly remains no clear or concise answer as to whether Netflix's Daredevil will remain fully canon to his re-emergence into the MCU.
It's likely fans will have to wait until Daredevil: Born Again before there are indisputable facts to fall back on. In the meantime, fans can enjoy just under two more years of orderly and polite discussion about the canonicity of Charlie Cox's previous adventures.
Maybe his upcoming appearance in Echo will surprise the world with some answers.
Echo is set to hit Disney+ next Summer, while Daredevil: Born Again won't be arriving until Spring 2024, where it will debut with a whopping 18 episodes.
