Spider-Man Missing in Daredevil: Born Again? Shows the Big Problem With Cinematic Universes

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The series “Daredevil: Born Again” underscores one of my major concerns regarding cinematic universes – a problem that, unfortunately, has persisted since Marvel Studios initiated their expansive movie franchise in the mid-2000s. They started to create an interconnected universe where numerous superheroes could coexist on screen. No longer did movies like “X-Men,” “Spider-Man,” and “Hulk” need to maintain separate storylines. Instead, these characters could interact within each other’s films or collaborate for blockbusters such as “The Avengers.” This concept was a dream come true for many comic book fans, and it still holds up quite well today. However, it does present some challenges, like ensuring consistency across all productions to preserve continuity, but overall, it’s an exciting cinematic endeavor.

In contrast to comics, films and television series face certain constraints in their storytelling. While they possess the resources for creating incredible action scenes or making characters fly, there are other factors that put limitations on their creative freedom. Unlike comics, where a writer and artist can introduce new characters at any moment, movies and TV shows must coordinate actor schedules, stay within budget, and deal with rights issues. For instance, Marvel and Disney do not have the rights to produce live-action Spider-Man films or series; Sony does.

Spider-Man Not Appearing in Daredevil: Born Again Shows The Big Problem With Cinematic Universes

Although Spider-Man has been incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his solo films and shared scenes, a unique agreement between Disney and Sony restricts Spider-Man from appearing in “Daredevil: Born Again”. Despite this limitation, Matt Murdock (Daredevil) has already crossed paths with Spider-Man in “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, demonstrating that they inhabit the same city and universe. This was not the case when Daredevil was confined to Netflix.

In the scenario where a series like “Daredevil: Born Again” triggers the most significant street-level turmoil the Marvel Cinematic Universe has experienced so far, the absence of Spider-Man poses a significant dilemma. The inconsistency arises because there’s no plausible reason given for why Peter Parker can’t intervene to manage the chaos on the streets. He could prevent looting, shield citizens from being shot by police, and perform numerous other heroic acts, but instead, he chooses to stand aside, leading to innocent lives being lost unnecessarily. He could have prevented figures like Frank Castle from being imprisoned in the Kingpin’s dungeon. While this could potentially be justified for a single night, claiming that Spider-Man was offscreen performing these actions, it becomes less convincing as Daredevil begins to assemble an army to counteract Fisk. This situation may not make sense when Spiderman is excluded from the picture.

In the current scenario, it’s clear Spider-Man isn’t off on a holiday or adventuring with the Avengers because he’s financially struggling and his identity is unknown following the events of “No Way Home”. It’s also unusual that Doctor Strange isn’t intervening, but there’s a possibility, however tenuous, that he’s elsewhere in space-time engaged in wizardly activities.

The issue isn’t limited to Spider-Man alone; other characters like Kingpin also face complications regarding their on-screen appearances, despite being part of the same universe. For instance, Daredevil might appear in a Spider-Man film, but Kingpin cannot due to intricate rights issues. Interestingly, there’s an ongoing storyline in the MCU where a mentally unstable mayor is targeting masked vigilantes in New York City, even alluding to Spider-Man specifically. Unfortunately, Spider-Man himself can’t be directly involved in this narrative because of the rights issues that prevent him and Kingpin from sharing screen time, either big or small.

This Isn’t Just an MCU Problem

It’s clear that everyone is doing their utmost to create engaging entertainment based on these cherished intellectual properties, given the constraints they face. However, it’s perplexing and disappointing because, despite my fondness for these tales, they feel restrictive, and at times, it seems unnecessary complications with rights aren’t the only issues. For instance, in The Penguin series, the absence of Batman is puzzling. Despite presumably being aware of Oz Cobblepot and possibly monitoring his activities, Batman appears to be completely indifferent during the show’s events that significantly affect Gotham City. It’s a fantastic production, but I can’t help but wonder why Batman isn’t intervening to quell the chaos.

In simpler terms, since Batman is missing from the show, those involved must invent an obscure excuse, such as his presence might confuse viewers. However, it’s even more confusing that he isn’t there! If Robert Pattinson’s availability or cost is the issue, then we have to accept that – but it doesn’t mean a stunt actor can’t briefly appear in the Batman suit. Sadly, this situation highlights the challenges of big universes when they must overlook key characters and creative collaborations due to trivial business issues.

It’s challenging to manage multiple storylines in these shared cinematic universes. While having two mediums to tell stories is exciting, it becomes difficult when characters who are crucial to the narrative aren’t present due to logistical reasons. Ideally, a world without such complications would be ideal, but achieving that might take some time.

These days, you can catch new movies and shows based on both the Marvel Studios and DC Extended Universe series, either at your local cinema or on popular streaming platforms.

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2025-04-21 22:18