The upcoming Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, which will bring back Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, has been accused of being an old Disney scam by some of the crew members who worked on the original Netflix show.
Netflix’s Daredevil Cancelled After Three Seasons
Netflix’s Daredevil was one of the first Marvel shows to debut on the streaming platform in 2015, along with Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders. The show received critical acclaim for its dark and gritty tone, its compelling characters, and its thrilling action scenes. However, in 2018, Netflix announced that it had cancelled all of its Marvel shows, including Daredevil after its third season.
Many fans were disappointed by this decision, as they hoped to see more of Cox’s portrayal of the blind lawyer-turned-vigilante and D’Onofrio’s menacing performance as the crime lord Kingpin. Some speculated that the cancellation was due to the launch of Disney+, which would host new Marvel shows produced by Marvel Studios. Others hoped that Marvel Studios would revive the Netflix shows or at least incorporate some of the actors and characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Daredevil: Born Again Announced for Disney+
In May 2022, Marvel Studios confirmed that it was developing a new series for Disney+ titled Daredevil: Born Again, which would feature Cox and D’Onofrio reprising their roles as Murdock and Fisk. The show would also bring back Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, who had his own spin-off series on Netflix. The show would be loosely based on the classic comic book storyline by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, which depicted Murdock’s downfall and redemption after Fisk discovered his secret identity.
The announcement was met with mixed reactions from fans and critics. Some were excited to see the return of Cox and D’Onofrio, who were widely praised for their performances on the Netflix show. Others were skeptical about how the new series would fit into the MCU, which has a more family-friendly tone than the Netflix shows. Some also wondered whether the new series would be a continuation or a reboot of the Netflix show, as Marvel Studios had not clarified this point.
Netflix Crew Members Call Out Disney for Rebooting Daredevil
Recently, a crew member who worked on all of the Netflix Marvel shows posted a message on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that he and his colleagues were cheated out of their vacation pay and raises after the shows were cancelled. He also tagged Steven DeKnight, who was the showrunner of Daredevil’s first season, and asked him if he knew that Disney+ was rebooting Daredevil with a different name and contract terms.
DeKnight responded to the message, saying that he was aware of this practice by Disney, which he called an old Disney scam. He explained that Disney would slightly rename a series after its third season to reset the contract terms back to the first season, which would result in lower pay and benefits for the crew members. He said that this issue needed to be addressed by all the guilds and unions and crushed.
DeKnight’s accusation was supported by other examples of Disney shows that changed their names after their third seasons, such as The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Liv and Maddie, and Hannah Montana. These shows reportedly used this loophole to avoid paying their actors 100% of the minimum wage in their fourth seasons.
However, some argued that Daredevil: Born Again was not a clear case of this scam, as it was not produced by the same company as the Netflix show. The Netflix shows were produced by Marvel Television, which was headed by Jeph Loeb and operated separately from Marvel Studios, which is led by Kevin Feige and produces the MCU movies and shows. In 2019, Marvel Television was folded into Marvel Studios, which regained the full rights to the characters that were used on Netflix.
Therefore, some suggested that Daredevil: Born Again was not a rebranding of the Netflix show, but a new show that incorporated some of the actors and elements from the previous version. This could explain why some characters were recast or omitted from the new series, such as Vanessa Fisk (played by Sandrine Holt), Foggy Nelson (played by Elden Henson), and Karen Page (played by Deborah Ann Woll).
Daredevil: Born Again Set to Premiere in 2023
Despite the controversy surrounding its production, Daredevil: Born Again is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2023. The show will be part of Phase Four of the MCU, which will introduce new heroes and villains across various movies and shows. The show will also explore the aftermath of the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured Cox’s cameo appearance as Murdock, who acted as Peter Parker’s lawyer.
Fans are eager to see how the show will adapt the iconic comic book story, which is considered one of the best Daredevil stories ever written. They are also curious to see how the show will connect to the rest of the MCU, and whether it will acknowledge or ignore the events of the Netflix show. The show will also face the challenge of satisfying both the fans of the Netflix show and the fans of the MCU, who may have different expectations and preferences.
Daredevil: Born Again will be one of the most anticipated and controversial Marvel shows on Disney+, as it will mark the return of one of the most popular and acclaimed Marvel characters on television.
