It's Alright if Marvel's Daredevil Reboot Is Lighter Than Netflix

Out of every character owned by Marvel, few trend on social media more often than the Man Without Fear. Years after Netflix sent Daredevil to the chopping block, the series and Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock continue to find themselves dominating digital discourse, for better or worse. Now that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is releasing new episodes on Disney+ with confirmation Murdock will appear, yellow suit and all, there's been a growing movement shunning the character's role in the series. You know, even though fans have yet to hear the character say single word throughout all of its marketing.

The movement stems from the idea that She-Hulk is a courtroom comedy and—by this group's definition—Daredevil should be devoid of laughter and happiness. No jokes allowed. Because Attorney at Law writer Jessica Gao said this show's version of Murdock wouldn't be as dark as the Netflix series, the entire production is being thrown under the bus.

But for what reason? One of the earliest scenes of the Netflix series, the same one lauded by this crowd for being dark and gritty, is rooted around comedy. Believe it or not, but Ol' Hornhead himself is one of the first characters in the show to crack a joke. Best yet, Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson is a major source of jokes throughout the show, even though it's being heralded as the darkest thing since the last Batman movie.

There's a constant insistence that Daredevil is a character that must carry a TV-MA rating, the television and streaming equivalency of the MPA's R rating. Why? The character, at no point throughout his entire Marvel Comics history has Daredevil been an "R-rated" character. Even when Marvel experimented with MAX titles geared specifically towards adults, the Man Without Fear didn't lead a single story. Shang-Chi did. So did Blade, Fantomex, and even Thor. But no—Daredevil never found himself with a MAX title.

Even when the character served as one of the pillars of Joe Quesada's Marvel Knights project, the story never veered into utter darkness full of complete despair. Even in Daredevil: Born Again, there was a since of hope and lightness run throughout.

Daredevil has virtually always been a "light" character compared to the definitions being laid out by the "R-rated" crowd, despite never being that character in the source material. It's going to be perfectly alright if the MCU's take on the character is lighter, because that's how the character's always been.

Daredevil: Born Again is expected to drop Spring 2024. The first three seasons of Daredevil and The Defenders limited series can now be seen on Disney+.

What other characters do you hope to see join Marvel's new Daredevil series? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!