37 Years Ago, Two Iconic Marvel Characters Made Their TV Debut Decades Before the MCU

by

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk are considered standouts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cox’s nuanced portrayal of Daredevil on Netflix offered a complex take on heroism that was relatively uncommon in the MCU at the time, and D’Onofrio brought a genuinely frightening presence to the villain role, moving beyond simple spectacle. After the changes at Marvel Television, both actors gradually returned to the MCU, and the series Daredevil: Born Again has solidified their roles in the franchise. Season 2 significantly broadened the scope of the story, bringing Jessica Jones back into the fight against Mayor Fisk, and Season 3 will continue this expansion with the return of Luke Cage and Danny Rand. Thanks to their important roles in the narrative and their incredible performances, Cox and D’Onofrio are now seen as the definitive live-action versions of Daredevil and Kingpin, though they weren’t the first actors to play these characters.

Many Marvel fans recall the 2003 Daredevil movie, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, as an early step toward the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Ben Affleck starred as Matt Murdock, the film received negative reviews and didn’t perform well in theaters. Michael Clarke Duncan played Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, but his portrayal was controversial and didn’t quite capture the character’s intimidating presence for many viewers. However, this wasn’t the first time Daredevil and Kingpin appeared in live-action. Fourteen years earlier, they both appeared in a made-for-television movie that has largely been forgotten by most fans.

Daredevil and Kingpin’s First Live-Action Adventure Was By the Side of the Incredible Hulk

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, starring Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner, was the second of three TV movies made to continue the story of The Incredible Hulk series. The original series aired on CBS from 1977 to 1982, and this movie, which premiered on NBC on May 7, 1989, brought back Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. It continued the storyline and characters that had gained a loyal following over five seasons.

In The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, Bruce Banner finds himself in a city run by the powerful crime boss Wilson Fisk (played by John Rhys-Davies). The story starts on a subway when Banner tries to stop an attack and accidentally transforms into the Hulk, leading to his own arrest. Fortunately, lawyer Matt Murdock (Rex Smith), who secretly fights crime as Daredevil, takes on Banner’s defense. Using his enhanced senses, Murdock believes Banner’s story and eventually reveals his own double life. Together, they work to take down Fisk’s criminal empire in the movie’s climax.

Writer Gerald Di Pego created the Trial of the Incredible Hulk hoping it would lead to a Daredevil series on NBC. However, that series never happened, and some questionable creative choices contributed to its failure. One issue was Daredevil’s costume: the movie featured an all-black suit with no visible eye holes, a significant departure from the character’s traditional red suit in the comics. Stan Lee, Daredevil’s co-creator, publicly disapproved, pointing out that the dark suit made it obvious to all opponents that Murdock was blind. Another problem arose with John Rhys-Davies, who played Fisk. He wasn’t initially told the character is usually bald and clean-shaven. Though he offered to shave his head, the production couldn’t afford a convincing bald cap, so Fisk appeared with a full head of hair throughout the film.

After the first attempt at a Daredevil show didn’t succeed, the character didn’t appear in live-action again until the 2003 movie. It wasn’t until 26 years after The Trial of the Incredible Hulk that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio finally played the now-iconic versions of Daredevil and Kingpin in the Netflix series.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is currently streaming on Disney+. 

I’m a big fan of the old Trial of the Incredible Hulk series, and it got me thinking… what if Daredevil had been presented in a similar way? It’d be so cool to see that version of the character get his own show! What do you all think? Let’s discuss it over at the ComicBook Forum – come share your thoughts!

https://comicbook.com/movies/list/5-early-marvel-movies-that-deserve-just-as-much-credit-as-the-mcu/embed/#

Read More

2026-05-07 15:10