Charlie Cox, star of the Daredevil: Born Again series coming to Disney+, didn’t realize it was possible for him to return to his Marvel role after Netflix’s Daredevil series was canceled.
During a panel at Wales Comic Con (via ComicBook.com), Cox explained why he hadn’t expected a Daredevil revival until he was approached for Born Again. “I really thought that ship had sailed, you know? I thought it was over,” he said.
Cox, who played Matt Murdock/Daredevil through all three seasons of the original Netflix series, was unaware that a predetermined space of time had to pass before the actors could reprise their roles from the property. “It had been a couple of years…” he continued. “What I didn’t know was there was an embargo on that. So, there was an amount of time – I think it was probably two years – after the show was canceled before Disney and Marvel could approach us. So, during that time, I didn’t know that. I just thought it was over.”
However, Cox’s co-star Vincent D’Onofrio, who played the antagonist Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, had been holding onto hope all along. Cox laughingly recalled, “[D’onofrio] would kind of say, ‘I’m sure they’re gonna bring us back.’ I’d be on the phone being, like, ‘Mate, the guy’s delusional! He’s got to let it go.'”
Daredevil: Born Again brings back multiple stars
In addition to Cox and D’Onofrio reprising their roles in Daredevil: Born Again, Jon Bernthal will return as Frank Castle/The Punisher, who debuted in Season 2 of Daredevil and later starred in his own spin-off.
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will serve as co-directors on the series. The two were brought in when executives reviewed footage that had been filmed and decided to change direction. Dario Scardapane, executive producer on both seasons of The Punisher, was tapped as the new showrunner. The original showrunners, Chris Ord and Matt Corman, are still attached as executive producers.
The first season of Born Again will consist of 18 episodes. Production began in New York City early in 2023 but was interrupted by the concurrent strikes of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). Both strikes have now concluded, but an updated release window for Daredevil: Born Again has not yet been announced.
