Netflix’s 3-Part Superhero Series Was So Good, It United a Divided Fandom

Few superhero movies were as disappointing as 2003’s Daredevil, which completely missed the mark in terms of capturing the tone needed for one of the most interesting street-level heroes in the history of Marvel Comics. Although Marvel Studios regained the rights to the characters, Matt Murdock’s next adventure didn't play out on the big screen. Daredevil became the first series produced under Marvel Studios’ brief deal with Netflix, which ended once the Disney+ streaming service launched and became a hub for all the studio’s content. Understandably, there was skepticism regarding a new take on the character, especially since Marvel had failed to match the quality of its films with the shows that it released on ABC. Thankfully, Daredevil brought a level of grittiness that only would have benefited from being told as a serialized story. It wasn’t only a breath of fresh air that came just when the MCU was becoming more invested in building up its "Infinity Saga,” but the rare superhero show that retained a consistent level of quality throughout.

Comic book fans are understandably exhausted by seeing origin stories told over and over again, but Daredevil found a creative way to explore Matt’s origins that allowed Charlie Cox to introduce his version of the character. Although the series begins with Matt already a masked vigilante known as “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen,” it’s over the course of the first season that he discovers his potential to be a true hero, and not just a blunt administrator of extreme street justice. Additionally, the series weaved in flashbacks that explored how the tragedies in Matt’s past led him to form strong convictions about both law and religion. By showing how a hero functions as a legal professional, a man of faith, and a rogue masked crusader, Daredevil offered a complex and thematically dense take on the superhero genre.

Netflix's ‘Daredevil’ Gets Matt Murdock's Origin Story Right

Daredevil succeeded by grounding its storytelling in a more recognizable reality that offered a different perspective on the events of the MCU. Although there are allusions to the Battle of New York, Daredevil examines a city overrun by crime, in which authorities are either complicit in excessive brutality or too corrupt to make a difference. Part of what makes Matt such an inspiring hero is that he is willing to invest in systems that most have given up on; he still follows the rule of law when the justice system is constantly under threat, and he continues to express faith when the world shows signs of godlessness. Cox shows Matt's internalized side as the character adopts a different persona in public, despite being constantly infuriated at what little difference that makes. It’s not the type of superhero show in which the hero has to feign indifference while disguised as a normal citizen; rather, both Matt and Daredevil are working together to curb the darkness that has overtaken New York, and often, the lines begin to blur between these two identities.

Daredevil has one of the most impressive rogues' galleries of any Marvel superhero, and the series introduced an all-time great supervillain with Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk. Fisk is a perfect antithesis to Matt because they both survived traumatic childhoods, struggle to hide their darker sides, and have an exacting, unhealthy dedication to achieving their goals. Although D’Onofrio has a physical presence that perfectly fits the comic book character, he doesn't turn Fisk into a mustache-twirling bad guy. The show was able to dig deeper into Fisk’s unrelenting desire for power in later seasons and showed a timely bit of foresight into how those with status and influence are rarely made to endure real consequences.

‘Daredevil’ Launched a New Era for Marvel

Daredevil made for an exciting first chapter in Marvel’s Netflix universe, which expanded into four other recurring shows as well as the miniseries team-up event The Defenders. While none of them were as well-received and popular as Daredevil, the Netflix shows were rare examples of superhero stories that examined the effect on real people and the differences made in their lives. Comic book adaptations are often so focused on combating supervillains that it’s easy to forget that the first goal of a superhero is to save people. This is actually an idea that Daredevil was able to incorporate into its last season on Netflix, as Matt is forced to question whether the ends justify the means when it comes to taking down Fisk.

Although it was cancelled unceremoniously at the end of its third season, Daredevil proved to be too much of a phenomenon for Marvel to ignore, which led to Cox and several of his castmates making appearances in live-action Disney+ shows and theatrical releases. The soft reboot Daredevil: Born Again was initially pitched as a radically different series that took a more procedural approach, but wisdom won the day when it was reconfigured to be a more direct continuation of where the third season left off. After a rocky first season, Daredevil: Born Again improved in Season 2 by deepening its exploration of the battle for New York’s soul. Cox now has more screentime as Daredevil than nearly any other superhero actor, and the original series was responsible for fulfilling the dream that Marvel fans had long hoped for.