‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Review: Distinctly Daredevil

Netflix’s Daredevil was, and still is, touted as the greatest superhero show ever made—which is also my opinion. The series was canceled abruptly in 2018 after its third season, which was its most praised. Fans of the show have been itching for some sort of return to the world built in the series, and it is finally here. Read our Daredevil: Born Again review below.

Daredevil: Born Again has a tough task ahead of itself: bridging the gap between where the Netflix series ended and where the show, and its characters fit in to the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring these characters. Since Daredevil ended: there’s been a blip that wiped out half of the universe, Matt Murdock showed up in No Way Home, She-Hulk, and Echo—which also features Wilson Fisk, who also appeared in Hawkeye. These two leads have been around the block in the MCU already.

However, this is their first opportunity to lead a show within the scope of the MCU. In some ways, it does feel like Daredevil Season 4, particularly in how the familiar characters we know and love are written and portrayed. However, in keeping with the theme of the show being “born again,” there are differences both stylistically and structurally—for better and for worse.

Daredevil: Born Again’s first episode opens with shots of the lively streets of New York City at night, intercut with Matt Murdock, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson leaving the Nelson Murdock Page office, headed to Josie’s. Amidst their fun, Foggy has a client who needs help, and Matt’s alter ego is summoned to the rescue.

This is all to lead Matt away while the real crime happens at Josie’s. A fight ensues, a tragedy occurs, and it shakes the show to its core. Then, the show flashes forward a year—this second half serves to bring viewers up to speed and set up the rest of the season.

In many ways, comparison is the thief of joy, but it feels only natural to compare it to the Netflix series, considering both the advertising and the show itself. There are differences between the two that, while not groundbreaking, are noteworthy.

Visually, a major difference is how the show shoots New York City. Throughout the series, there are many unconnected shots of New York imagery between scenes, adding a distinct atmosphere to the show. There are also small vignettes in the form of journalism called The BB Report, shown in a different aspect ratio. These vignettes appear frequently and cover Fisk’s mayoral campaign and tenure, as well as new developments within the city.

Another somewhat unique addition is how the show intercuts between scenes. It’s done quite frequently to highlight parallels and add tension. Almost every time it’s used, it feels effective. All these additions contribute significantly to the show’s overall vibe. 

Structurally, the show feels like it is going back and forth between different styles. Some episodes feel very contained—case-of-the-week episodes or mini two-episode arcs within the show—which feels very different from Netflix’s Daredevil (and other Marvel Netflix shows).

This is mostly because the past iteration of Born Again was exactly that. It was originally meant to be an 18-episode series with a case-of-the-week format that didn’t involve Karen or Foggy. Marvel decided to overhaul that version of the series, cutting the season down to nine episodes. They kept six episodes from the old version (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) while adding three completely new episodes (1, 8, 9).

After the creative reset, they hired Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead as directors and enlisted Dario Scardapane as showrunner to lead the project. They also made changes to some of the old episodes to bridge the gap.

At times, it is very clear when you’re watching the older version. While it isn’t bad, it just isn’t as strong as either the Netflix version or the new material. It’s mostly a mixed bag. There are some highs that keep the show rolling and entertaining, but the real magic is in the final two episodes of the season.

Episodes 8 and 9 are absolutely brilliant. Visually, they’re fantastic, they feature the most consistent writing of the season, and they feel, in many ways, like the Netflix series. There are some very cool visual and editing tricks that enhance the experience tenfold. It’s such a pleasure to watch—it feels like the culmination of everything you want to see in a Daredevil season.

The action scenes overall are somewhat hit or miss. The first episode contains a pretty cool one-take fight scene, and while it is very fun to watch, it doesn’t quite live up to the one-take sequences of the Netflix series—but that speaks more to the latter’s excellence. Some action scenes are just fine—watchable but over-edited.

There’s an action scene at the end of Episode 6 that is absolutely fantastic. It intercuts two parallel action sequences flawlessly—it is incredible to watch. There are also some great action sequences in the last two episodes.

One of the issues this season is that some of the side characters feel underdeveloped. They are very prominent in the story, but it feels like some of them either have no arc or are rushed into an arc that doesn’t quite fit. Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), in particular, fits the latter.

Nikki M. James’ Kirsten McDuffie, Michael Gandolfini’s Daniel Blake, and Genneya Walton’s BB Urich are the most interesting new side characters. Kirsten feels underused in some ways, while the other two are better served, they seem to be set-up pieces for bigger arcs in the future—some of which are teased within the show. Where the future leads these three will be interesting, and I hope all of them are more prominent in the next season.

The biggest standouts among the cast, as expected, are Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio. It’s a cliche to say, but it’s hard to imagine anyone else in these roles. Watching them on screen feels so natural and effortless. Charlie, in particular, has chemistry with everyone—there’s a certain magic every time he’s on screen. Both of their character arcs, despite feeling incomplete, are well done thus far. Both Hawkeye and Echo misused Fisk, but Daredevil: Born Again doesn’t make that same mistake.

Jon Bernthal, like Charlie and Vincent, is absolutely perfect for his role, and that holds true in Born Again. A good amount of the best moments of the show involve Frank, and Bernthal absolutely nails it.

The truth is, this continuation is far from perfect, but it is still a worthy addition. The highs of the show offer so much promise for the second season. The new creatives have nailed what this show should be by the end, and that’s what matters. It does feel somewhat incomplete, but if Season 2 can deliver, it will all be worth it.

Daredevil: Born Again stars Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Wilson Bethel, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki M. James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, Ayelet Zurer, and Jon Bernthal.

The series releases on March 4th, streaming exclusively on Disney+.

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