By: Scott Johnson on August 20, 2012
With news that the rights to Daredevil will likely soon revert from FOX to Disney, it probably won’t be long before Marvel Studios starts planning their own Daredevil reboot. Daredevil is one of Marvel’s most recognizable characters, so Disney will likely be anxious to get the franchise going. The big question is what direction will Disney take. Will Daredevil be part of the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe or will Disney launch him as a standalone character?
While it might seem likely that Disney would want him as part of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe, Joe Carnahan’s sizzle reel for the Daredevil reboot raises an interesting question. First and foremost, I will say that I am a fan of Joe Carnahan’s work. The Grey was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. The scene where Liam Neeson taped broken bottles to his hand had me thinking Wolverine and wondering how Carnahan would do on a superhero film.
After seeing Carnahan’s Daredevil sizzle reel, I’m more convinced than ever that he could make a great comic book movie. It’s a movie that I would want to see. However, Carnahan’s vision would clearly put Daredevil outside of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe. For one thing, his Daredevil reboot was set in 1973, so that would make Matt Murdock an old man by the time The Avengers film universe fell into place. Also, Carnahan’s take is a very dark and gritty real world version that wouldn’t really fit in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe world.
Carnahan’s vision also looks like it would almost definitely attract an R rating. Now, Disney probably wouldn’t have a problem releasing a R rated movie under the Marvel Studios banner. However, it would probably be more likely with a character like the Punisher, where his use of guns would steer them toward marketing to an adult audience. While Daredevil has always been one of Marvel’s edgier characters, he’s still a character that could fit into the regular Marvel Cinematic Universe world. Disney stands a lot to gain from making a family friendly Daredevil movie, because it opens up the door for merchandise sales to children.
It’s got to be a tough call for a company like Disney. On the one hand, they could pursue Carnahan and probably make a Daredevil film that would be their version of Nolan’s Batman. But on the other hand, they could stick with what has been working for them and develop a family friendly Daredevil film. As a fan, I’m torn as well because as much as I would like to see Carnahan’s Daredevil, I would also like to see the character as part of the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe. What do you think? Should Disney/Marvel Studios try to pursue Carnahan for the Daredevil reboot if they get the rights back?
