Will Daredevil: Born Again have the equivalent of an R-rating when it joins the MCU on Disney+ in 2024? A new rumor potentially answered this.
Many have asked that question since the show was first confirmed for development at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 as Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio team up to reprise their roles as Matt Murdock and Kingpin. And while it's still unclear if the Disney+ series will be a direct continuation of their adventure in Netflix's Defenders Saga, there is a growing hope that it will bring the same level of mature storytelling as the last Daredevil show.
The MCU is confirmed to be moving into more R-rated content in the coming years thanks to Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool 3, with the same trend starting up on Disney+ as well. Yet, even while while fans have expected the MCU's Daredevil reboot to utilize the same mature rating as its predecessor, nothing has been confirmed in this sense for the Disney+ series yet.
But now, as Marvel Studios prepares for Daredevil's extended production schedule, a new update let the fandom know what to expect on the ratings front.
Will Daredevil Have an R-Rating on Disney+?
Insider KC Walsh addressed whether Daredevil: Born Again will be rated TV-MA (R-rating equivalent) when it premieres on Disney+.
Answering a fan question on Twitter, not only did Walsh confirm that the show won't be R-rated, but he also noted that "it was never going to be" and explained that it won't matter provided the show is good:
"A.) No it won’t be, it never was going to be
B.) DD isn’t an R rated character anyone who’s opened a comic can tell you that
C.) who the fuck cares as long as it’s good"
Series star Charlie Cox also spoke with New Musical Express about his work in the MCU, expressing his feelings about wanting the series to be "a reincarnation" and something "different" from what he's done with Daredevil in the past:
“This has to be a reincarnation, it has to be different, otherwise why are we doing it?”
Cox reminisced on his recent appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which showed Matt Murdock as “quick-witted and funny and charismatic and carefree at times."
While he doesn't expect the reboot to be "as gory" as the original series, he still feels that Daredevil is best suited for "a slightly more mature audience:"
“My opinion is this character works best when he’s geared towards a slightly more mature audience. My instinct is that on Disney+ it will be dark but it probably won’t be as gory.”
To close, Cox addressed the fans that simply want more of the same show that appeared on Netflix, wanting to "take the things that really worked" and maybe "appeal to a slightly younger audience" in the process:
“I would say to those people, we’ve done that. Let’s take the things that really worked, but can we broaden? Can we appeal to a slightly younger audience without losing what we’ve learned about what works?”
No R-Rating for Daredevil, but Still Mature
While there is certainly a market for R-rated material, even within the MCU itself to an extent, it doesn't appear that the Disney and Marvel teams are 100% focused on making sure that Daredevil: Born Again is gory, bloody, and extra violent. In the end, Charlie Cox, his co-stars, and the crew are first and foremost trying to deliver the best story for Matt Murdock that they possibly can, especially now that he's fully integrated into the larger MCU.
Fans should be optimistic about Cox's comments, however, as he expresses a desire to see a different side of Matt Murdock than the more fun version that interacted with Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk. Even though that's a side of his personality that should be included in the story, Cox wants to ensure it doesn't get lost in what could be a deep and mature journey in this reboot.
Thankfully, with an MCU-record 18 episodes in this series' first season, Marvel should have the perfect opportunity to get as mature and deep as possible while still providing the Daredevil story that pays tribute to his runs in the comics.
Daredevil: Born Again will begin filming in February 2023, and it's set to release on Disney+ in Spring 2024.
