_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

After seven long years, Daredevil has returned to our screens. Daredevil premiered on Netflix in 2015. It became one of Marvel’s most critically acclaimed television series because of its gritty nature, which offered a refreshing take on comic book heroes. When Daredevil was cancelled after three seasons, the #SaveDaredevil hashtag brought the comic community together. The actors gave exceptional performances and grounded their characters in Hell’s Kitchen. The world created felt fully lived-in, and the character’s past traumas resonated with audiences.

When Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) step out of Josie’s bar in the premiere, the familiarity hits audiences with the warmth of reconnecting with these characters. Although the Marvel Television format makes it feel different, Daredevil: Born Again maintains a consistent tone with the original series. 

Matt Murdock and his alter ego have struggled with the moral dilemma of helping those in New York City. As a legal representative, Matt defends those without a voice. In this new series, he represents those falsely accused of acting toward undercover cops in an ever-growing corrupt system. As a vigilante, Daredevil takes matters into his own hands and delivers the rightful punishment as he sees fit. They are two sides of the same coin attempting to strive for justice in a broken system. 

Throughout this season, Matt battles grief and represses his pain by not expressing himself through Daredevil. This raises the question of who is under the mask and whether the mask is a safety net for Matt to avoid succumbing to his dark side. 

When Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) steps into a new position of power to transform his persona for the better, he’s also challenged by the demons in his closet. He wants to become a better person for Vanessa without sacrificing too much of his humanity. Fisk has expressed his disdain for vigilantes in New York City and finds them cowardly hiding behind a mask. 

Fisk and Murdock have more in common than many may care to admit, and it’s because they don’t have a safe way to express their pain. They sadly resort to violence because anger towards what they’ve lost consumes them. While Murdock fights to avenge, Fisk fights for ultimate power to regain the respect he lost in New York City. D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox give incredible performances as they truly understand the characters. They ground their characters so well as they peel back new layers, creating more depth as the season goes on. 

Season one of Daredevil: Born Again is a strong follow-up to the original series. It presents a character-driven narrative for our hero and antagonist. The brutal violence remains the same, with the tight-knit fight choreography and the stylistic choices to showcase Matt Murdock’s talents with hyper-hearing. The screen goes blurry, and the sound design is perfectly amplified to enter Matt’s head space to hear what he hears. Our hero doesn’t wear the mask as often this season. Instead, we learn more about Matt and how he applies his skillset as a lawyer. 

It does take a couple of episodes to find its footing, but once it hits its stride in the middle, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Matt Corman, and Dario Scardapan kick it into high gear. The showrunners cement there can be no Daredevil without Kingpin and vice versa, even if they’re at odds or trying to understand the other. The tension between the two is palpable regardless of whether they’re in the same room. The love of their city is tested as they witness a rise in violent crimes and corruption from those in power to the powerless. 

Matt goes on a self-reflective journey as he reconstructs the meaning of the mask and why Daredevil is necessary in New York City as its lead vigilante. In each episode, Matt goes through the stages of grief and harnesses his anger to do some good. The title of Daredevil: Born Again works two-fold, with the show returning and Matt being reborn after a tragedy that changes him.