She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is making waves ahead of its August 18 debut, many of those emanating from Charlie Cox's return as the MCU's Daredevil. But some of the currents are bringing a great deal of confusion thanks to the still-unclear situation regarding the canon status of Netflix's Daredevil show that ran from 2015 to 2018.
That canon status recently came into question after the first full footage of Daredevil came into the spotlight through She-Hulk's promotional tour, which looks different from the Netflix show thanks to the suit's new blast of yellow. This led to passionate discourse amongst Marvel fans, many convinced that it confirmed that the Netflix shows are MCU canon, while others are adamant that it drives them away from the official continuity.
With so little material from any of the former Netflix characters in the surefire canon MCU thus far, this conversation is one that might not get a resolution for the foreseeable future. And thanks to a recent chat with She-Hulk's leading behind-the-scenes staff over this series' Daredevil inclusion, it's not about to get any clearer.
She-Hulk Crew on Daredevil's Canon Status
During an interview with ComicBook, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law executive producer/director Kat Coiro dove into whether Netflix's Daredevil show is canon, following Matt Murdock's appearances in the MCU.
When asked if She-Hulk is a direct continuation of Charlie Cox's Daredevil story from the first three seasons of Netflix's Daredevil, Coiro admitted that she wasn't sure if she could speak on that topic, but she shared that it's "very conscious" and "very much planned" with regard to Daredevil's past and future:
"I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it, but it's very conscious and it's very much planned. That's all I can say."
Head writer and executive producer Jessica Gao took things in another direction, making it clear that this show got to use its own version of Daredevil that "gets to be a little bit different on [their] show." She didn't touch on the canon status of the Netflix show, but noted that She-Hulk will bring a new take on Daredevil regardless of that status:
"We were like, 'This is our version,' and it's true for any character. Like every character that we've used that existed in the MCU, it gets to be a little bit different on our show, because you see them in very dramatic roles like these big high pressure, high stakes kind of situations. But on our show, because our show is more of a slice of life, they can kinda take a break from that."
Gao continued by sharing how She-Hulk allows these characters to "take a little bit of a comedy vacation," exploring their humorous side before going back to universe-threatening danger:
“They get to take a little bit of a comedy vacation. Of course, after our show, they get to go back to save the world, saving the universe, very serious, intense story but on our show, they get to just take a little break and when the universe is not at stake like, 'What's going on with you?' They get a chance to really explore like a different part of their character, because not everyone can be at a 10 saving the world every minute of every day."
When Will Daredevil Canon Debate Finally End?
Coiro's comments seem to indicate that Marvel is still waiting to confirm whether the Defenders Saga is officially canon with the MCU. And with both sides of the debate boasting a fair amount of ammo to prove their arguments, it only grows more frustrating for fans who just want to know what the final answer to that question is.
With the Netflix shows having ended nearly three years before their characters started showing up in the MCU, there are plenty of unresolved plot points from their stories that would need answers if they are indeed canon. Combine that with the fact that not one mention of anything that happened in the Netflix shows has been used in the MCU, and it only makes confirming their canon status that much more difficult.
The bottom line about this debate is that at some point in time, Marvel Studios needs to make a decision about where the Netflix stories stand within the MCU - if they do at all.
While the creative team behind the shows had every intention for the Netflix and ABC series to be canon at first, plot points within their universes have brought that status into question, as has the way they've never been referenced in the movies or Disney+ shows. From the use of the Darkhold in both WandaVision and Agents of SHIELD to Vincent D'Onofrio's confusing quotes about his Kingpin, there hasn't been anything officially said on the matter in years, even with questions continuing to be asked.
She-Hulk has a wonderful opportunity to set this question to bed with Daredevil's glorious return; hopefully, it will resolve the matter one way or the other.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will begin streaming on Disney+ on Thursday, August 18.
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