She-Hulk: Marvel Studios Demanded 1 Thing for Daredevil’s Return

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
She-Hulk Charlie Cox Daredevil

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is set to feature the return of Charlie Cox's Daredevil. The Disney+ series marks the second appearance of the character in the MCU after his surprise inclusion as Peter Parker's lawyer in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Although Daredevil's role is still being kept under wraps, the show's cast and crew have been sharing several notable tidbits about his return. 

She-Hulk lead star Tatiana Maslany previously teased the "amazing" return of Cox's Marvel hero in the series, noting that fans will be "really happy" about his comeback. She-Hulk head writer and producer Jessica Gao also revealed that Daredevil's "lighter side" will be explored in the series. 

Daredevil, She-Hulk
Marvel

Now, more details about Marvel's role in bringing back Daredevil for She-Hulk have been revealed. 

Marvel Studios' Demand for Daredevil's Return Revealed 

She-Hulk creator Jessica Gao sat down with Lifehacker to talk about Daredevil's upcoming appearance in the Disney+ series. 

Gao revealed that Marvel Studios executives didn't have any specific rules about using the character in She-Hulk, admitting that it was "shocking" that "they kept not saying no" to them about Daredevil's role: 

"Usually how they do it is they kind of let us propose what we want to do rather than give us guidelines. When they first told us that [Daredevil] was a possibility we just couldn’t believe it. And as we were coming up with story and what we wanted him to do, the fact that they kept not saying no was shocking to us.”

Still, Gao shared that Marvel demanded that they have control over Daredevil's costume. The head writer & executive producer unveiled that the studio "knew exactly what they wanted the suit to look like:"

“The one thing that I didn’t have control of was the suit. They knew exactly what they wanted the suit to look like.”

The show's second trailer revealed Daredevil's new look, showcasing an updated yellow and red suit

Charlie Cox as Dardevil
Marvel Studios

She-Hulk is filled with MCU cameos. Aside from Daredevil, the series will also feature appearances from Wong and Abomination.

In the interview, Gao said that audiences will get to uncover a "different side" of these beloved characters, saying that it allowed them to let them "play around in She-Hulk's tone:" 

"Because we have a very specific tone we’re able to pull these characters like Daredevil, like Abomination, like Wong who normally you’ve seen in very dramatic, very heavy, very serious projects, and bringing them into our world and letting them kind of play around in She-Hulk’s tone, so that it’s not completely changing the character but you do get to see a different side of them.”

Gao continued by teasing that fans will get to see these characters when they're not worried about saving the world, with them dealing with "everyday stuff:"

“You get to see a lighter side of them and part of that is because the universe isn’t in danger, it’s just a regular day for them, it’s a normal day. So you kind of get to see these people when they’re not worried about saving all humanity, they get to just deal with everyday stuff. It’s kind of like they get to take a comedy vacation in our show and then they can go back and do their serious stuff again.”

Will She-Hulk Finally Address if Netflix's Daredevil is MCU Canon?

The fact that Marvel Studios made it clear to the She-Hulk team that they are in charge of what the suit will look like for Charlie Cox's Daredevil suggests that they had a plan in place to explain the confusion behind the canonicity of the Netflix series starring the character. This ongoing confusion has been the main topic of discussion among fans heading to She-Hulk's premiere, leading to various debates and speculation about the matter. 

It's possible that this specific demand from Marvel could indicate that the studio will finally reveal the answer to the lingering canonicity question about Netflix's Daredevil. While it's unknown if this question will be answered during She-Hulk or down the road in Daredevil: Born Again, this demand is the first big step in addressing the confusion. 

Moreover, it's also a step in the right direction that Marvel gave freedom to She-Hulk's creative team to use Daredevil. This could be an indication that the studio is set to consistently give free rein to creatives in future projects, which is a good thing due to the overwhelming amount of content in Phases 5 and 6. 

Meanwhile, Jessica Gao's reveal that the "lighter side" of not just Daredevil but the other guest stars will be fully showcased is a promising remark, allowing fans to uncover a different side of these characters. If She-Hulk is renewed for a second season, it also gives other MCU characters a chance to show off their comedic side, meaning that this Disney+ series offers a unique opportunity that no other project has. 

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's first episode is now streaming on Disney+.

- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.