Back in October at New York Comic Con I attended a panel and had the pleasure of getting a special look into the new Netflix series Marvel’s Daredevil. It was great to see the actors and actresses that will bring this somewhat underrated Marvel hero to life. I was pleased with what I saw then and couldn’t wait for April to arrive. After binge watching the series as it made its premiere last night, my eagerness was greatly rewarded and then some. Warning spoilers ahead…
Known as The Man Without Fear, the character of Daredevil has often been referred to as Marvel’s version of Batman. It’s hard to disagree with that assessment after watching season one. At the same time Matt Murdock is very different from Bruce Wayne. Both men and their alter egos do want to protect their city and they will fight till their last breath to keep her safe.
Marvel’s Daredevil acts more like a 13-part mini movie than simply a TV series. Although set in the same universe as the cinematic one, this is the first for “mature audiences” only. Daredevil is dark, gritty, bold and quite real. Being on Netflix allows the producers to push boundaries that Gotham on FOX would like to do but for obvious reasons cannot.
Leading this impressive cast is Charlie Cox who plays the blind lawyer turned masked vigilante. It doesn’t take an episode or two for Charlie to find his stride as Murdock/Daredevil. He does so from the moment he shows up. There are two separate origins that are being told here. Of course there’s Murdock’s and the moment of his blindness. There is the relationship with his boxer dad, Jack. Jack in an effort to provide a future for his son, gets involved with the wrong people and ends up paying the ultimate price that leaves young Matt without a family to care for him.
The second origin we follow is that of Wilson Fisk better known as Kingpin. Veteran actor, Vincent D’Onofrio portrays Fisk with a human quality and range of emotion that for the most part hadn’t been seen before. Simply put, D’Onofrio’s performance is Emmy worthy, that’s how good he is. Fisk was always portrayed as a ruthless gangster, which even here is very true. But there’s this other side to him that is so fascinating that at times as a viewer, you almost feel sorry for him. Whether it’s his love for his mother and what he would do to protect her or his almost shy approach with his ladylove, Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer).
We watch the lives of these two future adversaries take shape and it all comes to a head during the final three episodes including an epic showdown in the season finale. There are so many shocks along that it makes this series unpredictable. I like that feeling. It’s not afraid to change what you think you already know about these characters. My only regret after a 13-hour binge watch is that I have to wait to see what happens next.
Joining Cox and D’Onofrio is an equally impressive supporting cast. Elden Henson plays Murdock’s law partner, Foggy Nelson while True Blood alum Deborah Ann Woll plays Karen Page. It’s Karen’s involvement in a murder mystery that weaves this entire season together. Rosario Dawson, Bob Gunton, Toby Leonard Moore, Scott Glenn and Vondie Curtis-Hall who plays reporter Ben Urich rounds out the rest.
For all those Daredevil fans that have waited a long time for a definitive take on their beloved character, look no further than this Netflix original series. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
