Daredevil: Born Again Season One Review

There’s an argument that Matt Murdock makes later in this season, “Are we serving justice or babysitting chaos?“, that continues to resonate to this day. The reason being that it somewhat applies to the existence of Daredevil, a series which has been revived as Daredevil: Born Again after several, albeit successful, seasons on Netflix as part of Marvel’s larger strategy not only to showcase larger heroes but also the ones that fight the everyday more relatable battles on the ground. The “justice” is that a series surrounding such a great comic book hero as Daredevil is getting another shot at glory with storytellers realizing there is still much in the already-established world to preserve and use going forward. But the “chaos” of it all is the slightly worrisome aspect that no one truly knows Marvel’s strategy in the streaming space and how it will ultimately tie into larger projects, which means there is a possibility of these narrative threads never being completely resolved, or worse, resolved quickly and cheaply. By the time this review is published, filming will have already started on season two, providing more than just a glimmer of hope for what possibly lies ahead.

Nevertheless, Daredevil: Born Again marks Marvel’s new initiative to serve smaller stories for beloved heroes to an audience that, while hesitant, is willing to embrace anything new within the MCU that features quality. Daredevil, thankfully, accomplishes just that, offering a realistic look back into the world of Matt Murdock as the Devil from Hell’s Kitchen and his pursuit of justice for New York City in the face of rampant crime and corruption. Born Again expertly manages to call back to the previous seasons of Daredevil through various conversations and appearances of old allies and adversaries, which quickly help to establish viewers back inside our hero’s world. Of course, this is capitalized by the major recurrence of his biggest nemesis, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. This iteration adopts one of the previous entries’ greatest strengths in focusing on the narrative paths of both Murdock and Fisk, who, when viewers find them in Born Again, are seeking a change within themselves to rebuild their lives in a way where they are no longer bound to their previous personas. For both, it’s a futile pursuit, however, the series does an excellent job of providing both characters the opportunity to withstand the inevitable pull of their rightful place on either side of justice.

Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, and the rest of the main cast resume their respective roles to perfection, barely missing a beat since 2018. Meanwhile, with newcomers such as Margarita Levieva and Michael Gandolfini, there is a welcome refresh in the supporting cast that provides levity in the face of a darker tone but also helps to humanize those that might be on the outside looking into this superhero drama while just trying to exist in their city. It’s a small but highly noticeable nuance to ancillary characters that provide a deeper layer to the overall narrative, further showcasing that many players within this world are simply pawns in a larger scheme and sides must ultimately be chosen. This season utilizes its runtime, across nine episodes, to maneuver those characters into place for the inevitable collision that still seems ways off on the horizon.

In the end, Daredevil: Born Again is a welcomed addition to the newly established Marvel Television approach. While catering to the larger established Marvel Universe and respecting the previously built world of the series, its overarching themes tap into something much more tangible and realistic through its character’s internal strife, grief, morality, and, most of all, acceptance in ways that immediately cause the viewer to become invested. While not without its faults, as the majority of the season focuses away from the masked vigilante’s motives and more on that of Murdock’s wrestling with who he is and can become when he dons the cowl, it is accomplished in such a way where fans can be satisfied with the end product while excited for the future.

Daredevil: Born Again marks a welcomed return to a world long thought left behind and offers reassurance for what lies ahead through its continued focus on both the journeys of its heroes and villains alike.

still courtesy of Marvel

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Critics w/o Credentials

Trying my best to get all thoughts about TV and Film out of my head and onto the interweb.