Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are great as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, and Marvel knew this — hence why they made Daredevil: Born Again, a retooled continuation of Netflix’s series.
Netflix’s Marvel universe was unique for its grounded approach, something the MCU promised in the promotional material of Echo. Born Again tries to recapture that magic, and it somewhat does, thanks to Cox and D’Onofrio.
Still, Marvel remains afraid to completely embrace the grittiness of Netflix’s Daredevil, making Born Again feel MCU-ified (not just because of its bright color palette). It still gives fans a glimmer of hope for the future of the MCU’s street-level heroes.
Daredevil: Born Again review
Years after the events of Netflix’s Daredevil series, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), and Franklin “Foggy” Nelson (Elden Henson) are still running the show at their Murdock & Page law firm.
However, after tragedy strikes, Murdock gives up his days as a vigilante. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) is running for mayor of New York City.
Despite giving up his responsibilities as a superhero, Murdock is trying to be a hero as a lawyer. He begins taking on cases involving corruption in the police force, fighting for justice in the Big Apple.
Fisk’s political campaign puts the two on a collision course. Inevitably, they square off, and the two resume their storied feud.
Is it a better political thriller than Marvel’s other attempts?
To their credit, Marvel does a good job with Fisk’s political campaign subplot. It introduces new characters, most notably Michael Gandolfini’s Daniel Blake.
Blake is a happy-go-lucky employee of Fisk. He aspires to learn everything he can from the former mob boss, and he is willing to do anything required to get ahead.
I wouldn’t go as far as suggesting Daredevil: Born Again is a political thriller — a word Marvel has loosely thrown around with their past projects — but it does implement Fisk’s run for mayor well.
It doesn’t feel shoehorned or like Marvel is trying to prove they can make content for adults, too. Fisk has always operated underground, and seeing him corrupt cops and do press tours feels in line with the character.
Vincent D’Onofrio’s return as Wilson Fisk
D’Onofrio has had the benefit of reprising his role several times since Netflix’s Daredevil ended. Fisk appeared in Hawkeye and Echo before Born Again, introducing the character to MCU fans.
Physical appearance changes aside — Marvel cannot help but point out when a character has undergone any physical change — D’Onofrio embodies the role seamlessly. He may have gotten slimmer, but he is still the scary Kingpin.
A new version of Fisk is seen in Born Again, but it’s one that is still willing to use underhanded tactics to get ahead. D’Onofrio portrays the slimy villain so well, as he does all of his characters.
His separation from his wife, Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer), is a critical subplot. After her husband disappeared, she took over the family business. Now, the Fisk empire is thriving more than ever.
Their scenes together are some of the best acting Marvel has had. D’Onofrio tries to prove himself a changed man, while Zurer is more ruthless than ever.
Similarly, once Fisk is reintroduced to Murdock, tensions instantly rise. It is the moment Daredevil fans are waiting for from the second Born Again begins.
Marvel rarely blocks scenes well, but the first interaction between them pays homage to Michael Mann’s Heat. Like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Cox and D’Onofrio come face-to-face in a diner. The subtle homage is one that does wonders for the series, as it is a well-written scene that shows both characters’ true colors.
Is the action as brutal as the Netflix series?
While the diner scene is great, some of the action in Born Again leaves some to be desired. Netflix’s Daredevil series wasn’t perfect, but the action mostly landed because of its brutal nature.
Unfortunately, Born Again features the same weightless action that most Marvel movies suffer from. There are only a couple of action scenes in the first two episodes, but neither is impressive. The action is usually heavily edited, and it is obvious that green screens are being used.
It is not as much of an eyesore as something like Taken 3. Still, Justin Benson, Aaron Scott Moorhead, and Dario Scardapane — who directed the first two episodes — fail to focus on any character during the most exciting scenes. It makes it hard to follow and, frankly, uninteresting.
I acknowledge that Born Again is a TV series devoid of the budget Marvel’s blockbuster movies get, but Netflix was able to pull it off, making it frustrating that Disney cannot.
Granted, the inevitable showdown between Murdock and Fisk should knock it out of the park. The pressure is on showrunner Dario Scardapane. Hopefully, he comes through.
Should you stream Daredevil: Born Again?
However, the biggest problem with Born Again isn’t the shoddy action. Born Again is laying the groundwork for a more interesting second season. Born Again’s first season effectively reintroduces the characters to fans, but that feels like its main purpose.
There are still a lot of episodes left, but Born Again needs a hook to keep audiences engaged. The returns of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio — despite how exciting they are — are not enough to keep fans interested.
I have no doubt Marvel can do special things with Daredevil and Fisk in the MCU. It was wise to bring the character back to New York City. Marvel desperately needs more street-level heroes.
Sometimes, it takes a leap of faith to take risks, and hopefully, Daredevil: Born Again will do so in future episodes.
Grade: B-
The first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Disney+ on March 4.
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