British actor Charlie Cox gained worldwide recognition after he played the righteous superhero Daredevil on the Marvel/Netflix show Daredevil. The series saw him playing both the blind lawyer Matt Murdock as well as the titular superhero to perfection. The Netflix series lasted three seasons and Cox’s iteration of the character also appeared in the miniseries The Defenders.
The Netflix series was canceled after three seasons, despite overwhelmingly good responses. Charlie Cox is all set to reprise his role as the ‘Devil of Hell’s Kitchen’ in a new eighteen-episode Disney+ series called Daredevil: Born Again. But, the actor is not taking this revival for granted.
Charlie Cox’s Tenure As Daredevil
Before Charlie Cox became the fan-favorite iteration of Daredevil, there was only Ben Affleck’s campy version in 2003’s Mark Steven Johnson directed Daredevil. The film received mixed to negative reviews, despite succeeding at the box office. Affleck himself disowned the film and called it “silly”.
Daredevil received a much-needed makeover in the form of Marvel and Netflix’s iconic series Daredevil. The series was first conceived as a film after the rights for the superhero and his associated characters reverted back to Marvel from 20th Century Fox. However, creator Drew Goddard felt it would be better positioned as a series since Matt Murdock’s story would not fit in the more sci-fi realm that the MCU was operating under.
Daredevil premiered on Netflix in 2014, with Charlie Cox starring as the superhero. His performance as both Daredevil and his secret identity, Matt Murdock, were lauded upon release. Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk, or the Kingpin was also unanimously appreciated. The show received two more seasons, with characters such as The Punisher, Elektra, and Bullseye making appearances.
The show was canceled after three seasons in 2018, along with Netflix’s companion Marvel series such as Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Punisher. The reason was the emergence of Disney’s own streaming network Disney+.
Charlie Cox’s Return As Matt Murdock
When the series was canceled after its third season, most of the cast and crew were disappointed as preparations were underway for a fourth season. With all three seasons receiving positive responses from critics and audiences alike, the cancelation was surprising for fans of the series.
Hearing the fans’ desire to see the return of Daredevil, MCU mastermind Kevin Feige called up Charlie Cox and invited him to be a part of the MCU films and shows that were in development. Cox returned to the role of Matt Murdock in a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He also made a brief appearance in the Disney+ series She-Hulk. In 2022, Marvel announced that Daredevil would be getting its own eighteen-episode show on Disney+ called Daredevil: Born Again.
With fans eagerly awaiting the resurgence of the beloved character, actor Charlie Cox is not taking it for granted. In an interview with NME in 2022, the actor spoke about the character’s rebirth and what he is most excited about,
“I’m imagining there’s going to be an element to it that is like the old-school procedural show…something where we go really deep into Matt Murdock the lawyer…and he really gets his hands dirty with that world… I think there’s something quite interesting about that..”
However, Charlie Cox has made it a point to proceed with caution. The actor has had his share of successes not leading to more work, as was the case with his big-studio film Stardust or the Daredevil series. He said,
“You said earlier that I could be busy for years, and I thought, ‘Yeah, maybe…But if this show next year doesn’t hit the spot, then that might be it. Then it’s back to…”
Cox may be right to err on the side of caution, as the MCU’s latest shows such as Secret Invasion are failing. However, the fans are sure to keep clamoring for more of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil.
Source: NME
