Will Daredevil: Born Again even see the light of day?
The latest update on the Disney+ series doesn’t instill hope that any of the episodes will make it on the air.
According to Variety, head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman have been let go from the series.
Less than half of the series’ 18-episode order was shot before the SAG-AFTRA strike, and the remaining directors have also been let go.
The aim, Variety reports, is to take the series in a new creative direction, which means some of the filmed footage will be left on the cutting room floor.
It’s interesting to hear that the show hasn’t gotten off the ground running because the recent press hasn’t been positive.
As you’ll recall, Daredevil initially aired on Netflix with Charlie Cox playing the titular superhero.
The series was canceled after three seasons, and years later, Daredevil: Born Again was confirmed by Disney+.
At the time, it seemed like we’d be getting a fourth season, but as time passed, it emerged that the new series would leave many elements of the Netflix iteration in the rear-view mirror.
Instead of a continuation, it was reported that many of Cox’s costars wouldn’t be back.
Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson are out as Karen and Foggy, respectively, meaning that Matt will be without his two closest allies.
However, Vincent D’Onofrio is coming back as Wilson Fisk.
Steven DeKnight, the original showrunner of the Netflix series, called what had transpired “an old Disney scam.”
“It’s an old Disney scam where they slightly rename a series to reset contract terms back to first season,” he wrote on X in response to an IATSE member.
“Needs to be addressed by all the guilds/unions and crushed!”
DeKnight praised Cox and D’onofrio for returning to the roles but made clear his issue was with the “corporate shenanigans.”
“I can’t wait to see Charlie Cox and the amazing @VincentDonofrio reprise their iconic [roles].
“But to claim this is a complete reboot and you don’t have to pay the original creatives is some corporate shenanigans, to say the least.”
With Marvel now taking the show in a new direction, it certainly makes you wonder whether the decision to forget Matt Murdock’s journey on the Netflix series has been the best course of action.
When Daredevil: Born Again was announced, many thought it would be the fourth season of the Netflix series, but maybe it’s too much of a tough sell, even for executives, to bring Matt back without some of the best characters.
With the SAG-AFTRA strike still ongoing, the series won’t get back into production for a long time.
The aim, it seems, is to have a new creative team on board for when the strike is over.
It’s also possible that Disney+ could nix the series entirely because, after the big budget mess that was Secret Invasion, Disney and Marvel need to find a way to reinvigorate the MCU.
All we can do is hope that if the show sees the light of day, it won’t lose the legacy of the three seasons on Netflix.
The series was a thrilling superhero drama with just the right amount of grit, so deviating from that would be a big misstep.
What are your thoughts on the news, Daredevil fanatics?
Is it time to put this show out of its misery?
Hit the comments.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
