It’s looking more and more plausible that Daredevil is becoming a reality in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Charlie Cox will make his return in Spider-Man: No Way Home and there are already strong hints that a new project is in its earliest stages of development. With the next trailer for Sony’s multiversal adventure nearing, it seems like the perfect time to explore what an adaptation by Marvel Studios could do to make it build upon what came before while also adding its twist to the character. In a way, they could do that literally by taking inspiration from the comic line Shadowlands that could be perfectly set up through the events of No Way Home.
We’ve already been introduced to the Hand in the Netflix series. While its canonicity remains a mystery, it might not be too difficult to introduce the organization as one pulling many strings throughout New York City. Yet, as they are likely to soft reboot some aspects of the original three seasons, they could make that very apparent by taking inspiration from the series’ first season. In 2015, one of the main plotlines revolves around Wilson Fisk buying up real estate throughout Hell’s Kitchen. He planned to destroy and rebuild it. How about in this reintroduction, he did exactly that.
Hell’s Kitchen is being torn down and Matt Murdock can hardly recognize it anymore. He starts an investigation to find out what is going out, as the rework of his home has raised criminal activity. In his investigation, he uncovers that this is more than just Fisk. The Hand, an old foe, has been one of the main investors in this new development, as they’ve taken over quite a few of the buildings. The NYC landscape is changing with so-called Shadowland temples being erected. Daredevil feels somewhat hopeless as non of his actions are stopping it.
In a way, the series becomes an allegory on taking the familiar from Netflix but adding a new paint job to make it feel fresh. We have a familiar foe with the Hand, but their objectives are a bit more specific. We once again dive deep into Murdock’s psyché throughout these events, as he slowly realizes that he might be more closely involved than he might expect at first. They start to toy with him, as they either cause more damage or even push him beyond his limits.
This adaptation would also fit nicely in the current theme of MCU projects reshaping the MCU as we know it. Shang-Chi introduced us to a new dimension, WandaVision turned an unknowing town into a pocket dimension and Eternals added a new landmark to Earth. So, it’s safe to assume Spider-Man: No Way Home might also unleash some lasting changes upon an unsuspecting NYC. It’ll probably sustain enough damage from the battle aiding Kingpin and the Hand’s efforts. Hell’s Kitchen was already falling apart and might not quite recover from this one like they did the Incident so long ago.
So, the aftermath of Spider-Man‘s third film, which also serves as our reintroduction to the character of Daredevil, sets up his story that reshapes a world we’ve come to love back in 2015. Yes, things will likely change but by embracing the first season’s core elements we’re putting the character on a similar yet different path. Some elements might repeat and could be twisted in new directions, but it would finally bring Daredevil back into the fold.
