Daredevil: Born Again’s Season Finale Falls Flat – Here’s Why

by

Summary

  • Marvel Studios was overconfident with the 18-episode order for Daredevil: Born Again.
  • Behind-the-scenes issues led to a pivot in creative direction for the show.
  • Splitting the original episode order into two seasons resulted in an unsatisfying season finale.

The initial installment of “Daredevil: Reborn” has now concluded, leaving fans disappointed as many plot points were left unresolved by the season finale. Regrettably, this series of events echoes a pattern that’s been prevalent in most Marvel Studios productions following “The Avengers: Endgame“. The ongoing narrative of Matt Murdock seems to be suffering from quality issues due to production complications. It’s important to note that “Daredevil: Reborn” is not a poor show by any means, but it’s definitely experiencing some difficulties.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I can’t help but marvel at the breathtaking portrayals of Matthew Cox as Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin in this vibrant series. The anticipation among fans has been palpable with the reappearance of Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, and Wilson Bethel as Bullseye throughout the season. The cinematography and fight sequences have certainly provided some thrilling moments during the nine episodes… however, Daredevil: Born Again seems to fall short in reaching the heights of the first and third seasons of Daredevil.

After a long break since the third season of Daredevil in 2018 and a shift in leadership behind the scenes, it was likely challenging to move forward with a fourth season or further developments in Matt Murdock’s story. Due to the emergence of Disney+, Marvel’s production landscape has evolved significantly from when Charlie Cox and his team were active on Netflix. Now that Marvel Television falls under the supervision of Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, Daredevil: Born Again inherits both advantages and disadvantages associated with the conventional Marvel approach. The Man without Fear is now firmly established within the larger MCU, but the creative process for the series has faced challenges due to internal conflicts that are unfortunately typical in Marvel Studios productions.

Marvel Studios Was Overconfident With Daredevil: Born Again From The Jump

As a devoted fan, I can’t contain my excitement as production for “Daredevil: Born Again” officially kicked off in 2022. The appearances of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Hawkeye,” respectively, were a clever test to gauge fan reaction to potential future roles within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Needless to say, the anticipation for the comeback of Daredevil and Kingpin was overwhelming!

At the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, we received some incredible news: “Daredevil: Born Again” is set to debut a whopping 18-episode first season that will serve as a fresh start for the characters rather than a direct continuation of the previous series.

It was quite unusual for Marvel Studios to order 18 episodes for a television series, considering that their previous productions had between six and nine episodes per season. Given this, it seemed plausible that they were convinced the team behind the production could produce a top-notch product, didn’t they?

Behind-The-Scenes Issues Plagued The Production Of Daredevil: Born Again

By autumn 2023, when Hollywood took a break due to labor conflicts, about six episodes of “Daredevil: Born Again” had been largely filmed. Marvel Studios scrutinized all the footage and found that it didn’t meet their expectations. In such a situation, one faces a dilemma: either scrap everything from the beginning and start anew or utilize the footage already captured. Given the financial constraints imposed by Disney at this juncture, Marvel Studios opted to revamp the show while incorporating the previously filmed material.

Marvel changed course on its plan for “Born Again” to serve as a restart instead of a continuation for Daredevil and Kingpin, opting instead to build upon storylines from the initial series. Consequently, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, and Wilson Bethel were invited back to revisit their characters, while Ayelet Zurer was welcomed back as Vanessa Fisk despite her role having been previously recast in this new direction.

It’s only fair to acknowledge that Marvel’s revamp of Daredevil: Born Again has generally been well-received. Both fans and critics appear satisfied with the series, and its ratings have been strong. In summary, the reasons behind Marvel’s decision to rework the show seem to have had a predominantly positive impact… except for one choice.

Splitting The 18-Episode Order Into Two Different Seasons Has Created An Unsatisfying Season Finale

Despite Daredevil: Born Again effectively blending two distinct creative perspectives into a generally pleasing television series, the choice to divide the initial 18-episode season into two separate segments has left fans yearning for resolution in almost every aspect. Rather than finding closure on any of the show’s primary storylines, the Marvel community as a whole is forced to endure an agonizing wait until the series resumes in 2026. Genneya Walton’s character BB Urich was barely present in the finale following her true motivations being unveiled in the preceding episode. Bullseye only makes a significant impact during a flashback scene detailing how he managed to kill Foggy Nelson, and we are left guessing about Matt Murdock’s law firm’s current stance regarding his return as Daredevil.

Essentially, the first season of Daredevil: Born Again concludes abruptly as if it were merely a chapter in a larger story because that’s exactly what it is. The penultimate episode doesn’t serve as a traditional finale, and it falls short of delivering a satisfying conclusion. Daredevil is in the process of assembling an army of allies to confront Kingpin, including Cherry, Karen, Detective Angie Kim, and others. It’s likely that The Punisher will join this force, and Camila Rodriguez’s Angela Del Toro may assume the role of White Tiger and enlist as well. The finale of Born Again is akin to The Empire Strikes Back without the reveal of Darth Vader being Luke’s father or Han Solo being frozen in carbonite. While Frank Castle’s imprisonment by Fisk might be intended to mirror these plot points, a post-credits scene hints that he manages to break free.

By the close of the day, the initial season finale “Daredevil: Born Again” turned out to be extremely unsatisfying. However, this shouldn’t come as a shock since it wasn’t originally planned as a finale.

Read More

2025-04-16 21:35