Daredevil: Born Again Finally Feels Like Real Television, and It’s a Good Sign for Marvel

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After a four-year run of Marvel Studios series on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again signifies a major achievement by acknowledging and utilizing a key aspect that should have been evident from the outset – the episodic format that is inherent to television. Although Marvel’s streaming content has consistently offered top-notch production and captivating characters, many have found it challenging to break free from the “extended movie” style that has hindered them since their inception. By opting for an episode-by-episode narrative with distinct conflicts and resolutions, Daredevil: Born Again shows how Marvel can produce television that leverages its unique strengths instead of battling against it, which bodes well for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel’s Disney+ shows are designed to harmoniously blend with the MCU’s cinematic releases, allowing lesser-known characters to expand their roles. The venture started off well with “WandaVision,” which debuted in January 2021 and initially appeared as classic television episodes. Each episode of “WandaVision” recreated a different era of sitcom history, featuring unique weekly challenges – a botched dinner party, a talent show in the neighborhood, and a pregnancy sped up by magic. These standalone stories sparked ongoing fan theories and debates about hidden plots, all while gradually revealing the enigma of Westview. However, as the series neared its end, this creative format changed. The final episodes transitioned away from the sitcom style, adopting a more traditional MCU approach centered on CGI combat scenes and setting up upcoming projects instead.

Ever since the release of “WandaVision”, Marvel shows on Disney+ have tended to unfold as one continuous narrative spanning around six 45-minute episodes, instead of separate, standalone adventures with distinct conflicts. Shows like “Loki” also follow this pattern, with episodes often serving merely as stepping stones leading towards the season finale rather than offering unique conflicts. This structural issue is particularly evident in “Secret Invasion”, where the conspiracy thriller concept would have thrived as a movie but seemed disjointed without a well-defined episodic structure.

As a movie critic, I’ve found myself grappling with Disney+’s approach to Marvel TV shows. It seems they’re missing the essence of what truly sets television apart – the charm of episodic storytelling. Each episode in traditional television should be a self-contained tale, contributing to the broader narrative while offering its own beginning, middle, and end. Even series like “Breaking Bad” or “The Sopranos,” despite their serialized nature, crafted unique conflicts for each episode that provided weekly satisfaction, all while weaving intricate season-long arcs. This structure allows television to subtly develop characters through diverse scenarios, fostering relationships and themes via episodic conflicts. However, when shows are stretched into extended movies, they lose these strengths without acquiring a film’s tight pacing and intense impact. The end result often feels like a narrative that’s both hurried and over-extended – important character moments are crammed together while some plot developments are drawn out beyond their natural span to fill the episode runtime.

Lately, Marvel has been trying out styles that suit the ongoing storytelling of TV shows better. The series Agatha All Along followed a conventional TV structure by having a “witch road trip” plotline, which offered separate adventures in each episode while still focusing on a season-long pursuit of magical power. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in September 2024, Marvel Television’s head, Brad Winderbaum, confirmed this change, stating that they are now considering TV production more similarly to traditional television.

In a similar vein, just like the animated “Spider-Man from Your Neighborhood” adopted an episodic narrative structure, each segment focusing on particular themes. Yet, these instances might be viewed as exceptions rather than indicators of a broader transformation. It’s worth noting that “Your Friendly Neighborhood” is an animated series with lower risks and production expenses, while “Agatha All Along” is a side project with lesser budget and anticipation. However, “Daredevil: Born Again” stands out because it marks the first significant, flagship live-action Marvel series to fully embrace television narrative conventions, applying this approach to one of Marvel’s most cherished characters.

How Daredevil: Born Again‘s Episodic Structure Benefits the Entire MCU

The series “Daredevil: Born Again” showcases the impact of episodic storytelling through its meticulously designed narrative flow. Each episode delivers unique narratives that are easily distinguishable with a clear start, progression, and conclusion. In Episode 2, we see Matt Murdock (played by Charlie Cox) battling police corruption to defend Hector Ayala (portrayed by Kamar de los Reyes). The following Episode 3 highlights the intense courtroom disclosure of Hector’s secret identity as a vigilante. As for Episode 4, it centers on Matt’s clash with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) over their contrasting views on justice. This method generates genuine excitement between episodes by providing weekly resolutions while also moving the season’s broader themes of vigilantism, corruption, and personal salvation forward.

Episode 5 serves as a striking demonstration of how Born Again harnesses television’s capabilities. The bank heist plot unfolds as an engaging “weekly adventure,” where Matt Murdock finds himself in a hostage scenario that needs resolution within the hour. This episode offers a full narrative with its own challenges, outcomes, and consequences, yet it subtly ties back to the broader season storyline through Matt’s struggle to accept his vigilante identity. This standalone format allows viewers to appreciate the episode independently, which is not often achievable with previous Marvel Disney+ productions, all while keeping audiences hooked on the larger narrative thread.

According to Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel Television, there’s a move towards creating TV-style stories, with Marvel now focusing on making shows that can be released annually and last for multiple seasons, which is quite different from their earlier strategy of producing limited series.

As a passionate movie reviewer, I must say that “Born Again” stands out as a remarkable example of how Marvel crafts captivating TV series that foster weekly engagement rather than the usual binge-and-forget trend in streaming. This approach allows each episode to maintain its unique identity and focus, offering an immersive journey that deepens our connection with the characters.

Unlike a film or film-like structure, “Daredevil: Born Again” provides ample room for exploring characters from various perspectives, resulting in a richer, more nuanced portrayal. This series appears to be a pivotal stepping stone for Marvel, indicating their mastery of television storytelling, which can only lead to more compelling MCU narratives in the future.

New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Disney+ every Tuesday.

What are your thoughts on the episode-by-episode format of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’? Feel free to share your views in the comments section!

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2025-03-30 04:11