Is Daredevil Still the MCU’s GOAT? I Rewatched It 10 Years Later to Find Out
Is Daredevil Still the MCU’s GOAT? I Rewatched It 10 Years Later to Find Out
Marvel entered the OTT space a decade ago with the smash-hit series Daredevil. But even after a decade, is it still the best that ever was? Let’s find out
In Short
- Marvel’s Daredevil – The perfect blend of good writing, performance, and direction
- Even after a decade, it still hits the right chords
- Not just the vigilante, it gave us Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk
When Marvel announced they would bring back Daredevil, I was screaming and jumping in joy. With speculations of a reboot or a toned-down PG-13 version in the works, the joy was short-lived, but when the trailer dropped, it hyped me up instantly. But as a die-hard fan of the original show, which aired on Netflix in 2015, I decided to go in all prepared and enjoy the new episodes to the fullest. So, after almost 10 years of the original and 7 years since the final scene of Season 3, I rewatched all 39 episodes, and here’s my take.
Not Another Origin Story
To be very honest, I was not a fan of the idea that a blind man with insane skills is fighting off criminals. Being a huge DC fan, I always thought that superheroes should only be like Superman, Flash, or Batman. I even laughed it off when the film starring Ben Affleck was released in 2003. But tbh, this show made me a big fan of this character, and why not?
The approach of this show was unconventional and not beginning it off with a dramatic origin story like we are used to seeing in the Batman and Spider-Man movies. They skipped the overly emotional take and started right off. Yes, the origin story is shown, but it has the perfect blend of emotion with a father-son bond, a tragic accident, a death, followed by a child’s longing for a fatherly figure. The kid Matthew has been portrayed as a kick ass stud who is also lonely deep inside. This is what the latest MCU shows, apart from Loki or Moonknight, has been lacking. Now a day, all the shows begin with a huge action spectacle like the movies then suddenly drops pace with stretched emotional or dramatic arc building up to another action block finale, but this show starts off with the perfect pace to make you feel for the characters and keeps you glued for the next episode.
Look and Feel – Simple Yet Great
The series was made on a tight budget in the first season, with gradual scaling up in the later seasons due to hype and success. When the show began, they had the backing of Netflix, so there was great casting, a good script, with great directors. But despite all of this, they kept it really close to reality. The treatment was like Nolan’s Batman trilogy, with very little use of CGI or green screen. Even the villains were selected wisely to make it close to reality. I really thought that Tom Hardy’s Bane had an eerie resemblance to Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk. The cinematography is decent, having a perfect balance between a light palette without overuse of dark and gray scenes. The pacing which may seem slow compared to other superhero shows and films was justified as it provided proper time to build all the characters and also rooting us like – ‘Bro, wear the goddamn costume now….”. But the scenes, especially the stairway or hallway fights, along with scenes when Matt is using his super ears to listen to conversations happening far away, were shot with finesse.
Character Development
What this show achieved is that it was successful in developing characters, may it be light or gray, with utmost perfection. Starting with characters, key characters like Foggy Nelson and Karen Page in the first season became an integral part of the show, along with other secondary characters like Claire, Ben Urich, Father Lantom, Detective Mahoney, and even the evil James Wesley. In the second and third seasons, the list continued with Nobu, Madam Gao, Stick, and Mitchell Elisson. Each of these characters was given proper importance, space, and grew their own fan base. Characters like Claire even transitioned to other Marvel shows like Luke Cage and Defenders. The third season of Daredevil even had a great character arc for the FBI Agent Sami Nadeem. I truly have been missing these character arcs in the later MCU shows.
Script – Story with a Soul and Non-Violence
The script really is the soul of this show. In Season 1, it starts slowly, building the almighty Wilson Fisk like a hated monster. Honestly, when I got to know that Kingpin is the main villain in this show, I was disappointed because to me, he was always a Spider-Man villain, but when I started to watch this show, I was blown away. This version of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk was not the Kingpin from the games or comics, who is portrayed as a smiling old fat guy. This man was not easy to judge with a calm and sharp mind and strong fists, like really strong! But Matt Murdock’s main aim was not to use violence to stop these criminals but to bring them to face justice at any cost. Even in the second and third seasons, the stand was always to bring criminals to justice, even when he was angry or going through personal grief. He even saved Fisk’s wife, Vanessa, from getting killed, and this proves that the soul of this show was always in the right place. Well, Marvel has managed to keep the soul alive in its latest outing, Thunderbolts with the focus on depression.
Villains – Challenging DC, finally!
Well, Marvel has always struggled to put on a great villain compared to DC. The Daredevil began with underwhelming Villain choices, which actually stood out in the long run.
Wilson Fisk
As I mentioned earlier, the idea of Kingpin as a villain at first disappointed me. But thanks to the writers and Vincent D’Onofrio for proving me wrong. They gave us one of the best villains ever in a superhero show. This character was portrayed in a different angle, a much toned-down version compared to the Spider-Man video games and comics. The character was complex, gritty, cruel, dark, and dangerous. But deep inside, he is also a well-behaved personality who greets his associates as Mr./Mrs./Ms. He loves and cares for his friends like James Wesley. As they say, behind every successful man there is a woman, so how can our Kingpin be far behind? Yes, he can do anything for his love interest, Vanessa, and if you embarrass him in front of her, then may the gods be with you!
Punisher – Villain or friend in disguise?
The second season was a bit disappointing compared to the first season. But I was hyped when the trailer was launched because of this one character – The Punisher, aka Frank Castle. One of my favorite characters of Marvel characters, thanks to his dark and gritty nature, along with the catchy skull print vest. The character was played by perfectly suited Jon Bernthal. His broody looks and grunge voice made him the perfect match. The violence this character brought to the series is still unmatched. Marvel portrays Deadpool and Logan as their most violent movie franchises, but I believe the Punisher brought more R-rated violence to this show than those films. Especially the bloody fights in the prison, all thanks to the Kingpin again. But the second season fails to deliver what it promised, a face-off between Daredevil and Punisher. It was present in parts, but then the focus shifted towards other villains like the Hand and Nob, which were dull, to be precise.
Ben Poindexter aka Bullseye
Thankfully, the series again makes a great comeback in the third and final season before getting cancelled by Netflix with a new villain in Bullseye. The mentally unstable FBI agent with a violent past was easily manipulated by none other than Wilson Fisk, who made him the new villain of the city as the fake Daredevil. He was brutal, unapologetic, dangerous, and hateful. He not just posed as a great threat to Matt Murdock and his friends, but also as an unstoppable force who killed off many beloved characters. The final showdown, which was a triple-threat match between him, Fisk, and Mathew, was really enjoyable.
Honorable Mentions –
Beyond the ones already mentioned, characters like Gao, Elektra, Nobu, James Wesley, and of course, Vanessa definitely deserve a special shoutout. Each of them brings a unique flair to the story, leaving a lasting impression in their own right.
Not all heroes wear a mask
The show was much more than neutralizing the villains, it was about serving justice in any possible way without killing. When Daredevil was busy fighting off the Hand, the city was facing threats in several forms. We can see more than one hero who does not need a mask to stand up. We can see Foggy and Page helping the Spanish lady from losing her home in Season 1, we can see Claire saving up lives of many in the emergency room during the gang riots, we can again see the main trio – Murdock, Nelson, and Page helping Nadeem and his family to get justice. Nelson even gave up his shot at being the DA! This has been missing in all the MCU shows and movies. This is what I want to see: a story much more than the superhero. The people, standing up for themselves. Another reference to Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, when the city turns up against Bane, or also in The Dark Knight, when the passengers of both the vessels fail Joker without being manipulated by him to press the detonation button.
Special Mention – The Opening Credits
The opening credits, along with the theme title music, were the cherry on top. I still listen to this and am vibing to it even after a decade. Daredevil Reborn, though, has similar theme music, but nothing comes close to the original.
Conclusion – Yes, this show is still #1
I don’t think any of the Marvel shows have come close to Daredevil, and even after 10 years, it feels fresh and relevant without a single minute of boredom. I don’t know what happened with the writers or why no one gave a thought to make another show like this. Marvel is still trying to bring back its glory days, and let’s just hope we, the fans, get it delivered at the right time.
If you want to know about our take on Daredevil: Born Again, click here.
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