Summary

  • Daredevil's grounded approach sets it apart from other superhero shows, placing characters in realistic situations and dealing with relatable issues like relationships and personal struggles.
  • The casting choices for Daredevil are perfect, with Charlie Cox leading a talented ensemble that brings depth and chemistry to the characters, including an excellent portrayal of Kingpin by Vincent D'Onofrio.
  • Every character in Daredevil has a unique and compelling arc, allowing viewers to fully understand their motivations and become emotionally invested in their stories. The series does a great job of developing relationships and showing clear progression from season to season.

Marvel Television's Daredevil is still widely regarded as one of Marvel's strongest TV shows, even five years after its cancelation. Before the inception of Disney+ and Marvel Studios' own TV series', Marvel Television developed several shows that initially tied into the big-screen world of the MCU. As well as shows such as Agents of SHIELD, Cloak and Dagger, and Inhumans, Marvel Television worked with Netflix to produce a series of interconnected shows based on Marvel Comics' Defenders, kicking off in 2015 with Daredevil. While other Marvel Television series' weren't so popular, Daredevil became a smash hit and is still upheld as one of Marvel's strongest TV shows.

Focusing on Marvel's street-level stories, Netflix's Defenders Saga introduced smaller-scale vigilante-style heroes in the form of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. Charlie Cox debuted as Matt Murdock in Daredevil, becoming a pillar of the Defenders Saga as New York City's premiere street-level hero in the wake of the Battle of New York in The Avengers. Even though Marvel Studios has released TV shows for Disney+ that overtly connect to the wider world of the MCU, not all of them have been positively received, but since Charlie Cox has returned as Daredevil, many are hoping that the elements that made Daredevil so strong will continue in the MCU.

10 Daredevil's Characters Are All Placed In Realistic Situations

Charlie Cox in sunglasses in Daredevil on Netflix

While some MCU projects are relatively grounded, the epic nature of superhero adventures means that characters often find themselves in mystical and otherworldly situations. Daredevil takes a different approach, rooting its characters deeply in the real world, even though it may be a world inhabited by superheroes. As an attorney, Matt Murdock often interacts with people going through realistic problems, and the core characters themselves deal with relationship turmoil, drug addictions, balancing their work and personal lives, and suffering the human emotions connected to Daredevil's vigilantism. This is reinforced by performances that are grounded in reality rather than in all-out cinematic scenarios.

9 The Casting Decisions For Daredevil Are Perfect

Foggy Nelson, Matt Murdock, and Karen Page in Daredevil on Netflix

Since Daredevil told real stories in a world inhabited by incredible superheroes, the series needed to feature some stellar actors that could carry the heart of the series while also delivering some heroic action. Charlie Cox's casting as Matt Murdock is inspiring, and his chemistry with business partners Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson and Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page is fantastic to watch. Every good hero needs an even more terrifying villain, and Vincent D'Onofrio delivers a powerful adaptation of Marvel Comics' Kingpin. Others, including Jon Bernthal, Rosario Dawson, Élodie Yung, Ayelet Zurer, and Wilson Bethel, are perfect casting choices for Daredevil, helping to push forward the story in every episode.

8 Every Character Has A Unique Arc In Daredevil

Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page in Daredevil on Netflix

Once Daredevil's casting was complete, each character was gifted exciting, realistic, and emotional storylines, with none being left behind. Flashback sequences delve deeper into the characters' lives, informing the events of the present day. Daredevil's storytelling is so intimate that it means that viewers are able to fully understand each character's motivation, which makes it far easier for audiences to become emotionally invested in the characters and their stories. Daredevil does a brilliant job of showing a clear progression from season to season - something that the entire Defenders Saga did very well - particularly in developing the relationships between Murdock, Nelson, and Page and the rivalry between Daredevil and Kingpin.

7 Daredevil's Cinematography Is Stunning

Beautiful cinematography in Daredevil on Netflix

One of the biggest criticisms befalling Marvel Studios' recent TV shows has been the lack of innovative cinematography, which is something that Daredevil never failed to deliver. The series uses vivid color palettes and plays with light and shadow throughout to perfectly represent the darker tones of Matt Murdock's personality and struggles. Every scene seems to have been planned meticulously, particularly during lengthy action sequences, which often take the form of one-take shots, doused in a variety of colored lights. Daredevil's cinematography helps to make the series feel cinematic, even when dealing with a small-time vigilante, rather than the action-packed spectacles of Marvel Studios' Avengers films.

6 Matt Murdock Is A Relatable Superhero

Matt Murdock's Daredevil in Netflix series

It can be difficult for audiences to relate to an Asgardian God, an armored billionaire, or a soldier dragged into the present-day from World War II, but Charlie Cox's performance as Matt Murdock makes it very easy for viewers to see themselves in Daredevil. Murdock is imperfect but strives to do what he feels is best for his city and for those he loves. Outside of his vigilantism, however, Murdock battles with his religious beliefs, a variety of romantic relationships, maintaining a strong friendship with Foggy Nelson, and working effectively as an attorney, dealing with deeply human issues as well as making himself known as a powerful superhero.

5 Daredevil Isn't Scared To Be Dark, Gritty, & Brutal

Daredevil fighting Wilson Fisk in Daredevil on Netflix

Marvel Television's partnership with Netflix meant that Daredevil and the other shows in the Defenders Saga could deliver more realistic themes, thanks to their TV-MA rating. This meant that Daredevil never shied away from delivering some brutal moments of violence and exploring much darker storylines than the more family-friendly MCU could investigate. There are hopes that Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again will be able to deliver these same themes, particularly after the R-rated Deadpool 3 hits theaters in 2024. Daredevil's darker and grittier tones allowed the series to show the full scope of the characters' contrasting double lives, and hit more emotional and heart-wrenching storylines.

4 Wilson Fisk's Kingpin Is A Terrifying Antagonist

Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk in Daredevil on Netflix

Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal of the cold and calculating Kingpin quickly became a fan-favorite villain in the world of Marvel's live-action projects. Wilson Fisk's backstory was developed in such a way that viewers empathized with the villain, despite his actions being brutal, violent, and morally questionable. Viewers loved D'Onofrio's performance so much that it was inevitable he would be introduced as the MCU's official Kingpin in Hawkeye, set to reappear in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again opposite Charlie Cox once again. Daredevil was as much Kingpin's story as it was Murdock's, as there can't be a strong superhero without an evenly-matched supervillain, and D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk perfectly fit that bill.

3 Female Characters Aren't Only Love Interests In Daredevil

Elodie Yung as Elektra Natchios in Daredevil on Netflix

Female characters have often been neglected in superhero stories, with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow perhaps being a prime example in the MCU. However, Daredevil manages to deliver strong female characters without ignoring them or relegating them to love interests for the male leads. Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page is pivotal to the running of Nelson & Murdock, while Ayelet Zurer's Vanessa holds her own against the powerhouse that is Wilson Fisk. Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple delivers persistence and witty energy, and Élodie Yung's Elektra Natchios matches Matt Murdock at every turn. The women in Daredevil were just as important as the men, and sometimes arguably more so.

2 Daredevil's Action Sequences Are Well Thought Out

Hallway fight scene in Daredevil on Netflix

While Daredevil is adept at delivering emotional storylines with realistic characters, the series also prides itself on showcasing intense action sequences, putting Daredevil's true brutality front and center. All of Daredevil's fight scenes appear to have been thought out to perfection, allowing audiences to be completely immersed in every moment when Daredevil and Kingpin do battle in the streets of New York, when Daredevil takes on his impersonator Bullseye, or when Daredevil's iconic hallway fight scenes erupt in action. While Daredevil's action sequences may be lacking the technology of some of the heroes in the MCU, these scenes always feel real, violent, amazingly performed, and expertly planned.

1 Daredevil Doesn't Worry About Overtly Connecting To The MCU

Ben Urich in Daredevil on Netflix

Although the canonicity of the Marvel Television shows is now a hot topic of discussion, these shows did include connections to the wider MCU, though it was never as overt as the current Marvel Studios' series'. Agents of SHIELD might have tied in directly with the MCU, but Daredevil took a gentler approach, only referencing the events of the MCU occasionally, such as in New York Bulletin headlines discussing the Hulk and Abomination's battle in Harlem or the Battle of New York in The Avengers. This means that Daredevil could exist as its own project, developing naturally without being constrained by the MCU's storyline, which made it even more impressive.

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