When Twentieth Century Fox stalled the movie reboot of Daredevil for so long that the rights reverted back to Marvel, the chances of seeing Matt Murdock getting another big screen treatment seemed slim. Marvel and Disney's upcoming roster of comic book films seems to be quite firmly focused on showcasing characters who either hadn't been seen in standalone movies either at all or for a long time, and unfortunately Daredevil can't be counted among them.

Sure enough, when Marvel and Netflix confirmed a deal to develop four new TV series and a Defenders miniseries based on Marvel comics, one of which was a Daredevil show, it emerged shortly thereafter that the characters who would soon be seen on the small screen were those who were "never going to be feature films." Instead, Daredevil and his occasional allies Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Danny Rand will represent the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen in a group of interconnected TV shows.

Many of our readers were delighted by the news, since it means that characters who might have laid completely dormant for a decade or more are instead getting adaptations of their own, and the episodic and potential crossover nature of the planned shows seems like a perfect fit for a comic book narrative.

Of course, a show can only ever be as good as the people writing it, which is why the latest Daredevil update is so promising. The Wrap reports that Drew Goddard (World War Z) is currently in negotiations to write the Daredevil TV series, and also notes that Goddard has previously expressed a great deal of love for the character that dates back to his teens.

'Daredevil' rights have reverted back to Marvel

Goddard recently co-wrote and directed the meta-commentary horror comedy The Cabin in the Woods, and his TV credits include episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Alias. He also worked as an executive producer on both Alias and Lost, which puts him in a good position to become a showrunner on his own series. It also helps that he just really loves Marvel:

"What Marvel character would I not love to get on? That’s an easier question to answer. I would love any of it and I love Marvel, Joss [Whedon] and what they’re doing. It’s all about finding the right fit. Directing…in order to do your job right, you have to find ways to make it personal, and if we can find the right fit, then I would love to do it."

Goddard's two most frequent collaborators are J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon, the latter of whom is a major player in the Marvel Studios bubble, so if he does sign up for Daredevil then fans can expect his typical blend of action and snarky humor. That could be good news or bad news depending on personal tolerance for that style, but putting a Daredevil fan in charge of a Daredevil TV series has to be a good start.

Assuming Goddard does end up taking the writing reins, the next big deciding factor for Daredevil will be the casting of the lead actor. Since Ben Affleck is currently preoccupied with Batman vs. Superman for DC and Warner Bros it's safe to say that he probably won't be reprising the role, but it remains to be seen whether Marvel will select a big-name actor to head up their new series, or whether the masked vigilante will be selected from a pool of relative unknowns. Until we know for sure, let the fantasy casting continue.

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We'll keep you updated on Daredevil and other Marvel series as they continue to develop.

Source: The Wrap