Charlie Cox Explains Why Marvel Overhauled Daredevil: Born Again During Filming

Marvel‘s highly anticipated revival of Daredevil underwent a dramatic transformation during production, with star Charlie Cox revealing the studio made a significant course correction to align the series more closely with its beloved Netflix predecessor. The decision to reshape Daredevil: Born Again came after initial filming had already begun, resulting in a complete creative overhaul that included new showrunners, a fresh pilot episode, and a renewed focus on the show’s established tone.

The series initially began production in 2023 before being halted by industry strikes. When filming was set to resume, Marvel replaced original head writers Matt Corman and Chris Ord with The Punisher veteran Dario Scardapane. The new showrunner explains to SFX magazine that while the original footage “had some really strong points, it wasn’t feeling in line with what Daredevil had been established to be.”

JoBlo reports that the initial concept aimed for “a lighter tone” and “a more episodic structure,” essentially positioning the show as “a courtroom drama.” However, Scardapane shifted the direction back toward “an action-based New York crime story,” ensuring the series maintained “the DNA of the old Netflix show” while pushing the narrative forward.

[RELATED – Daredevil: Born Again Trailer Released]

“There was a U-turn after the strike, where we were headed in one direction which was interesting and valid,” Cox, who portrays Matt Murdock/Daredevil explained to SFX. “The argument was, if we’re coming back after all these years, we don’t want to just do exactly the same thing. Marvel looked at the episodes and knew it wasn’t quite working.”

This creative pivot represents Marvel’s commitment to honoring the original series’ legacy while expanding its story within the broader MCU framework.

“Given what a Herculean task that was, it’s very impressive what they achieved,” Cox said.

The revamped series now serves as a direct continuation of the Netflix show, taking place five years after the events of that series. According to Scardapane, that includes picking up from the dream Foggy, Karen, and Matt shared at the end of the series.

“At the very end of the Netflix show, Foggy, Karen and Matt had a dream written out on the back of a napkin,” Scardapane said. “We start with that dream. It’s not a dream that needs too much explanation; three good friends go into business together.”

The nine-episode series, scheduled to premiere on March 4th in the US and March 5th in the UK, has already generated enough confidence that production on a second season will begin before the first even airs. The show features returning cast members, including Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page.