Marvel Studios Executive Confirms Daredevil and Netflix Shows as MCU Canon

A host of questions surround the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the moment, and 2023 was a rollercoaster of a year for the MCU in general. The first step in Marvel's next chapter is the Disney+ series Echo, which also features Kingpin and Daredevil, who happen to be two of the main characters from Netflix's previous Marvel TV universe. In a new interview with Screen Rant, MCU executive producer Brad Winderbaum was asked how Charlie Cox's original Daredevil might factor into Echo as far as being canon. While early on there was some distance between the MCU and those Netflix shows, Winderbaum says these days he sees the original Daredevil series as 100% part of the MCU timeline.

"I can say that up until this point, we've been a little bit cagey about what's Sacred Timeline, what's not Sacred Timeline," Winderbaum said. "That was born of, frankly, a period at the studio where we were like, 'We have to stick the landing with the vendors.' It was another part of the company developing the Netflix stuff."

"We were aware of what they were doing, they were aware of what we were doing, but there was a lot to balance anyway," Winderbaum said. "But now that some time has passed; now that we see actually how well integrated the stories are, I think that I personally, Brad Winderbaum, would be confident in saying it is part of the Sacred Timeline."

It makes all the sense in the world, as both Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio have reprised their roles on several occasions now, and at this point, fans only see them in both of those roles. Marvel has remained vague on certain aspects of their characters as far as timelines, but both are fundamentally the same characters they were back when Netflix's Marvel universe was first starting out.

Now both will have a role to play in Echo, but they are also returning for the highly anticipated Daredevil: Born Again. The show is currently undergoing somewhat of a creative overhaul, but the foundations seem to be staying the same. During a convention appearance at Salt Lake City FanX, D'Onofrio teased what fans can expect from the series when it eventually debuts.

"You guys have no idea what you're in store for with [Daredevil: Born Again]," D'Onofrio said. "I know a little bit more than you guys and all I can say is, during that next series, you're not going to be thinking about anything but the next episode. I promise."

"I'm trying to stick to the rules, so I will only say that Charlie and I are going to be given the chance to dig deeper than ever before with our characters," D'Onofrio said.

Are you excited for Daredevil and the other Netflix shows being more tied to the MCU? Let us know in the comments!