I Just Didn’t Want To Hear Characters Grousing About Their Lot In Life

Daredevil: Born Again’s showrunner Dario Scardapane recently opened up about his thoughts on Netflix’s Daredevil. Though the writer did not work on that show, he did write for its sister series, The Punisher, and he noted the differences between those productions and the new Disney adaptation. Though Daredevil: Born Again shares continuity and cast members with the Netflix series, Scardapane shared with SFX that the new show differs from the others in a key way: “There is more fun in the moments with these characters and a lot less navel-gazing than before.”

Scardapane continued by adding that “the earlier show, at its best, was fantastic,” but “at its worst, it was two characters in a room talking about what a hero is.“ He explained that he was “not taking swipes,” but he “just didn’t want to hear characters grousing about their lot in life; [he] wanted to see them doing things.” He used his experience on The Punisher to further illustrate his point:

“One of our edicts [on The Punisher] was longer scenes. You had these long five-page scenes of characters hashing it out in order to make space between these massive action sequences. The way stuff has evolved since then, we’re able to do big action sequences at a lot more pace.“

Additionally, Scardapane unpacked the tonal differences between the two series, saying: “I really feel that Netflix’s Daredevil, which I know in my blood, was much more noir, and this show is more New York crime story.” He likened the series to The Sopranos, with a “feeling” of “classic 90s crime tales.” Scardapane explained that the Disney+ show “has a pace and a scope that, for a lot of reasons, Netflix wasn’t able to do.” Though Daredevil was “very dark, cinematically,” it wasn’t “necessarily story-wise,” and Daredevil: Born Again is “much darker.”

Daredevil: Born Again was in a troubled state when Scardapane was given the reins. The series was originally conceived of as more of a legal drama, before Marvel decided to replace the creative team and overhaul the show. Series lead Charlie Cox referred to the change as “a Herculean task,” which ultimately was more “in line with what Daredevil had been established to be.” Between the writer’s words and those of the actor, it sounds like Daredevil: Born Again aimed to strike a balance between continuing what came before and doing its own thing.

Scardapane’s perspective on Netflix’s Daredevil shows that he is aiming to take the best elements of the series and push them further for Daredevil: Born Again. While the Netflix series was a fan favorite, a more action-packed take on Daredevil would be a welcome approach, allowing Daredevil: Born Again to build on the solid foundation it built.

Daredevil: Born Again

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Showrunner

Chris Ord

Directors

Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Writers

Chris Ord

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