Daredevil: Born Again

I found the reboot to be thankfully like the 4th installment of an already brilliant series. I was worried that Disney were going to decimate what was one of the best Marvel adaptations ever done. But thankfully it is a faithful and enjoyable continuation of Hells Kitchen and it's gritty and dirty scenarios. Found the acting to be just as compelling, Denofrio being again a big part of that enjoyment. His Kingpin is flawless. Also liked the new additions with Lindsey, Daniel, Sheila and Heather all bringing something new and fresh. I really enjoyed seeing Murdock battle his demons and found the multiple sub plots on the various characters to be enthralling. Can't wait for season 5.

Historians of the far future looking back at our era will note that streaming media had an early, unstructured, rule-breaking phase which ultimately evolved into what we have today -- old fashioned TV productions "pretending" to be radical and chic. During that first phase, Marvel took big chances and produced some oddball shows. The best of the bunch was Daredevil, and Charlie Cox was one of the best casting decisions in the history of the medium. Having the series rebooted is a miracle. Seriously, call Rome and let them send a team to investigate. Not perfect, perhaps, but still amazing to have that character back, like finding an old friend you thought you would never see again. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

From any other company this would just be ok, but I have to grade Disney on a curve because they disappoint so often. D'Onofrio is a treasure as Kingpin. Cox was solid. (Warning a sort of spoiler is coming). I really miss Foggy and could use more of Karen. Bullseye is a wild miss, one of the best comic villains with a true style and they made him bland as hell. Apparently there will be a second season so hopefully the action will pick up some. I also hear we will get more of the Netflix heroes which would be very welcome. As a 66 year old comic fan, it's nice that Disney finally got something right. Keep the classic characters coming and lose Echo, Ironheart, Agatha and Ms. Marvel, all Disney inventions.

I didn't see the original Daredevil series, so at times I wasn't totally sure what was going on or who certain characters were. But even without that background, Born Again held my interest and delivered a decent experience.

The show has its ups and downs-some episodes feel strong and well-paced, others drag or get lost in slower subplots. Still, it's better than a lot of recent Marvel content. It doesn't reach the heights of Deadpool & Wolverine, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Loki, but it's a noticeable step up from many of the weaker MCU shows.

Overall, it's a solid watch with a darker tone and a more grounded approach. If you're into street-level heroes or just looking for something a little more serious in the Marvel universe, it's worth checking out-even if you're new to the character like I was.

Daredevil: Born Again was announced several years ago, shortly after the character's cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Since then, this series has undergone a very troubled and very long production. Several episodes of the original show, which had no connection to the Netflix Daredevil beyond a few central actors, were filmed before a massive creative overhaul was ordered. This led to reshoots and revisions, turning the show into a sequel to the Netflix installment.

All this to say, it's clear that Born Again is two shows stitched together. Especially with the first episode, which squeezes probably a good two or three episodes work of plot into one in a desperate attempt to introduce the new elements of the show and refit the original story. This is the show's main problem, along with some of the elements of what would appear to be the original ideas not being very interesting or fitting with the tone of the reshot material. One story is a procedural drama, the other is Daredevil Season 4. Also brought with this new direction are a couple questions, such as how did Kingpin get out of jail after Season 3, and how does the whole Hawkeye/Echo story fit into all this?

Despite this, and some poor use of new characters (the villain Muse in particular), there is still a lot to love. Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Bethel, Jon Bernthal, and Ayelet Zurer play their characters just as well as ever. Cox and D'Onofrio in particular are extraordinary. Kingpin running for mayor leads to great suspense, as you keep waiting for the moment he'll crack and return to his old ways. When he finally gives in, it results in the single most brutal scene I've ever seen from a Marvel or DC property. I thought I was watching The Boys for a second.

Despite some tonal whiplash, Born Again is without a doubt some of Marvel's best post-Endgame content, and I look forward to Season 2, where a singular vision from the show's creative team will hopefully fix most of Season 1's issues.