Tag: Daredevil

Recast, Reboot, Retire or Reprise: What’s the Right Choice for Other Marvel Netflix Characters
With Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox reprising their respective roles as Kingpin and Matt Murdock this week and rumors swirling that other cast members from the Netflix Defenders-verse series might join them, we decided to take a look at who should come back and who should be left behind. Note that this is not all-encompassing and that there’s no real metric here, much less any consistency. Sometimes we want the actor and not the role; other times we want the role but not the actor; other times we want neither. To make it easy, we cast a verdict on each character: recast the role, reboot the character with the same actor, retire the character or have the same actor reprise the same role. Because the world is hard, sometimes had to pick more than one.

The Big 4

Each of the following actors led at least 2 seasons of a solo series on Netflix as well as popping up in either Defenders or another series.
- Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle
  Whether or not Marvel Studios plans on using the Punisher in the near future is certainly a great topic for debate, but that debate is for another day. The topic here is whether or not Bernthal is the man for the job should they chose to bring the character into the MCU and, fortunately, there’s not much of debate to be had. As he almost always does, Bernthal inhabited the role of Castle in a way that many actors just couldn’t do. If we are going to see the Punisher again, it has to be Bernthal.
  Verdict: Reprise
- Mike Colter as Luke Cage
  Colter is a case of Netflix missing the mark on why they cast the character. Colter is a solid actor. His work on CBS’s Evil has been excellent; however, he seems to be, in general, more comfortable in roles that require a more subdued persona and, to me, that’s just not Luke Cage. If Cage is coming back, the actor has to have BIG energy and charisma. The man lead the New Avengers and as much as I love Colter, I can’t see him effectively convincing Dr. Strange, Spider-Man and Captain Marvel that they should be following his orders.
  Verdict: Recast
- Finn Jones as Danny Rand
  In a shared universe that includes Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, there’s simply no place for Jones as the Iron Fist. While part of the problem with the character was the way he was written (Rand should be able to kick multiple asses all the time without ever having to use the Iron Fist), it’s impossible to give Jones a pass. He notably didn’t want to train and he’s also just not that great of an actor. If they give Rand another chance, it has to be with another actor.
  Verdict: Recast
- Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
  Ritter’s situation is nearly the opposite of Colter’s in that the role of Jones fits her specific talents incredibly well. She looks the part and believably acts the part. While the series ended on a really poor note, Ritter’s time as the character would make it incredibly hard to imagine someone else in the role.
  Verdict: Reprise
The Supporting Cast

Each of these characters played a major, supporting role in at least one season of the Defenders-verse series.
- Vondie Curtis-Hall as Ben Urich
  After giving one of the best performances in Season 1 of Daredevil, Curtis-Hall didn’t get a chance to come back in the role because, well, Kingpin killed off the character. One of the best cases we can make for why the Netflix series should not be canon is so Curtis-Hall can return in a role that could expand beyond Daredevil’s stories and into the greater MCU.
  Verdict: Reprise
- Rosario Dawson as Clarie Temple
  Keep the actress, ditch the character. Dawson is lights out in pretty much everything she does. Fans would love to see her jump into a bigger role like Mahershala Ali, who starred in Luke Cage, was able to do. Sorry, Claire, you stay behind, but bring Rosario into the MCU in a new role.
  Verdict: Retire
- Scott Glenn as Stick
  One of the most unforgivable offenses made by Netflix over the course of their Defenders-verse series was their portrayal of the Hand. As Charles V. has said over and over again, “it’s really hard to screw up undead ninjas”, but they did it. If there’s one Daredevil-centric thing they could fix that would really spice up the whole MCU, it’s the Hand. And if the Hand is back, Stick should be back and if we’re getting Stick, it’s gotta be Scott Glenn.
  Verdict: Reboot
- Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson
  Foggy is such an important part of the story of Matt Murdock that he absolutely must be involved in whatever stories are told going forward. Henson, however, never seemed the right fit and it’s almost certain a recast would land better with fans.
  Verdict: Recast
- Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing
  Henwick was one of the brightest stars over the two seasons of Iron Fist. It was recently revealed that she had to pass on a role in Shang-Chi in order to land her role in the upcoming Matrix sequel, so obviously Marvel Studios is keen to work with her again. Henwick should absolutely be in the MCU. Whether that’s as Collen Wing or in another role is the question. Should she enter into the MCU in another role, that would really make it hard to consider Iron Fist “canon”, however. There is certainly a great Daughters of the Dragon story to be tole with Wing and Misty Kinght, should they want to keep Henwick in a version of the same role.
  Verdict: Reprise
- Simone Missick as Misty Knight
  Speaking of…Missick was dynamite as Misty Knight, bringing some of the charisma to Luke Cage that Colter did not. Seeing Missick return as Knight, perhaps to team up with Sam Wilson as she has recently in the comics would be fantastic.
  Verdict: Reprise
- Debra Ann Woll as Karen Page
  The vote here is no, but not for the reasons you might think. Woll was great as Karen Page. She was better than great. But as the story of Matt Murdock/Daredevil moves on, Marvel Studios would be wise to move away from the dark, Frank Miller inspired arcs that we integral to the Netflix series and adapt some other authors’ work. Modern day runs by Charles Soule and Mark Waid would top the list and wouldn’t require more of Page, a character whose continued story would only continue to drag Matt through Hell.
  Verdict: Retire
- Elodie Yung as Elektra
  Yung checked all the boxes as Elektra: sleek, sexy, dangerous and talented. If they should choose to do another story with the Hand or just with Elektra, it’d be hard to find someone who both looked and played the part as well as Yung. Bring her back!
  Verdict: Reprise
The Villains
- Wilson Bethel as Bullseye
  Bethel’s time as Bullseye was just getting started when the plug was pulled on the Defenders-verse. He gave a great portrayal and would be fully capable of holding his own on screen again with Cox. Bring back Bullseye and bring back Bethel.
  Verdict: Reprise
- Alice Eve as Typhoid Mary
  Eve seemed like an out of place casting at the time, but she did fine in the role. Moving forward, however, it seems appropriate to have an entirely different version of the character and I don’t think anyone would be upset to see a new actress in the role.
  Verdict: Reboot and Recast
- Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsley
  Love Gunton, but he was playing the comic book Owl in the same way that Fra Fee is playing comic book Kazi, which is to say not at all. There is certainly room for the Owl in this newly carved out corner of organized crime in the MCU, but not for this version. A younger actor and totally different characterization are in order.
  Verdict: Reboot and Recast
- Theo Rossi as “Shades” Alvarez
  You might think that with all the characters and actors we didn’t include on the list, that Rossi is a surprise. He might be but his son, Victor Alvarez, could join the MCU’s other young heroes down the road. Rossi was creepy and slimy in the role. It would only be a bit part if he came back, so let’s see him back so we can get to his much more important offspring.
  Verdict: Reprise
- David Tennant as Purple Man
  Tennant joins D’Onofrio and Ali in the trinity of great Defender-verse performances as villains. Ali has moved into the MCU in larger role as Blade. D’Onofrio is back. It might be a stretch to bring Purple Man into the current MCU unless the want to do the big Breakout arc from New Avengers, but getting Tennant back on board in that role or any other would be fantastic.
  Verdict: Reprise
- Wil Traval as Nuke
  Nope. Give us a real Nuke in a future Cap movie. Scrap the actor and forget the character ever existed.
  Verdict: Reboot and Recast
- Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Marianna
  Zurer was fire as Vanessa. Both the actress and the character were amazing. However, the MCU’s Kingpin isn’t going to have 13 hours of time to tell a bunch of personal stories, so unfortunately, unless we get a Kingpin series, neither Zurer or Vanessa need to make the jump.
  Verdict: Retire
Make sure to sound off in the comments on who you’d like to see reprise their roles and who you think should be left behind.
December 16, 2021
How Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin Could Be an All-New Variant of the Character
After an Episode 3 tease, the closing moments of Episode 5 of Hawkeye officially introduced Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin into the series as an acquaintance of Eleanor Bishop. Called by name by Clint Barton, Kingpin is the big boss behind the Tracksuits and the “Uncle” of Maya Lopez. Kingpin, as it turns out, is a lot of things but the one thing he is not is the same character from the three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil.

When he was first introduced in Season 1 of Daredevil in 2015, Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, was already a major player in the organized crime scene of New York City. Season 1 ended with Fisk in prison from where he began to suspect that Matt Murdock and Daredevil where one in the same. Fisk worked over agent Nadeem, found his way out of Ryker’s and was eventually freed and reunited with is love, Vanessa. The series wrapped following a major fight between Murdock and Fisk that ended with Fisk on his way to prison, again, his organization dismantled and Murdock having enough evidence to make sure Fisk would never see the light of day again, much less regain his status as Kingpin.

The events of Daredevil Season 3 took place in 2018, shortly before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. We know this Fisk wasn’t Blipped and that at some point between 2018 and 2023, he was a big deal in organized crime in New York and known as Kingpin. While a reasonable argument could be made that Fisk was broken out of prison during that time, him moving around in the open in 2024 and continuing to operate as Kingpin would represent a complete and utter failure on the part of Matt Murdock. By the time Hawkeye takes place in 2024, even if Murdock had been Blipped, he surely could have brought forth enough evidence to get Fisk back behind bars. More to the point, if following the Blip, Fisk was still actively running crime in New York where the one man who could bury him was around (we don’t know if Murdock was Blipped, but we know he’s around at the same time) he’d be a pretty incompetent Kingpin of crime. If this Kingpin is the Netflix Kingpin, the MCU Daredevil is already a moron…and so is the MCU Kingpin.

Of course fans of the Netflix character came out in droves today to point out just how much this Kingpin looks like the version who rocked the white suits in Daredevil. That version of the character was more of an all-white suit type of guy and, though it’s potato cam quality, that’s not they style of this all-new, all-different version of the character; the version we kind of saw today seemed to be more of an ascot-sporting, cane-wielding and quite possibly shade-of-purple pants wearing type of guy, much like the classic comic book version of the character. I’m not going to go back and rewatch all 39 episodes to make sure, but I don’t recall that Fisk being a fan of neckwear, which he certainly has as part of his ensemble here.

On the topic of style, Daredevil’s Wilson Fisk was a big cuff link guy. As seen below, he owned two dozen or so pairs of the handy accessories but, as you might remember, fancied one particular pair that he picked off the corpse of his dead father.

The first tease of this all-new, all-different version of Kingpin came in Episode 3 and, funny enough, they made sure to give us a look at this version’s cuff links.
And, as it turns out, not only was he not wearing his favorite pair (who doesn’t love wearing stuff that reminds them of the day they murdered their dad with a hammer?), he wasn’t wearing any of those in his possession last time we saw him. If the creators of Hawkeye wanted to send a VERY clear message to the fans of the Netflix Daredevil series, those cuff links would have been on FULL display in that tease. They weren’t because this isn’t that guy.

What Hawkeye has introduced is (as Loki taught us) a Variant of the character fans met in Daredevil. From what’s been revealed, Fisk didn’t seem to be returning to the “throne” during the Blip; it seems much more likely that he used that time to establish himself as the Kingpin by eliminating the remaining competition, including his best, good friend Willie Lopez. It’s important to note that it only benefits Marvel Studios to continue to obfuscate whether or not this Fisk and the Murdock that appears in Spider-Man: No Way Home are the same characters from the Netflix series. The hype, the discussion and debate only fan the flames of fandom. Maybe next week will deliver a clear answer, but don’t be surprised if the truth isn’t revealed until She-Hulk, or Echo, or never. But for now, there’s certainly enough evidence to rationally argue that Hawkeye has introduced a new version of a classic comic book character whose story is JUST getting started.
December 15, 2021
How Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin Could Be the Netflix ‘Daredevil’ Character

Finally, after a long wait, Vincent D’Onofrio has made his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While some still believe that the upcoming adaptation will be a soft reboot for the character, there are some curious hints at his character potentially being the same we last saw during Daredevil‘s third season. With Charlie Cox‘s Matt Murdock set to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the upcoming reintroduction of the Netflix characters might finally confirm that the final season of the series is canon.

Let’s start with the most obvious connection. While not in person, we got our first look at D’Onofrio’s Fisk through a video taken by Yelena Belova. The video quality seems a bit off, but what we can make out is that he’s wearing a similar suit that he wore during the final season of the original series. He has a white suit with a black shirt underneath, which offered a modern take on his comic book version. He seems to be rocking the same style.

Speaking of, Hawkeye also calls him by the same name that he got during that season. In the first season, Fisk tried very hard to keep his name out of everyone’s mouth. Hell, a man killed himself because he accidentally let that slip and put him on Matt Murdock’s radar. It wasn’t until the final season that he was given a codename Kingpin. Of course, there is the question of how the name that was given to him by Agent Poindexter, the future Bullseye, managed to find its way into the public, but he might’ve loved the weight it could carry.

So, there are quite a few hints that this is, indeed, a continuation of the original series and hopefully also means we won’t have to wait long for Wilson Bethel to also make a return given the set-up that was left open during the final scene of the series. Of course, Fisk and Murdock’s return does open up the question of when we can expect their arrival and eventual clash. He was arrested during the finale and lost everything, but if Daredevil vanished for five years due to the snap, he had enough time to rebuild his empire without his arch-nemesis being the wiser. Here’s hoping we get some hints in the finale.

December 15, 2021
Daredevil Will Reportedly Don Yellow Costume in ‘She-Hulk’

A weight was lifted off of Charlie Cox‘s shoulders this week as the MCU overlord Kevin Feige himself made the announcement that Charlie was slated to return as Matt Murdock in future appearances. However, Charlie has still a lot of rumors and reports to fend off in future press interviews such as this latest one claiming that Daredevil will don his classic yellow outfit in a purported appearance in She-Hulk.

According to insider KC Walsh in the Change My Mind podcast, he says the following:

A lot of cameos, the biggest one, again, I don’t think this is spoiling anything if you’ve already been on the internet, but Daredevil is definitely showing up in costume, in the yellow digs, so that’ll be nice.

Knowing Feige’s love for the roots of Marvel characters, it isn’t surprising to see him bat for something brand new for ‘Ol Hornhead. The Netflix shows relied too heavily on his now-iconic makeshift black costume, opting to use his tactical red costume less and less as the story went on. That Marvel Studios is keen on giving us a new look for Daredevil is very exciting and can only mean for things we haven’t seen yet with the character in live-action.

Source: Youtube

December 11, 2021
Tom Holland Hopes For Spider-Man to Clash With Wilson Fisk After ‘No Way Home’

Spider-Man: No Way Home finally releases next week. With numerous villains returning from previous Spider-Man franchises there has been a lot of discussion about future adventures for the webhead. Sony producer Amy Pascal has even suggested there is another trilogy starring Tom Holland in the works. Such a rich comic history means there are lots of suggestions out there about where this Peter Parker could go next. Vincent D’Onofrio recently revealed he’s hoping, if those returning rumors turn out to be true, his Wilson Fisk could go up against Spidey at some point in the future. Holland himself has even had a few similar ideas.

In an interview with Fandom.com Tom Holland was asked about some of his ideas for a fourth Spider-Man film could be. He mentions thinking it would be fun to do either an anti-hero version or a low-budget “film about Peter Parker that has nothing to do with Spider-Man.” Both of these suggestions seem in the realms of possibility somehow. His suggestions at a villain are also quite interesting:

I think there are some interesting villains, I think Madame Web could be something that is really interesting and we could do it in our own way. I’d really like to come up against Wilson Fisk.
Tom Holland

Sometimes fanciful ideas during the promotion of the previous film are worth taking note of to see whether they remerge as genuine continuations of the story. Spider-Man fighting the Kingpin would certainly be an exciting street-level story for Marvel fans. There are numerous rumors about Netflix Marvel characters joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Kevin Feige has teased that. It could be the perfect time for Spidey to reorient himself away from multiversal Avengers level threats back down tackling crime on street level.

Source: Fandom.com

December 10, 2021
Netflix ‘Daredevil’ Showrunner on Series Status as MCU Canon

Earlier this week, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, confirmed that Charlie Cox, who portrayed Matt Murdock and Daredevil over 3 seasons of the Netflix series, Daredevil, would be portraying the same character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cox will join Daredevil co-star Vincent D’Onofrio, who first appeared in the briefest of cameos in Episode 3 of Hawkeye, as actors who will portray their Netflix characters in MCU. While that makes for an exciting future, what’s not clear is if the their appearances in the MCU will be continuing the stories they began telling on Netflix, will serve as a soft reboot or will ignore them entirely and simply be the same actors playing entirely new versions of the same characters.

With so much uncertainty over the topic, Twitter user Trash ‘n Treasure smartly asked one guy who might know: Daredevil Season 1 showrunner and director Steven DeKnight. Unfortunately, as it turns out, DeKnight is in the same boat as the rest of us.

It looks like people will continue to debate the canonicity of the Netflix series until we have further evidence from the projects in which the characters will appear (and let’s be honest, even when faced with a factual answer, people will still debate it). However, while fans continue to dwell on the past of the characters, it’s a lot more enjoyable to focus on what seems like it’s going to be an exciting future for them. Regardless of whether or not the events of the Netflix series “happened” in the MCU, two actors who gave incredible performances are about to give fans a whole new set of events to enjoy and debate. With D’Onofrio and Cox expected to be fully revealed in the roles over the next two weeks, we wont have too long to wait to start enjoying them all over again.

December 7, 2021
What Charlie Cox’s Return as Daredevil Means for the Future of the Character
Late last night, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, confirmed that Charlie Cox would be returning to the dual roles of Matt Murdock and Daredevil. Cox first appeared in the roles in 39 episodes of the Netflix streaming series, Daredevil, and in 8 episodes of the crossover miniseries, The Defenders, which brought the hero together with Netflix’s other Marvel heroes, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Danny Rand.

Cox’s work in the role was universally well-received and when the series was cancelled in 2018, it came with a promise that the character would “live on in future projects for Marvel.” The non-renewal sparked the creation of the #SaveDardevil social media campaign and a great deal of social media outrage. It’s reasonable to assume that Feige saw and heard how beloved Cox was in the role and when Marvel Studios regained the rights to the character, found a way to start integrating him into the MCU’s Sacred Timeline narrative, beginning with Spider-Man: No Way Home.

While Cox’s involvement in No Way Home was first reported nearly a year ago, the star did his best to evade questions about the topic. Over time, however, Cox softened and began to at least entertain questions about what a potential return to the role might entail. Now that Feige has confirmed Cox’s return, not only can Cox, who often looked uncomfortable while having to keep that return secret, breathe easy, but fans can also look back at some other rumors that linked Cox to future MCU appearances.

Cox’s role in No Way Home has been reported to amount to an extended cameo as Matt Murdock but that appearance should set the stage for the actor to appear in multiple projects over the next several years. As I was told by a bulletproof source nearly a year ago, after his appearance in No Way Home, prepare to see a lot of Cox. Rumors persist that the next time we’ll see Cox will be the 2022 Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series She-Hulk. She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany recently confirmed that the series was heavily influenced by the Dan Slott and Charles Soule runs on the comic; the latter is especially interesting in connection to a potential appearance by Cox. Soule, whose 12-issue run on the book began in 2014 (and is available for purchase here), is a lawyer himself and found a way to bring the two comic book counselors together for some fun. She-Hulk would be a great way for Marvel Studios to introduce that “reimagined, upgraded version” of Daredevil that he mentioned, including a new suit that would really set his MCU character apart from the one previously donned on Netflix. Something in a nice yellow should do the trick.
Beyond She-Hulk, confidence in the rumors dwindles but the connections that exist between Daredevil and other characters currently in the MCU can point fans in the right direction when thinking about where he’s likely to appear next. Hawkeye, which is now streaming on Disney Plus, introduced both Alaqua Cox’s Echo and recently teased Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, who will be played by Charlie Cox’s Daredevil co-star, Vincent D’Onofrio. With an Echo series in development, it’s possible that both Daredevil and Kingpin appear in supporting roles. Recent rumors also point to Marvel Studios now developing a solo Daredevil project, though whether it’s a film or streaming series was unknown. With She-Hulk in 2022, Echo in 2023 and a potential Daredevil project in 2024, it’s safe to say audiences will find themselves seeing a lot of Cox over the next 3 years. But could there be more than that in store for fans?

The beauty of integrating Daredevil into the MCU’s Sacred Timeline is that it allows the character to operate both in his own street-level corner and interact with other characters in an already fully-developed world. Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk are just the tip of the iceberg in this regard. Daredevil and Spider-Man have a long standing friendship and with Marvel and Sony reportedly getting ready to collaborate on another trilogy, fans could see the two spending some time on some rooftops in the future. For fans of the comics and the animated series, it’s a relationship they’ve been waiting to see and one that couldn’t have been possible just a few years ago. With D’Onofrio hinting that he’d like to see his character take on Spider-Man down the road, it’s possible that a future Spider-Man or Daredevil project could see the two bringing one of their classic comic book Team-Ups to the screen to take on the Kingpin. The possibility also exists of seeing Daredevil join the Avengers down the road. While the character has always been more comfortable in the confines of Hell’s Kitchen, he did join the New Avengers for a spell during the “Fear Itself” event.

The reality is that there plenty of options out there for Cox to continue to give the character new life. Feige’s confirmation of Cox returning to the role is no small thing. Daredevil has nearly 60 years worth of stories, some of which stand among the best in the history of Marvel Comics. His rebirth into the MCU as an all-new, all-different Daredevil allows for the studio to keep what they liked about the character (which is pretty much just Cox) and retell the parts of the story they think need retelling. Future projects could dive back into Frank Miller’s work and allow the character to have another run in with Elektra, a showdown with a comic-accurate Bullseye and the reworking of the Hand to make it the threat it deserves to be; it could also take an entirely different route and follow the spirit of other great runs by the likes of Brian Michael Bendis, Charles Soule or Mark Waid. While fans wait to see how Marvel Studios adapts the Fantastic Four and X-Men to the MCU, they should be equally excited to see how they handle Daredevil.
December 6, 2021
Charlie Cox’s Return as Daredevil Confirmed by Kevin Feige

Almost a year to the date that Murphy’s Multiverse broke the news that Charlie Cox would be reprising his role as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, has confirmed the report.

In an interview with CinemaBlend, Feige was asked if Cox would be the man for the job should Daredevil join the MCU and Feige was uncharacteristically forthcoming with his response:

If you were to see Daredevil in upcoming things, Charlie Cox, yes, would be the actor playing Daredevil. Where we see that, how we see that, when we see that, remains to be seen.

Cox filmed scenes as Matt Murdock for Spider-Man: No Way Home, which releases in less than two weeks, and has been rumored to appear again in She-Hulk and Echo as well as potential solo Daredevil project. Cox first played the character over three seasons of the Netflix series, Daredevil, as well as in The Defenders.

Source: CinemaBlend

December 5, 2021
The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of November 14th-20th

Doctor Strange 2 Adding More Cast in Reshoots

After people got very upset at the prospect of a Marvel Studios film undergoing reshoots, some folks with their ears to the ground came through with some info that made a lot of sense. As it turns out, the reshoots aren’t because the film is “a mess”, but rather to get some more cast, who were unavailable during principal photography, into the film.

A New Daredevil Project is In Development

According to a grid leaked by Daniek RPK, Marvel Studios in now developing a solo Daredevil project. There was no indication if the project is meant for theaters or Disney Plus and we still don’t know if Charlie Cox is continuing his portrayal of the Netflix character or starting from scratch. This one looks like it’ll be a ways off yet, but we can all see Cox pretty soon in No Way Home.

Denis Villeneuve is Cancelling Sting

Uber-visionary mega-auteur Denis Villeneuve has finally gone too far. Rather than de-age the nearly ageless Sting, or simply insert his scenes into Dune Part 2, Villeneuve has plans to bring a new actor in for the role of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. This is an instance of the director absurdly believing the character is more important than the actor. Surely this will backfire.

Black Panther 2 Taking an Extended Holiday Break

As Letitia Wright continues to recover from injuries she sustained while filming in August, the production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has wrapped…for the year. A note was delivered to the cast and crew this week that indicated they would all be home for the holidays...all of the holidays…and production would get geared up again in January. The delay is not expected to shift the film’s release date, so stop the drama!

Avatar is Underway

The Netflix live-action adaptation of Avatar has begun production and the cast continues to fill in nicely. Fans are eagerly scouring the internet for any kernel of info about the new series and so are we! Keep checking back for more.

ScarJo is Back At Marvel For Something

After suing Disney over the contractual issues surrounding the home release of Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson is, according to Kevin Feige, back to work for Marvel Studios. While the master of dissembling didn’t say what she was working on, he did say what she wasn’t: it won’t be a Black Widow project. He also didn’t mention if she was starring in the project or directing/producing, so really who the hell knows?

Jamie Dornan Has Talked to Marvel Studios about a Clothed Role

50 Shades stud Jamie Dornan has started to break out of the pigeon-sized hole his role in those films put him in and now he’s revealed that he has spoken to Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, about a potential hero role in a Marvel Studios production. It’ll be interesting to see the Irish actor transition from S&M to CBM, but if anyone can do it, it’s Henry Cavill lite.

‘Ahsoka’ Series Has Found a Sabine Wren

Since it was revealed that the general premise of the Ahsoka series would be the search for Ezra, fans have been waiting to find out who would be cast as Sabine Wren. Natasha Liu Bordizzo is the big winner as it was revealed this week she’d be filling the armor and and teaming up with Rosario Dawson in the series.

Marvel Studios ‘Blade’ is Sharpening Up

It’s been nearly radio silent on the MCU’s Blade reboot since Kevin Feige announced it at SDCC ’19. That’s all changing now as the casting process has begun in earnest ahead of a late-Summer of 2022 start of production. Delroy Lindo, simply one of the coolest men on the face of the planet, has been cast in an undisclosed role alongside star Mahershala Ali. Murphy’s money is on Lindo playing Jamal Afari, Blade’s father figure and mentor in the ways of staking vampires.

November 20, 2021
How ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Set Up a ‘Daredevil’ Soft-Reboot

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.

November 16, 2021