Daredevil: Born Again Initial Review | Brutal Action, Intriguing Premise
Daredevil is back, and it's as brutal as ever.
The original Netflix Daredevil series ended back in 2018, and while its final season ended with a proper conclusion, it still left the door open for a potential continuation. Years later, we finally have Daredevil: Born Again, the long-awaited return of the series, this time as a proper installment in the MCU on Disney+.
While we’ve seen Charlie Cox pop up as Daredevil in other MCU projects, this new series finally puts him in the spotlight once again alongside Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. The new show may be part of the MCU now, but the initial episodes make it more of a continuation of the original series, which should delight fans of the Netflix show.
Ahead of the show’s premiere, I got to watch the first two episodes of Born Again. While not enough to give a proper verdict, it did give me a good enough idea of what to expect as the show progresses.
Note that this initial review does not feature major spoilers for episodes 1 and 2, though the finale of the original series will be discussed.
Vicious, Satisfying Action
One of the best things about the original Daredevil series is its action as it had brutal and vicious fight scenes. Fitting given the darker nature of the series, especially compared to other Marvel live-action projects at the time.
Thankfully, that is also the case in Born Again as the fight scenes I saw in the first two episodes were just as brutal and violent as the OG show.
Of course, given that I only got to watch the first two out of nine episodes in Season 1, there were only a couple of fights. In fact, the second episode mostly featured plot and dialogue, with only the final minutes packing an action scene.
The second episode’s fight was worth the wait though as it was a hard-hitting one, and it heralds more hard-hitting fights to come. Plus, the more plot-focused scenes in the second episode were still rather engaging.
You might be wondering why I opened with the second episode. That’s because Episode 1 of Born Again has a showstopper of a fight scene involving Daredevil that effectively sets the tone for the series. It’s tough to explain without getting into spoiler territory, but it’s clear that fans of the original will love this as the fight was incredibly physical and pulse-pounding.
It also helps that the cinematography of the fight scenes is great, in the sense that the action is clearly shown. This is unlike other live-action fights where jumpy editing makes the fight look unclear and hard to follow.
It’s not just the fights that look great as even quieter scenes ooze style, though the visuals still complement the scenes instead of being a distraction. Overall, the series is a visual treat based on the initial episodes.
Born Again’s Premise is Interesting, But Might Not Be for Everyone
Season 3 of the previous Daredevil series ended on a positive note for Matt Murdock, but in Born Again, a major incident happens that forces Murdock to stop being Daredevil. On the flip side, Wilson Fisk is free, but instead of returning to his criminal empire, Fisk decides to run for Mayor of New York City.
I won’t explain what Born Again’s inciting incident is, but it’s potentially going to be a divisive one for fans. If it won’t divide opinions, it would be at least a hard pill to swallow for some fans given how much of a gut punch it is. In that sense, it works for the story as you kind of understand why Murdock gives up his Daredevil activities because of it. On the flip side, it can feel a bit forced or artificial given how it happens right at the beginning.
Even though this incident shakes up Murdock a lot, he’s still the same character from the original Netflix series, which should at least make what happens more acceptable for fans. Plus, the new dynamic between Murdock and Fisk might just be one of the best things about the show (aside from the fight scenes, of course).
Fisk’s campaign for the Mayoral office has clear parallels to the Trump campaign, which is impressive on one hand given how recently it happened. On the other hand, these moments can feel a bit heavy-handed, though at least not enough to ruin the experience.
More than the lack of subtlety in this part of the story, I found that the plot in the first two episodes just flowed a bit too fast. I would’ve liked for the pace to slow down a bit as lots of things happened in just two episodes, resulting in some of the story beats not landing as strongly as I had hoped. While it may not be an issue for some viewers, I’m still hoping that the pace slows down a bit to make the moments feel more impactful.
Despite this, I still thought the first two episodes had an engaging story, especially given that Murdock and Fisk are now forced to step into the light instead of being in the darkness where they belonged before. There’s even a scene of the two acknowledging this fact, which is a particular highlight as both actors have great chemistry as rivals.
Daredevil: Born Again Initial Verdict
Again, as I only watched the first two episodes, I can’t give a verdict yet. Based on what I’ve seen though, Daredevil: Born Again does have a lot of promise as it features gloriously brutal and violent fight scenes, along with a new dynamic for Daredevil and Kingpin that will no doubt pique many viewers’ interests.
The only real knocks against it so far are the inciting incident and the fast pace. While I understand why they went with this story, the major event at the start may be hard to swallow for some fans. Plus, while the story is interesting, I found that things flowed a bit too fast.
Still, Born Again has a lot going for it, enough that it should be a must-see for Marvel fans, especially for those who loved the previous Daredevil series.
Daredevil: Born Again Episodes 1 and 2 are available now on Disney+. New episodes are then set to be released every week.