Many would agree that Netflix's Daredevil is the strongest among the Defenders shows on the streaming platform. The series ran from 2015-2018, and it featured the Marvel debut of Charlie Cox's titular hero alongside Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page, and Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson. After a stellar three-season run, Netflix surprisingly canceled the show, thus putting an end to Matt Murdock's story.
Even though the show was canceled, Daredevil continued to be a consistent subject of discussion among fans. From online petitions to Twitter trends, fans' support for the character hasn't wavered in the past few years.
A glimmer of hope came from a previous rumor that revealed Cox's potential return as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Marvel hero's return was later cemented by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. This is on top of the rumors that D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk is also returning in Hawkeye.
With all the confirmed and rumored comebacks of the stars from Netflix's Defenders universe, fans have been wondering if the shows are now canon to the MCU.
Now, a new comment from a notable crew member has shed some light on the subject.
Is Netflix's Daredevil Now MCU Canon?
Daredevil director Steven DeKnight shared several responses on Twitter about Charlie Cox's return as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen for the MCU.
While answering a fan, DeKnight first admitted that he has "no idea" if Netflix's Marvel shows (Defenders, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and many more) are canon to the MCU.
Despite that, the Marvel director teased that he would "probably" return to direct a potential Disney+ series for the character, citing his love for the Daredevil lead star as one of the reasons for his comeback:
"Probably. Love Charlie with all my heart."
On a separate note, an Iron Fist crew member shared a story of Cox's kindness toward him during the preparation stages for Defenders:
"When working on Iron Fist we were prepping for Defenders — had to deliver scripts to Cox’s apartment, dude was so nice had I not had other Office PA obligations I was sure he was gonna invite me in haha forreal Charlie Cox is awesome."
DeKnight reacted to the story by confirming Cox's pleasant attitude while also proclaiming him as the "nicest guy" in the business:
"Can confirm. Nicest guy in the biz."
Is Netflix's Daredevil MCU Canon? (A Breakdown)
DeKnight's response is understandable since there's a strong chance that he is not directly involved with Charlie Cox's upcoming return to the Marvel brand. On the flip side, his "no idea" comment could be his way of avoiding Marvel snipers, and he could have already been given a heads up about the actor's comeback to the MCU.
The canonicity of Marvel's Netflix shows has long been a lingering question among fans, but this query appears to have been subtly answered by Cox himself in a previous interview. The Daredevil actor pointed out that his next iteration of Daredevil, if given a chance to return, would be a "reimagining of the character and the show," citing that some elements could be the same.
Cox's statement was only his opinion, but it would make sense if Marvel Studios decided to go on this route. By moving forward with this strategy, it would allow the writers to not be constrained by what the Netflix shows already established, thus leading to more story opportunities that would further elevate the characters.
While Feige didn't address the Netflix shows' connection to the MCU (for obvious reasons), the Marvel head admitted that he is already on board with the idea that some of the characters from the Defenders universe would make the jump to the Avengers' world.
Whatever the case, Cox is officially back as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, and DeKnight's praise toward the actor's kindness should serve as a welcome tribute to his return.
