The 2 Charleses talk about the big DD news, the insanity that was the Disney Investor’s Day presentation and review the latest episode of The Mandalorian! Have a listen below…
Tag: Daredevil
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Murphy’s Law Podcast: Episode 74
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‘Daredevil’ Should Kick-Off Disney+’s Expansion
Spider-Man 3 is going to be quite the film. It is bringing together so many corners of Marvel franchises that it feels like it might reinvent our expectations of a Spider-Verse film. João has offered an overview of how this concept could work for the untitled threequel. There was one piece of news that may have caught everyone off-guard. Charles V. has revealed that Charlie Cox will return to play Matt Murdock once again. This reveal is massive, as not too long ago, the rights moved back to Marvel, as the last season of the Netflix series released two years. Now, we are also left with the question: will Daredevil finally get a continuation or new series?
Even after its cancellation, the series was the third most popular series on the streaming service with an average of 25M viewers. It brought the character to the forefront of the popular consciousness and defined Charlie Cox in the role. It also introduced us to a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that broke beyond the PG-13 barrier. Sadly, it got canceled after its third season pushed the franchise to new highs. Erik Oleson, who took over the role as showrunner duties for the final season, even pitched a fourth one before Netflix axed it. It was also no coincidence that Disney was looking into developing its streaming service at the time.
Disney+ introduced us to a familiar-friendly streamer, so it seemed unlikely it would get added to its library. From that perspective, it seemed like there was no chance that Daredevil would make it to the service. Well, that was until the recent developments may have changed the playing field. Rumors are going around that Disney+ will combine with Hulu in the US while Europe gets the Star branding. It allows them to include R-rated content that will help grow their subscription numbers exponentially. It seems probable that they could announce this at the upcoming Investor’s Day, which Edward points out in his latest article.
Such a massive announcement could use a headliner series. So, why not explore the return of Daredevil as a big selling point. They could even include Moon Knight in this expansion to explore the character’s darker side in a future season. If they also buy the rights to stream the original Netflix shows via this service, we could get a confirmation that this is a continuation of the character we already know. There have been hints that Spider-Man 3 is bringing back the iconic actors to play new versions of existing characters. Plus, the whole multiverse aspect could also add to the confusion whatever direction they go with the character. I am sure Daredevil returning with a brand new show on Disney+ Star will certainly get everyone’s attention at the streaming service expansion.
Source: Forbes, Business Insider, Digital Spy
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How ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’ Turned into the Ultimate High-risk/Low-reward MCU Project
It’s pretty much confirmed that the MCU’s third Spider-Man movie will have one incredible cast list. Besides the names coming back from the previous two movies (that include J.K. Simmons‘ J. Jonah Jameson), we’ll get Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), Alfred Molina (Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus), and perhaps Tobey Maguire (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) returning from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. As for the Marc Webb films, Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and Jamie Foxx (Max Dillon/Electro) will be reprising their roles while Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) is still in negotiations. Besides all these, Benedict Cumberbatch is also set to show up as Dr. Stephen Strange, Kraven the Hunter is rumored to be making an appearance, and Charlie Cox will finally bring his take on Matt Murdock/Daredevil into the MCU.
These seem like a lot of characters to cram into a single feature, especially one that is not an Avengers movie where the focus is expected to be on multiple characters. We’ve already seen how Marvel Studios successfully managed to deal with the increasingly large ensembles they had to work with from Captain America: Civil War to Avengers: Endgame, but to focus too much on characters other than Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man on his own movie could be seen as a disservice to what is arguably the best Peter Parker ever to be put on screen and also the version of the web-slinger the franchise should be converging on both now and in the forthcoming years.
But Marvel Studios’ record when dealing with large casts does make it seem like, in the end, this might not be that big of an issue, as long as they manage to follow their own unwritten rules from previous projects.
INTRODUCE AUDIENCES TO CHARACTERS IN ADVANCE
Even though we’ve gotten a few event movies in the MCU that came with large casts, most of those characters weren’t exactly being introduced in said features. The fact that Marvel took the time to debut almost everybody in their own movies made the team-ups all about the interactions between previously introduced personalities, allowing for the movies to have a faster pace while still allowing audiences to be emotionally invested in most of the characters. That’s part of why those movies worked so well, even if the prospect of having 10+ characters sharing the screen at once seemed like a preposterous one, to begin with.
This is most likely something that Spider-Man 3 doesn’t need to worry about too much. The Raimi and Webb series were both well-received, people are familiar with their characters, even if both series ended on a more sour note. When seeing Garfield, Dunst, or Foxx onscreen, audiences won’t need much to instantly understand who they are and what they’re all about. This should allow for the movie to flow seamlessly while packing a huge emotional punch.
HAVE A CENTRAL FOCUS AND LIMIT SCREEN TIMES
Avengers: Infinity War was one of the biggest movies ever and going into it Captain America was one of the MCU’s biggest stars. And yet, his screen time wasn’t even in that movie’s top 10. That didn’t stop it from becoming the success that it was because it was understood that the movie should stay true to the story it meant to tell while being almost indifferent to the characters driving it. Steve Roger’s presence managed to bring more weight to the story being told but without pulling rank and asking for more protagonism, something that might have hindered the final product. As such, the success of Spider-Man 3 might be defined by how much Marvel manages to hold back on the time devoted to cameos from previous Spider-Man movies. This should still be Tom Holland‘s movie and the place in which we find his Peter Parker should allow for his continuous growth into someone who can deal with his own issues, without Tony Stark or Nick Fury around to help out. Spider-Men from other timelines could be there to guide him towards the path he needs to be on, but never to hold his hand and/or deal with his problems in his place. So, even though I wouldn’t assume these cameos to be equal to Benedict Cumberbatch‘s in Thor: Ragnarok, I also wouldn’t be expecting they’ll turn out to be much more than that. Even though celebrating legacy characters is never a bad thing, one should not do so at the cost of relegating the franchise’s present (and future) to the sidelines.
It’s a little over a year until Spider-Man 3 is released, so there is plenty of time to try and begin to make sense of how all of this will come into play, and if it will end up being worth it. Marvel Studios has an excellent track record in terms of understanding how best to develop its movies, but they are now dealing with characters that mostly don’t belong to them. And it does seem like a huge gamble to focus on a Multiverse storyline with these many Sony characters at a time when the MCU has already enough characters that could easily help bring the Multiverse into focus on a non-Spider-Man centric film, thus making its own character grow. This makes it seem that in case the movie turns out great, it’s Sony that’ll gain the most, even if not considering the money involved. With Sony’s interest in developing its own cinematic universe based on the Marvel characters they own, this project might end up being a huge boost to those interests. For Marvel Studios, it’ll be just another regular Thursday. But in case the movie ends up feeling bloated, with a convoluted storyline that earns it a bad reception, that dark cloud will mostly fall on Marvel Studios, hurting their brand. This way this project is surely looking like a bigger risk for the MCU than even Infinity War and Endgame, as the ceiling seems a bit lower than the one those projects had, and the floor isn’t exactly higher.
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EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Cox is Back as Daredevil in ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’
Daredevil is about to be reborn in the MCU. That’s the latest bombshell we’ve heard from several of our trusted sources. Now that Netflix shows are toast, Kevin Feige finally has his chance to envision the characters to fit his ever-growing sandbox of a multi-platformed universe. Murphy’s Multiverse has learned that Charlie Cox, star of the beloved Netflix show, is set to make his grand debut in the MCU in the third Spider-Man film in a deal that has been set in stone for several months now.
Cox spoke with Comicbook.com last April and due to the rampant fan theories of Matt Murdock helping Peter Parker get out of his conundrum, was asked if he had any involvement with Spider-Man 3, an idea he denied at the time. What happens beyond that appearance wasn’t elaborated to us but any logical person would think that a series is slated at some point in the MCU’s future. Unfortunately, Cox seems like the only figure salvaged from the Netflix wreckage at the moment so any hope of seeing the rest of the cast is up in the air. But yeah, Daredevil got saved.
This was inevitable: Daredevil was always going to end up in Feige’s box of toys. The big question that surrounded the character’s official MCU debut was when and on what platform. With reports of a Hulu and Disney+ merger circulating the web, a fresh Daredevil show with the Marvel Studios brand attached to is certainly a good way to debut that service. Marvel Studios is keen on thoroughly exploring the street side of the MCU and a chunk of their slate reflects that. You’ve got Blade, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and even Ms. Marvel; shows that skew towards smaller “everyman” type of stories that reflect the day-to-day of the MCU citizens and not its gods, spies, and billionaires.
Matt Murdock’s alter ego recently trended on social media as the 2-year no-use clause on the character put up by Netflix came to an end. With an investor’s meeting come up in a few days, it’s possible that this show could be one of those revealed. Several weeks back, Marvel Studios created a bunch of new production companies for their upcoming properties. LLCs named Grass-Fed, Standoffish, Frequent, Log Jam, and Blueberry Waffles were the names Murphy’s Multiverse uncovered. While we still do not know which specific properties these LLCs are for, we do know these are greenlit projects that they’re beginning to work on. Daredevil could very well be one of these.
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Exploring ‘Daredevil’s Future Beyond Its Netflix Run
For those out there hoping to support the return of Netflix’s Daredevil, be sure to check out the site SaveDaredevil.com. They’ve probably been campaigning for its return since its cancellation, so be sure to give them a visit while you’re at it!
It is crazy to think that Daredevil‘s third season aired two years ago. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reminded us why they were the perfect duo to take on the dynamic between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk. The original Netflix deal was massive, as they signed up for four series consisting of 13 episodes. Not just that, they also made a deal to film most of the series directly in New York City, where it would all lead up to a The Defenders crossover. It was going to be the small-screen Avengers built on Marvel’s Television division. Right now, Netflix still held a tight grip on the rights to all franchisees that aired on the streaming service. So, many of us were waiting for the moment they could return. Supposedly, the rights return two years after it aired its final episode, and we are finally at that point. So, let us look at how exactly Daredevil could become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Now, like many, I want the core cast to return. Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, and Elden Henson were outstanding. Matt Murdock is always conflicted between the devil calling him to defend the streets, but also his human need for a normal life. He is nothing without Karen Page and Foggy Nelson keeping him centered, as he balances being a lawyer and vigilante. Of course, there is also Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Wilson Fisk, who may be one of the best Marvel villains brought into live-action. Also, I hope we also see the return of Ayelet Zurer‘s Vanessa. Her relationship with Fisk elevated it in unique ways and managed to humanize all of Fisk’s actions in an interesting way. While we’re at it, Wilson Bethel deserves more time as Bullseye, just saying. Now that Jamie Foxx is going to return as Electro in Spider-Man‘s still-untitled third entry, there is no excuse that they can’t have the iconic cast return.
There is, sadly, one major issue of continuing the series where it originally ended. I don’t believe that every part of The Defenders will remain the same. Most notably, there is a good chance that Iron Fist will get a complete reboot. Out of all of the Netflix series, it felt like it was trying its hardest to avoid the aspects that made the character unique, which may be something that Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige wants to change. Yet, a massive part of the crossover was how the main antagonists, the Hand, had strong ties to K’un-Lun, where Danny Rand gained his magical fist. Maybe this time we get to visit the hidden city. Daredevil‘s third season has built on the events that transpired during Netflix’s mini-series. If it weren’t for the four vigilantes taking on a group of supernatural ninjas, we wouldn’t have had Matt’s reawakening that would lead to him taking on his original mantle.
As I write that, it doesn’t mean it is impossible, just that it may not fit into Feige‘s plans. Plus, they seem to have mapped out quite a bit ahead, as plenty of series and films are about to enter production. So, we might not see anything related to any of the Netflix series by the latest of 2023 or even 2024. Now, there is a way that it could work to integrate the events from all Defenders into the mainline MCU overarching storyline. The approach is simple: all of them are already active once we meet them again. It would be a similar approach to that of The Incredible Hulk. Yes, Mark Ruffalo looks nothing like Edward Norton, but the storyline mainly remained the same. So, why couldn’t everything from Daredevil‘s first season up until Jessica Jones‘ final season has taken place in the same timeline with some slight alterations?
Even if someone else takes over the role of Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, or Luke Cage, the main events still occurred. Viewers are technically familiar with what transpired. They can make references to past events as an easy recap for newer viewers. They can also leave some aspects vague to adapt it to fit the new narrative. There is no need to rehash Murdock’s origin story again besides showcasing some of the emotional cores that defined him. Netflix could be part of a different dimension, as the mainline MCU’s events were similar in most places.
They did something similar with Spider-Man: Homecoming, where they built on everyone’s understanding of the character’s core principles. It was a popular show on Netflix, so there is no need to retread old ground. That would only be necessary if Feige had any plans to reuse the Hand in different ways. Even if they don’t continue the storyline set up by the first three seasons of Netflix, they can still use people’s understanding of the characters to move forward rather than retread familiar ground once again. We also saw the advantage of an ongoing format for the characters, so it would be a waste not to continue the series on Disney+, especially when they are exploring darker characters like Moon Knight on the platform. Their introduction though could open up the potential to having them crossover into films, which seems to be the plan for many of the streaming characters. Either way, if Marvel Studios decides to move forward, I hope to see this amazing cast return so that they can continue the story where they left off.
Source: Digital Spy
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Theory Thursday: Exploring the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse
There’s no doubt in my mind that the biggest story element that will come into play for the Next Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the concept of the Multiverse. Already teased back in Avengers: Endgame (2019) with Dr. Banner’s explanation of the concept of time travel and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), the MCU looks like it will indeed explore the boundaries outside of its already established universe. This concept will most likely be explored on a larger scale over the Disney+ series, WandaVision (2020) and Loki (2021), and the MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), (with rumors of the concept being explored in the upcoming Spider-Man sequel; Spider-Man: Something with Home in the Title (2021)). We’ll also be able to see the concept of the multiverse be explored on a smaller scale in the upcoming Disney+ show; What If? (2021). Now, definitely, the major chunk of the film will be explored in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel and there are dozens of questions as to what different universes we might explore. So today, I’m listing off the different Marvel properties that Marvel could revisit and explore for this film.
I. Blade (1998 – 2004)
This was a suggestion by the members of our Discord Group in Knowhere (Shoutout to you guys!). Wesley Snipes’ Blade walked so Marvel Studios could run. The film franchise that would essentially lay the groundwork for many of the Marvel superhero films we now know today started with the Blade franchise and it actually brought back interest to the Marvel Comics franchise to develop their films. It would be nice to see Marvel Studios show a small nod to the universe of the vampire hunter before we get our own version in the MCU with Mahershala Ali.
II. Daredevil/Elektra (2003 – 2005)
This was another suggestion by our Discord Members and it was just too funny not to imagine the idea of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner reprising their roles as Daredevil and Elektra for small cameos in the Doctor Strange sequel. These films were set in the time and universe where leather was the standard for Superhero costumes and I’d just love to see Ben Affleck don the Matt Murdock mantle again, even if for a small cameo. Speaking of Matt Murdock…
III. The Defenders Universe (2015-2019)
It’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the way Netflix brought about the creation of these characters and their stories was overall one of the best things to come out of Marvel TV. Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was, and still is, one of the most popular iterations of Marvel characters brought to life and has been one of the most requested by fans for Kevin Feige to bring back in a small reboot form to the MCU. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, Finn Jones’ Iron Fist, and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher are no exceptions either. Fantastic story development and world-building came from this portion of the universe and it would be great to see these characters show a small cameo of their world in the Marvel Multiverse and maybe crossover into the MCU someday.
IV. Fantastic Four (2005-2007)
Now when I mention the Fantastic Four, I mean THESE Fantastic Four. We call the 2015 film; Fan4stic (as in Fan-Four-Stic) because that wasn’t a Fantastic 4 film. This version of Marvel’s first family with Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Susan Storm, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm wasn’t necessarily all that fantastic either, but the chemistry among them really made them great and it was a very fun franchise while it lasted. It would be fun to see them revisit this universe in a small cameo and maybe we’ll see Evans reprise his role again as Johnny Storm and have him be confused for his MCU counterpart of Captain America.
V. The X-Men (2000 – 2020)
Okay, so the 20th Century Fox-owned X-Men films have existed for nearly 20 years now and they’ve had their share of ups and downs (mainly downs), but they’ve had some good moments and actors in these franchises whom I would love to see cameo in this whole Multiverse fiasco. Mainly Hugh Jackman as Wolverine because it’s just difficult to picture another Wolverine as iconic as his. An interaction of Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier with Doctor Strange sounds like it would be an interesting thing to see as well. I don’t think it will necessarily happen but one can dream no?
VI. Ghost Rider (2007 – 2011)
Nicolas Cage’s take on the antihero was something definitely worth mentioning here on this list. Sure, the films are slightly forgettable but just the idea of Cage alone being nodded as a Ghost Rider from another dimension sounds like a fantastic idea for a cameo and a tease of what could come if the MCU finally decides to introduce Ghost Rider into the MCU.
VII. Spider-Man (2002 – 2015)
I know many like myself are hyping themselves up at even the smallest chance of having a Spider-Verse moment occur in live-action. It’s something fans have been clamoring for for years, and now, with the gates of the multiverse being blown wide open in the MCU, it seems like the perfect time to bring these characters in for an adventure of epic proportions. Will it happen though? Only time will tell.
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Marvel TV and the Recasting Dilemma
2020 marks the 5th year since the Marvel-Netflix universe debuted with Daredevil. The year also coincides with the “reverting” of the character rights to Marvel, 2 years after the first set of shows were canceled abruptly. Because of this and rumors of Kevin Feige having an interest in bringing back some cast members like Charlie Cox, loyal fans of the shows are optimistic in seeing these characters played by the same actors in potential movie appearances moving forward.
It’s the age-old question among MCU fans since the inception of Marvel Television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. back in 2013 that keeps coming back: when are these characters going to appear in the films? After all, they’re deeply beloved among fans and the actors themselves have it in their contracts to appear in films if the opportunity arose. But in the 11 years of the MCU, this question has never been outright addressed by the powers that be. Kevin Feige has either dodged or politely answered fluff to every hard-hitting Marvel TV question asked. For example in 2015, when asked point-blank about any movie appearances, he said:
Into the movies? No. Well…. Right now, what Jeph Loeb and the TV guys are doing is focusing on those shows. And certainly with Daredevil coming out last night and being so well received. The next one’s already in production and the one after that has been announced. So I think they’re doing quite well for themselves in that medium. We’ve certainly had discussions on where down the line, who could show up where. But I think they’ve been very smart in saying, “Let us establish this here first.” They’re off to a very good start.
That’s just one of the handful of fluff answers the mastermind of the MCU has given to the press. If you count him purposefully avoiding any Marvel TV answers in a Reddit AMA a couple of years back, his feelings on the matter are telling. During the 2015 same press tour for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Joss Whedon candidly, albeit jokingly, spoke about the film division’s true feelings about Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. saying, “I think actually the movie people were a little bit cross about the TV show. They were sort of like ‘Well you can have this but not this. And this but not that.’ It’s complicated enough as it is without me adding another layer of complication.” Just last December, when all these brand spanking new Disney+ shows were getting announced, Kevin Feige shadily affirmed that it would be the first time TV content would interlink with the MCU.
Of course, diehards have always known why it’s always been like this; the feud between Kevin Feige and his former boss and overlord of Marvel Television, Ike Perlmutter, that made collaboration between the two divisions near-impossible. But that all changed several months ago when the current iteration of Marvel Television was disbanded following those Netflix cancelations. Right then and there, Disney announced that Kevin Feige was being promoted to Chief Creative Officer for Marvel Entertainment, practically making his rival Ike’s position obsolete in the company. The announcement’s fine print stated that all creative decisions for any property – be it in comics, animation, TV, or film – would go through Feige. This was, in many ways, the biggest status quo change for the Marvel Studios system. All of a sudden, the keys to Marvel TV’s future were now handed to Kevin Feige.
As all the Marvel Netflix characters await their return into the hands of the MCU’s showrunner, two new questions beg to be raised. Should the characters be rebooted from scratch or should they live on with continued stories in the MCU?
Believe it or not, the answer is a very complicated one and starts with the man himself, Kevin Feige. It shouldn’t come as a surprise now, following the billion-dollar success the Infinity Saga became, that Kevin Feige loves being able to do what he wants. His system at Marvel Studios has always prided itself on having the freedom to go bold and big whenever and wherever regardless of the cost. Marvel TV’s creative decisions, however, have remained separate from Feige’s purview and a lot of them haven’t been exactly great.
An amazing character like Iron Fist made his live-action debut in a show that was nothing short of lackluster. Iron Fist‘s second season was an undeniable improvement but the first season’s stench dwarfed the corrections they made that it was too little, too late. Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher all started out as very strong shows but slowly diminished in quality as their stories progressed. Even the highly-publicized Defenders team-up show that was the epicenter of Marvel’s multimillion deal with Netflix failed to live up to its hype despite having all the tools to make it great. And in light of reports of Jeph Loeb’s racist mandates that derailed the creative process for these shows, the whole thing seems like one wasted opportunity after another. It’s honestly a miracle that Daredevil managed to stay consistently solid amidst all that.
With hundreds of hours of content, these shows have already established their own set of rules and canon. Even though the canon initially revolved around the events of the first Avengers movie or the Incident, they’ve pretty much taken their own steps to where they wanted this corner of the Marvel universe to go. This might not lineup with Kevin Feige’s idea of a Marvel street-level universe, especially now that street-level properties like Moon Knight and Blade have been greenlit. Kevin Feige likely has his own idea of K’un L’un and Shou Lao, his own take on Frank MIller‘s iconic Hand/Bullseye/Elektra saga, his own version of Luke Cage that is primed for the Avengers, and his own vision of how he wants these characters to be. It’s hard to imagine any interest from Kevin Feige in continuing and tieing into stories that he had no hand in shaping.
People have brought up the idea of doing a soft reboot i.e. continue with the cast but start from scratch. This makes more sense than straight-up continuing the established Marvel-Netflix status quo; the fans win by getting to see their favorite actors play their favorite characters and Marvel Studios gets a fresh start on where to take them. However, going this route has its own set of problems. Netflix is, by and large, a competitor of Disney, especially now that the House of Mouse has its own streaming service. Even though the live-action “rights” of all the Defenders characters revert to Disney this year, that doesn’t preclude Netflix from airing all the existing Defenders shows, which they legally own.
To continue the cast puts Disney in a tough spot. Say they bring back Charlie Cox as Daredevil or Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin in a new Daredevil film. It’ll be the shit because both of them are absolutely great in that role. You go out of the theater and say to yourself, “That movie was amazing. Charlie and Vincent were killer. I sure would love to see more of them together.” Well, guess what? You can see them together in the comfort of your own home. Just queue up the show on Netflix and enjoy 39 hours of Charlie and Vincent at your behest.
Therein lies the biggest problem with continuing the cast. To continue this iteration of Daredevil will inevitably drive audiences to check out Charlie Cox’s other appearances as Daredevil and where else will they find more of that but on Netflix, Disney’s #1 competitor in the streaming wars? “But the fans! Disney has got to listen to the fans!” Fans are great and play a big part in why these things get made but at the end of the day, it’s corporate interests that drive the decision making. Remember, this is Disney we’re talking about. There’s a reason why they refuse to even give Universal the time of the day even if its to make a highly-demanded Hulk solo film. There’s a reason why the Sony-Spidey talks broke down last year. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Disney becomes cool with its content driving audiences to Netflix.
Logistically and fiscally, it’s more sensical to just completely start from scratch. Get a new face to play all these characters and tell the stories you want right from the beginning. Avoid the trouble of turning audiences towards your competitor. Get rid of the baggage of having a pre-established canon. Yes, losing the cast members, who’ve done exemplary work on these shows, will sting hard but it’s the easiest way to move forward.
Ultimately, the one guaranteed silver lining here is that these characters will live on no matter what. Regardless of the cast returning or not, we’re a hundred percent going to see the Marvel Studios version of Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones down the road under Marvel Studios. The Netflix shows may have clocked in longer than all the MCU films combined but there’s actually a lot in the comics the shows didn’t get to explore. A lot of that had to do with budgetary constraints, so the creative teams had to opt for a more grounded, real-world gritty tone. While that’s not a bad thing, it’s important to remember that these stories are based on source material that’s grand and exciting. Dragons exist! Sorcery exists! Demonic ninjas exist! A villain called Stilt-Man has hydraulic legs! Daredevil should be able to traverse high-rise buildings like he would in the comics. Danny Rand needs to fight an actual dragon. With the budget Marvel Studios invests in their projects, these things are all possible now.
As for the other defunct Marvel TV shows, they’re in a slightly better position than the Netflix shows. For one, they don’t have the competitor problem the Netflix shows pose since ABC, Freeform, and Hulu are all under the Mouse House. Now that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has ended and in light of rumors of a S.W.O.R.D. Disney+ show happening, Chloe Bennet reprising her role as Quake is certainly a possibility. It’s logistically a lot easier to soft reboot someone like Quake and incorporate her into the MCU without worrying about helping the competitor. If anything, a film appearance might boost the syndication deals ABC has with international networks. Of course, it’ll be a matter of Marvel Studios being interested in that idea. But judging from stuff that’s been said, it’s clear that the fan demand to see the Marvel TV actors appear in the films might not be as mutual as some people think. However, stranger things have happened. We all at one point thought that neither Spider-Man nor the X-Men would ever make it to the MCU. Yet here we are.
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We Need To Talk About Joe Carnahan’s ‘DAREDEVIL 1973’ Movie Pitch
If you’ve been in this pop-culture news space for as long as I have, then you probably remember A-Team director Joe Carnahan‘s sizzle reel (proof-of-concept presentation meant to give an overview of a project) for a Daredevil film set in the ’70s from 2012, around the time the rights were reverting back to Disney. If you’ve never heard of it until the piece, then it’s something you must absolutely see.
The A-Team director’s sizzle reel is a beautiful mishmash of iconic New York and Daredevil imagery. Carnahan uses scenes from classic 70s films like Dirty Harry, Taxi Driver, and The Warriors as an inspirational backdrop for his superhero period piece. These scenes, spliced with some of the most iconic Frank Miller Daredevil panels and underpinned by Curtis Mayfield‘s Superfly, paint the perfect cinematic picture of what a film starring the Man Without Fear would look like set in the era that defined the character’s legacy.
When this came out 8 years ago, I remember being vehemently against the idea of setting Daredevil anywhere but the present day. The MCU at the time was in its infancy. No TV shows had been produced yet and the first Avengers had just come out. The idea of Matt Murdock returning to Disney’s fold was beyond exciting. I had just come off reading the entire Volume 2 run consisting of Brian Michael Bendis‘ and Ed Brubaker‘s work and in my naive nerdy brain, I was hopeful that he’d be one of the next characters in line for a new movie.
Sadly, no new Daredevil movie ever happened. Just a year after Carnahan’s pitch was released, Marvel announced a huge partnership with Netflix which, in the end, gave us 3 full seasons of the Man Without Fear. The films never acknowledged the existence of such a show, leaving a void in this tapestry of diverse heroes. And with all the ground the Netflix shows have covered, and the growingly cramped space of present-day stories in the MCU, a part of me has opened up to the idea of Daredevil as a vehicle to tell stories in eras untouched in the MCU.
I’m a firm believer that the next iteration of Daredevil has to be something we’ve never seen from the title, regardless of whether they decide to reboot the cast or bring the Netflix stars. In my book, they can either take the opposite route of what the shows have done and tackle the bright and fun Mark Waid-era of Daredevil or maintain the tone that made the shows a huge success but with a twist: set it elsewhere like Carnahan’s idea.
The same way Captain Marvel filled some gaps on what the MCU was like 25 years ago (has it really been that long?!), a period piece Daredevil set in the 70s or 80s could switch things up for the MCU. Visually, that era has its own language. Contrary to what the Netflix shows did where they did their own take on what a broken-down Hell’s Kitchen looks like in modern-day, you get to maintain the authenticity of what New York actually was like 40 years ago.
You can also do some cool stuff with Matt outside of New York and Hell’s Kitchen. The comics has seen Matt away from his hometown multiple times throughout the years. He’s had a notable stint in San Francisco back in the day, which was revisited by Mark Waid in his run. Occasionally, the character gets to go to a crazy place like Latveria or Alabama, as seen in one of the most underrated Daredevil stories ever, Daredevil: Redemption. There’s so much you can do with the existing dark tone just by simply changing up the setting. REwatching Carnahan’s reel after 8 years is a nice reminder of that.
Tackling the Mark Waid is a whole different discussion. It’s honestly my preferred route between the two for a slew of reasons but that’s another article for another day.
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Marvel Studios May Be Casting Their Echo
As the production wheels start turning again, news has started trickling over the past couple of weeks. Today brings what might be some of the biggest news to date as it looks like Marvel Studios may be in the early stages of casting for one of Marvel’s more extraordinary characters and one time Avenger Maya Lopez, aka Echo.
Sarah Finn put out the call for a deaf female, Native American, First Nations, Indigenous or Latinx, 18 or older, to play the role of “Malia” in an upcoming Disney Plus series set to shoot this Fall. Finn is looking for someone “independent, athletic and bright” to play a 20 something character.
It’s obviously important to note that this casting call does not indicate what series the role is for, so we can only speculate that it’s for Echo, one of Marvel’s most prominent deaf characters, speculation made much easier by the fact that the description checks just about every box on the Maya Lopez checklist. However, while Finn is Marvel Studios casting director, she has also worked on Star Wars projects as well including The Mandalorian, so it’s possible the role could be for one of the Star Wars series in development as well.
A top level martial artist with photographic reflexes and co-created by Joe Quesada and Dave Mack, Echo first appeared in 1999’s Daredevil #9. Raised by Kingpin after he murdered her father, Echo fell in love with Matt Murdock while simultaneously trying to take out Daredevil. After besting Daredevil and discovering he was Murdock, Echo turned on Fisk, shooting him in the eye, and then fled the country.
Marvel Studios will have full control of the rights to Daredevil back from Netflix by November 2020, making it possible that this is the first sign of their plan to reboot the Man Without Fear. However, there have been no signs of development on a Daredevil series and there is another part of Echo’s comic book past that may point in the direction of her showing up in Hawkeye, a series that was, at one point, on track for a late-Summer/early Fall start of production and may still get a chance to do the cameras of things go well. In Brian Michael Bendis 2004 New Avengers, Maya fought anonymously alongside the Avengers in Japan as the mysterious Ronin before revealing herself to them. Of course Clint Barton later took on the same persona, one we saw on screen in Avengers: Endgame.
Though it might necessitate quite a retelling of her origin story, it’s possible that Echo could show up as an antagonist in Hawkeye, presenting an interesting parallel to Kate Bishop, before finding her way back to the light. Again, all we can do is speculate here, but the potential certainly exists for Echo, a character whose dark journey might be pretty similar to Barton’s and who bore the same mantle as the Avenging Archer, could show up in the series, especially given Kevin Feige’s statement that we would, in fact, see more of Barton’s time as Ronin.
I’ve been working hard trying to dig up more information on the casting call, which I’ve now seen circulating on Twitter, but at the time of publishing this article, I’ve been unable to find anything more. Stay tuned as I will update this situation as it changes.
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Without Denny O’Neil, We Wouldn’t Have Gotten the Best ‘DAREDEVIL’ Run
Daredevil is probably the most consistently great comic book of the past twenty or so years. I mean, it’s had its middling to average runs here and there but for the most part, it’s the one book whose pedigree of writers and artists have yet to be matched. This was mostly in due part to Denny O’Neil, the man who gave Frank Miller the reigns to not only write the comic but to draw it as well. Frank Miller, of course, paved the way not only for future Daredevil writers by reinventing the character for subsequent stories to come. Being the progenitor of talent he was, O’Neil likely saw the potential in creators like Miller that early on.
In addition to his work on Marvel, O’Neil’s stint on Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow with artist Neal Adams became nothing short of legendary. The duo dusted off the Caped Crusader’s campiness brought on by the 60s TV show and pulled the character back down to the darkest pits of Gotham where the character started. The response to this back-to-roots change to the Batman was acclaimed. Villains like Two-Face and the Joker saw a resurgence in their popularity and super iconic Batvillain was Ra’s Al-Ghul introduced. With Green Lanter/Green Arrow, O’Neil tackled social problems head-on, exploring themes of drug use, radicalism, and activism unlike any other writer of the time.
Denny O’Neil passed away at the age of 81 yesterday. His work will be remembered forever. Our hearts go out to his loved and to all those who admired him. Rest in peace, king.
