Films for Breakfast

To say that the anticipation for Daredevil: Born Again is high feels like a bit of an understatement – it has exceeded past sheer excitement and has now been met with pure anxiety about whether or not a continuation of the once-Netflix series could meet expectations. To put everything in perspective, before Matt Murdock was allowed to play around in Spider-Man and She-Hulk‘s sandboxes, the original Netflix series aired its last episode back in 2018. That led to three years of confusion on whether or not we’d ever see Charlie Cox in the role again. But shortly after his cameo in No Way Home, it was announced that he’d be getting his own series on Disney+. After appearing in several other projects, Matt Murdock is finally back. But is it worth the wait? Very much so.

Daredevil: Born Again takes place years after the events of the original series, with Matt Murdock (played once again by Charlie Cox) grappling with a personal tragedy that pushed him to his limits as Daredevil. While pursuing his path of vengeance and justice, Murdock finds himself once again entangled with Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), the newly elected mayor of New York City. The story often feels equally about Fisk as well, as his rise to power presents itself as a challenge to coneal his violent urges that we have seen in prior seasons and other MCU projects. This puts the two characters at perfect odds with each other, both on a collision course of trying to supress their true natures.

This show simply would not work without the incredible performances from its entire cast. Charlie Cox seamlessly steps back into the role of Matt Murdock, showcasing an even darker and more emotionally vulnerable side to the character than we’ve ever seen before. The same can be said for D’Onofrio, who balances Fisk’s aggression and precision to perfection. The two are absolutely dynamite together, as any sequence involving the two of them clashing serve as the series’ best moments. The rest of the supporting cast is also impressive, but Jon Bernthal’s return as Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, was the highlight for me – he simply hasn’t missed a beat. Whenever he is on screen, he absolutely steals the show.

One of the most impressive elements of Born Again is how it feels simultaneously like a continuation of the original series, while also having its own personality and style. It weaves in themes from the original series such as Matt’s faith, the limit of justice, and concealing your true self; but I found this season’s exploration of grief and identity to be quite compelling. By the end of the season, the show thoroughly weaves these ideas throughout not only Matt and Fisk, but all of its characters and entangles them together within these morally gray ideas; making for the drama and violence all the more compelling.

With Matt being at such a low point and grappling with his urge for vengeance yet drive to conceal his anger, this makes for some truly fantastic action sequences throughout the season. His urge to conceal his urges and do things the way he normally does matched with the atrocities he witnesses and heightened anger he feels adds so much tension to each and every predicament he finds himself in. When the action occurs, it feels deeply brutal – from the insane fight choreography to the truly limitless blood and violence on display, it feels like nothing was held back. There are moments that even surpass the original series in terms of brutality.

Without spoiling anything else, I found Daredevil: Born Again to be an excellent and seamless continuation of the original series. The show breathes new life into beloved characters, and carves a unique place for them, offically, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.