Marvel Cinematic Universe followers collectively rejoiced in theaters all over the world when Charlie Cox made a shock cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, reprising his now iconic function as Matt Murdock from the Netflix Daredevil collection. Not solely did this seemingly affirm a connection between the Netflix exhibits and the MCU, nevertheless it honored Cox’s efficiency as “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen,” as he’s been praised for his extra severe tackle the character. Cox’s efficiency has been favorably in comparison with Ben Affleck’s first try and crack the character in 2003’s pre-MCU Daredevil, by which he co-starred alongside Jennifer Garner’s Elektra. It’s onerous to disclaim that the 2 actors are merely miscast and take the beloved characters in an uninteresting, melodramatic route. However, the film surrounding them is so much higher than it’s been given credit score for.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner are definitely not unhealthy actors; Affleck has became one of many business’s biggest filmmakers and steadily given extra mature performances, and Garner has discovered success with extra dramatic roles outdoors of motion franchises. However, the pair was forged as star-crossed lovers in what was meant to be the primary adaptation of certainly one of Marvel’s hottest characters, which merely didn’t work. Mark Steven Johnson’s Daredevil didn’t have the identical targets because the Netflix collection; the movie embraced extra eccentric, gothic pulp storylines within the comics akin to Joe Quesada‘s paintings in Guardian Devil. By comparability, the collection totally homage the darker, grittier depiction of the character that Frank Miller had made so well-liked.
Superhero movies had been nonetheless evolving within the early twenty first century, nevertheless it was clear that no single movie was going to encapsulate the whole thing of influences that created a personality as beloved as Daredevil. The filmmakers opted for a barely goofier and extra action-packed model of Murdock’s origin story that also explored the dying of his father, his Catholic guilt, and a number of the most iconic villains inside his rogue’s gallery. To dismiss the movie totally primarily based on the failures of Affleck and Garner can be to disregard Jon Favreau’s pitch-perfect humor as Foggy Nelson, Michael Clark Duncan’s genuinely intimidating model of Kingpin, and Colin Farrell’s sheer madness as Bullseye. Everyone in 2003’s Daredevil is crushing it, apart from the 2 stars.
2003’s ‘Daredevil’ Is a Solid Origin Story
While origin story films have now floor out as redundant and uninteresting, Daredevil got here out at a a lot earlier stage within the growth of Marvel variations. This was earlier than the Spider-Man collection was rebooted, the Fantastic Four collection launched, the X-Men franchise launched youthful iterations of the characters, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe took off. Taking the time to inform the integral origin story that defines Matt Murdock was an vital side of the movie, and Johnson is ready to condense the dying of Matt’s father (David Keith) and the aftermath right into a concise, transferring opening. While it’s not fairly as gritty because the Netflix model, it nonetheless defines the rules that outline Matt’s spiritual integrity, authorized idealism, and vigilante justice.
The opening moments succeed because of the success of Scott Terra because the youthful Matt, so it makes for a considerably awkward shift when Affleck steps into the function. While Affleck’s brash, melodramatic demeanor feels at odds with the comparatively strong writing, it’s simple to disregard his imperfections when the supporting characters are launched. Long earlier than he shepherded the MCU into existence, Favreau introduced Foggy Nelson’s wit, sarcasm, and reluctant integrity to life. If the comedic, Aaron Sorkin-esque authorized bickering between Foggy and Matt dangers transferring the movie too far into campiness, the nuanced flashbacks to Jack Murdock reinforce the story’s severe intentions.
‘Daredevil’ Is a Rogue’s Gallery For the Ages
Outside of Spider-Man, there isn’t one other Marvel superhero with a supporting forged of villains as iconic as Daredevil. While Garner’s eccentric spin on Elektra might not have been profitable, Michael Clark Duncan is completely terrifying as Kingpin. Duncan’s bodily imposing, expressive efficiency was excellent for the gothic, stylized model of New York City that Johnson was bringing to life. He felt like a villain lifted straight off the pages of a pulp crime story, which had been satirically the identical issues that impressed the creation of Daredevil within the first place.
However, it’s not possible to speak concerning the movie with out mentioning Colin Farrell’s completely bonkers efficiency as Bullseye; whenever you discuss dedication to a task, Farrell takes the ruthless murderer’s fixed hostility and haughty satisfaction so severely that you simply’d nearly end up rooting for him. Between flicking paper clips at anybody who annoys him to choking aged passengers, Farrell embraces the campier roots of the character. He’s clearly having a blast chewing the surroundings, and the ultimate combat sequence between Daredevil and Bullseye within the church truly has some inventive staging due to Bullseye’s makes an attempt to dam out sound.
2003’s ‘Daredevil’ Has a Complex Legacy
Despite a comparatively attention-grabbing rating by Graeme Revell, loads of strong motion sequences, and the aforementioned supporting performances, evaluations and reactions to Daredevil had been nearly totally centered round Affleck and Garners’ performances. Since Affleck had been a little bit of a media goal on the time and this was the identical yr as Gigli and Paycheck, Daredevil was merely disregarded as one other failure. Unfortunately, it looks as if extra followers ended up watching the indefensible spinoff Elektra than the R-rated director’s reduce of the unique Daredevil launched in 2004, which improved loads of the pacing points and gave extra display screen time to the supporting residents of Hell’s Kitchen.
The Netflix adaptation of Daredevil is the definitive model of the darker, extra lifelike depiction of the character that has change into well-liked amongst older followers; nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that every other interpretation is inherently unhealthy. Batman followers can take pleasure in each the dramatic variations by Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves in addition to the extra comical depictions within the Adam West collection and The LEGO Batman Movie; Daredevil followers can do the identical factor in accepting two wildly completely different views on the character. The wonderful thing about Marvel characters which have existed for many years is that they’re constantly up for reinvention, and it’s unlucky {that a} deadly collection of miscastings has trashed the legacy of a genuinely strong comedian e-book film.