Daredevil Born Again: A Return to Form on Disney+
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Article Summary
- Daredevil: Born Again delivers on the original series’ gritty tone with strong writing and exciting plot twists.
- The show introduces key comic references, including White Tiger and Kirsten McDuffie, adding depth for fans.
- While the cinematography isn’t as sharp as Netflix’s series, the action remains compelling, despite some overuse of CG.
Daredevil: Born Again was a show that many fans, including myself, were apprehensively excited about. It almost seemed like it was too good to be true. Netflix’s Daredevil (DD) was one of the greatest works to come from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The writing, the acting, the mature themes, it was all second to none. Season 3 ended back in 2018, and at such an interesting point in the story. Some characters died, some characters almost died, and series-shattering secrets, like Daredevil’s secret identity being revealed to the public, almost happened.
Born Again had a lot of factors going against it, notably the troubled behind-the-scenes production, as well as the fact that it had to live up to the original. According to the actors and many reporters in the industry, the first draft of the script for this series didn’t go over too well with test audiences. Matthew Murdock was busy with being a lawyer for the first couple of episodes and didn’t don his superhero garb until that fourth episode. That all would be a problem, but after seeing the first handful of episodes of the series, it’s obvious this series is in good hands.
My biggest fear for this show was if Disney could keep the original tone of the series. Netflix DD was incredibly graphic. Not needlessly so, it was all to paint the picture of how heartless the many adversaries Daredevil faced were. This show’s first major fight scene that kicks off the first episode is incredibly graphic and framed similarly. That was another aspect that the original series was masterful at, cinematography. Does Daredevil: Born Again have the same level of cinematography as Netflix’s Daredevil? Born Again doesn’t have cinematography quite on the same level, but it is still very well done. A problem is the overuse of CG in certain action scenes, which was an element the Netflix series was very subdued with.
You know what isn’t subdued? The vast amount of comic references found in this show. Warning: There will be some light to heavy spoilers from here on. Seeing characters like Bullseye finally get somewhat of a comic-accurate suit was incredibly satisfying. Hardcore Daredevil fans who love the more modern comics will be excited to see characters like Kirsten McDuffie, a love interest from the comics, make her live-action debut here. Using the subtitle “Born Again” is a huge deal here. What to watch before Daredevil Born Again is an interesting question, as knowing what happened in the Netflix series and even some of the core Daredevil comics will enhance the viewing experience. Daredevil: Born Again was originally a comic run from 1986 by the legendary comic duo Frank Miller and David Mazuchelli.
This comic arc is easily one of, if not the most famous story in Daredevil’s comic book history. It dealt with mature topics regarding Daredevil and his humanity, faith, and morality. The Netflix show adapted many plot points from this comic in the third season. In this case, the subtitle is used in more of a meta way, since the series is “born again” on a new streaming platform, different from the original. As an avid fan of the Netflix show, it’s great to see these characters brought back in a way that represents them as they once were. Speaking of, some daring new plot points make this show incredibly intriguing for a long-time fan.
The addition of Hector Ayala, also known as the White Tiger, was awesome. This is a Z-list superhero, but a fun pick at that. I remember watching the Ultimate Spider-Man television show in my youth, White Tiger was in it and had a unique interpretation in that series. Spidey and Daredevil have always had fun team-ups, so maybe the webhead can appear in a future season? Who knows, that would certainly be a treat for the fans. In Born Again, Matt defends Ayala aka White Tiger in court and then something shocking happens.
At the end of episode three, after Matt worked so hard to get his case cleared, even outing his secret identity, he ends up being killed by who looks like the Punisher! And episode 4 finally showed Frank Castle again! But it seems that it wasn’t him that killed Ayala. With this, Matt is finally, after three and a half episodes, getting back to being Daredevil again. It’s about time! Now, while I may not personally agree with all of these writing decisions, I can’t deny that they make for some good television. Will this show live up to the Netflix series? Only time will tell. As a die-hard fan of this character, as well as other Marvel and Disney-related series, I can’t help but feel a bit apprehensive. These first few episodes have been great, but will this benchmark of quality stay consistent? Again, we will have to keep watching to find out. Here’s hoping the showrunners and writers can keep this momentum going through until the season finale.
Have you been watching Daredevil: Born Again? Let us know what you think of the show, so far, in the comments.
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