When Daredevil first started streaming on Netflix in 2015, the series was praised for its grittier approach to the Marvel universe. It didn’t pull its punches when it came to depicting violence, and no scene exhibits this more than the now-iconic hallway fight sequence from season one, episode two of the series. In that sequence, Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) singlehandedly lays the smackdown on some goons to rescue a kidnapped child. The moment is incredibly memorable both because of the impressive stunt choreography and because it was done in a singular shot.
Recently, Cox reflected on filming the fight sequence in an interview with GQ to promote Daredevil: Born Again alongside costar Vincent D’Onofrio. Rewatching the scene, the actor pointed out a moment in which Daredevil nails one of the goons with a microwave, quipping: “First of all, you see that microwave that hits the guy in the head? I’ve signed about 10 microwaves.” The actor then continued describing the “very special moment:”
“We shot it very early on, so it’s the end of episode two, but I was really still playing catch up in terms of all of the stunts and getting used to kind of doing some martial arts and was not really in a position to do much of that particular fight, ’cause it all takes place as a oner. And on one of the early takes, like I swung a punch, and I caught my little finger on the pole. I got injured in that fight scene.”
According to Cox, however, his injury wasn’t the only hiccup that happened during filming. He explained that “the little boy had to go home” because he “wasn’t allowed to be there anymore.” Because of this, Cox explained the hilarious substitution the production team made: “On one of the final takes, we did the whole sequence. It worked out great, I got into the room to get the kid, and it’s one of the ADs, a 28-year-old with a headset, so I had to pick him up and carry him out as kind of a place holder.”
Naturally, when fliming such a complex scene, there are bound to be complications. In Daredevil’s case, this was especially true, with Cox being new to stunt work. It sounds like his injury was minor, given that he kept filming, and the child being substituted with an adult isn’t noticeable in the final scene. Even so, D’Onofrio offered his perspective on how he would have solved the issue: “They should have called me, I could have got there, you would have opened the door, and I would have been there. I would have liked to see that.“
While the mental image of Cox carrying D’Onofrio like a child is hilarious, Daredevil’s hallway scene is rightfully regarded as one of the best-executed stunts on television. As a result, each subsequent season of Daredevil and its continuation Daredevil: Born Again have crafted similar one-shot fight sequences with varying complexity. Additionally, Daredevil’s appearance on She-Hulk: Attorney At Law also referenced the scene.
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Regardless of how complicated filming the scene was, the hallway fight is the most iconic moment in Cox’s tenure as Daredevil because it properly set the tone for the character and world. Daredevil intentionally made its stunts as practical and brutal as possible, and this scene perfectly indicates why that approach worked for many fans.
Daredevil
9/10
- Release Date
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2015 – 2017
- Showrunner
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Steven S. DeKnight