How Daredevil: Born Again Outdoes Netflix’s Original Series in 3 Shocking Ways

by

Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again marks the return of The Man Without Fear to defend Hell’s Kitchen, expanding upon the foundations laid by Netflix’s original Daredevil series in significant ways. When it premiered in 2015, Daredevil was akin to Iron Man during the Marvel-Netflix era, garnering massive popularity as a streaming sensation and setting the stage for its sister series like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders (the latter being a crossover series featuring all of Netflix’s Marvel characters except for The Punisher). Following the end of the Marvel-Netflix era, there was a long wait for Daredevil to resurface, but with Charlie Cox reprising his role as Matt Murdock in what essentially serves as Daredevil Season 4, Daredevil: Born Again.

After wrapping up Season 1 of “Born Again”, and ending with a shocking cliffhanger for “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2, conversations about its similarities to Matt’s original series started as soon as the MCU reboot was released. The enhanced and cinematic quality of the show stood out significantly from the initial “Daredevil”, but this is just the start.

Here are three major ways that Daredevil: Born Again improves upon Netflix’s Daredevil.

Daredevil: Born Again Completely Takes the Gloves Off with Blood & Gore

It’s quite simple to overlook the significant difference between shows like Daredevil, and indeed all Marvel-Netflix productions, compared to the mainstream Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). These series featured mature themes, violent crime storylines, and brutal fight sequences that were far more intense than their big-screen counterparts. Essentially, Marvel-Netflix served as an adult, R-rated corner of the MCU, even though it wasn’t officially embraced under the MCU banner at the time. Daredevil pioneered this approach, introducing a much darker tone and intense action that surpassed anything presented by Marvel Studios films in terms of intensity.

In the new series “Daredevil: Born Again,” not only does it preserve the raw intensity that defined its Netflix predecessor, but it pushes beyond those boundaries. Recall when Kingpin infamously decapitated an enemy with a car, sending shockwaves through the world, despite the scene being largely obscured? In “Daredevil: Born Again,” Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk shows no mercy, crushing a man’s head with his bare hands in full view of the camera. This is just one example of how unapologetically brutal this series becomes.

In the initial fight between Daredevil and Bullseye in the series, Matt Murdock ends up with eight knives embedded in his body. On the other hand, combat sequences in ‘Born Again’ often leave victims writhing in agony due to facial injuries and broken bones. The use of profanity, particularly the F-word, is frequent and widespread, even reaching a climax when Matt exclaims “F*ck it,” and resumes his role as Daredevil. With Daredevil transitioning under Disney’s banner for its ongoing series on Disney+, fans of Netflix’s Daredevil had valid worries that the show’s grittiness and acceptance of R-rated content might not persist. However, by the end of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’s’ first season, it can be safely said that such concerns have been completely alleviated.

Vanessa Fisk Is More Evil Than Ever (and a More Individualized Character)

In the upcoming series “Daredevil: Born Again”, Vincent D’Onofrio reprises his role as the cunning Kingpin, and with him comes the return of his wife Vanessa Marianna-Fisk, played by Ayelet Zurer. On the first and third seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil, Vanessa was portrayed as a relatively ordinary individual who became increasingly entangled in Fisk’s criminal dealings over time, eventually becoming an active participant. By the time they reunite on “Daredevil: Born Again”, Vanessa appears to have grown darker and more ruthless, mirroring her husband’s sinister nature.

In the beginning of “Born Again”, we find that Vanessa has risen through the ranks to become a formidable crime boss in New York City, just as notorious as her husband. Unlike her husband, however, she is portrayed as a more ruthless and calculating figure, capable of executing her plans with surgical precision. During Fisk’s imprisonment, Vanessa embarks on an extramarital affair with a man named Adam, displaying no fear of her husband’s reaction. In fact, when she ultimately kills Adam to protect herself, her husband, and their marriage, she does so without any apparent remorse. This new version of Vanessa, as seen in “Daredevil: Born Again”, is a cold and calculated adversary to Fisk himself, a stark contrast to the subtly sinister Vanessa portrayed on Netflix’s “Daredevil”.

Daredevil & Punisher Feel Even More Believable as a Reluctant Duo

In Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil series, the character Jon Bernthal’s Punisher was introduced as a moral counterpart to Matt Murdock. This tension stemmed from Matt’s aversion to taking lives versus Frank’s belief that allowing criminals to live only sets them up to victimize society again. The second season of Daredevil beautifully showcased the contrast between Daredevil and the Punisher, who initially found themselves at odds, eventually leading to a temporary alliance. Despite their shared goal, their methods often clashed, with Matt even contemplating condoning Frank’s penchant for lethal force (Matt expressing discomfort through a gesture of crossing himself, guided by his Catholic faith in his vigilantism). By the end of Daredevil Season 2, it became clear that Matt and Frank couldn’t work together effectively, with Frank bidding farewell to Matt, saying, “I’ll see you around, Red.

In the Daredevil-Punisher partnership’s apparent final chapter, the storyline “Daredevil: Born Again” brings Matt and Frank back together in a way that feels genuine to the narrative and presents circumstances under which Matt might contemplate another collaboration with Frank. This is particularly true following the murder of his dearest friend and business partner, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). The initial meeting between Matt and Frank in Born Again switches from their traditional philosophical discourse on their methods, as seen in their iconic rooftop conversation, to one centered entirely on emotion and the hardships they’ve faced. This encounter powerfully underscores the devastating impact of Foggy’s death at the hands of Bullseye, further emphasizing the justification for Frank’s belief that sparing the lives of criminals can only increase tragedies like this one.

In the gripping Season 1 finale of “Born Again,” I found myself witnessing an unlikely alliance between Daredevil and The Punisher that felt more authentic than their previous team-up in “Daredevil” Season 2. Matt Murdock, struggling to keep Frank Castle’s lethal tendencies in check, was now driven by a deep personal vendetta – the tragic loss of his dear friend Foggy Nelson.

As Matt grappled with the idea of whether resorting to lethal force could serve as redemption for his failure to save Foggy, he found himself walking a fine line between trying to restrain Frank from taking lives and battling his own internal turmoil. It was a compelling narrative of a man wrestling with his conscience, even as he sought to prevent Frank from crossing the line.

In the upcoming series “Daredevil: Born Again,” the version of Daredevil who teams up with the Punisher is a man whose inner turmoil has deepened significantly compared to his state in “Daredevil” Season 2. This emotional strain makes him more open to an alliance with the Punisher, although he grapples with doubts about this partnership throughout the series. Despite the fact that the Daredevil-Punisher dynamic in “Daredevil” Season 2 was engaging, “Daredevil: Born Again” skillfully expands on it, creating a philosophical and even spiritual tension that is more intense than ever before.

You can stream all three seasons of “Daredevil” and the upcoming series “Daredevil: Born Again” on Disney+.

Read More

2025-04-23 19:10