During the writers’ strike, Marvel Studios paused production on its highly anticipated series Daredevil: Born Again. At the time production was paused, fewer than half of the 18-episode season had been shot, and the time allowed Marvel executives and President Kevin Feige to review the footage. According to THR, after watching what had been shot, they realized that “The show wasn’t working.”
Basically, they watched what was shot and realized it wasn’t as good as the Daredevil show that Netflix produced. The report goes on to reveal that Marvel fired its writers and director, specifically head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman, and all of the directors for the remainder of the season. They go on to explain that this decision is “part of a significant creative reboot of the series.”
Inside sources say that Corman and Ord “crafted a legal procedural that did not resemble the Netflix version, known for its action and violence. Cox didn’t even show up in costume until the fourth episode. Marvel, after greenlighting the concept, found itself needing to rethink the original intention of the show.” They will remain executive producers on the two-season series.
Marvel Studios is now on the hunt for new writers and directors to jump on board the project before they re-start production, which stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, as the blind lawyer turned superhero.
The studio is hoping the changes they are making will lead to a project that matches the high expectations of fans. Marvel will keep some scenes and episodes that were already shot, but they will also include other serialized elements.
The series also stars Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, and Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher. Other actors who have been cast in the series include Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, and Sandrine Holt, who will play Vanessa Fisk, the wife of Fisk. Michael Gaston (Chicago P.D., Mayor of Kingstown) is also in the show.
I hope Marvel can pull this off and make a great Daredevil series because it will be a shame if their Daredevil: Born Again series doesn’t end up being as good as Netflix’s badass show.