Exciting times look to be ahead for the superhero genre in comics and on-screen, and the MCU is set to launch its own multiverse soon. WandaVision will tie into this concept as it'll have implications for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but this December's untitled "Spider-Man 3" movie will give us the biggest taste of this endeavor before director Sam Raimi dives into it fully with Strange.
On top of the reported returns of former Spider-Man, another bombshell report gaining traction to fan delight is the return of Daredevil with Charlie Cox back in the role. Presumably, to be a small role as Peter's lawyer, the implications beyond are significantly more exciting.
Limited Series: Keeping Netflix Storylines
Since there are hordes of shows set to premiere on Disney+, it's understandable that some will need to be limited series. Though through the free pass that the multiverse can provide, the Netflix MCU corner can have its Daredevil storyline(s) and characters preserved. Fans rightfully want Vincent D'Onofrio to return as Kingpin, but Wilson Bethel's Bullseye was also superb and was poised for a dramatic return in the show's finale.
If high-quality writing is there, a one-season limited series could fulfill the original team's desired final showdown between Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, plus expanding on Ben Poindexter/Bullseye's vengeful return, completing a free-for-all like season three, episode 13 showed - as long as it's given a similar episode count Netflix gave.
Movie: Boost In Popularity & Exposure
Daredevil on Netflix certainly gave a significant boost in popularity to the superhero since his last live-action appearance was the critically-panned 2003 movie and the show is genuinely excellent on its own, but a movie could give the character a bigger one. After all, the MCU is primarily built on the movies, with TV only recently being a bigger focus from the creation of Disney+.
A theatrical movie would certainly give Daredevil extra viewership since the brand sells itself at this point, and if it's great, more would likely come. Charlie's Matt Murdock certainly deserves more recognition for his fantastic portrayal of the character.
Limited Series: Avoid MCU Formula Constraints
A major narrative reason for keeping Daredevil on TV instead of the theater is that, as successful as the universe is, its solo movies, in particular, tend to suffer from generic sameness in certain departments. Hopefully, the multiverse era changes this up, but some solo movies feel more like long commercials for the next big crossover, using inevitable post-credit scenes to hype what's to come and having one-note, shallow villains--Mads Mikkelsen's squandered potential comes to mind.
It seems the movies in part follow the same template, and Daredevil used its loose ties to the MCU and smaller medium as its greatest strength to make a more emotionally resonant, intimate story with stakes that felt more real, even when movies take on literal galactic-level threats.
Movie: Disney+ Original
But perhaps a way for Charlie's Daredevil to still get a movie that doesn't suffer from the formula is for it to not be a theatrical, rather, make a solo movie a Disney+ original movie. This could allow for some middle ground in terms of creative liberties allowed in the same vein that DC Films will do starting in 2022 by having six movies a year, but two being more experimental, lower-budget HBO Max originals.
Likewise, it could pave the way for other Disney+ original MCU/multiverse movies that aren't afraid to get a little weirder in terms of how superhero movies tend to be told nowadays.
TV: Gateway Through She-Hulk
Matt Murdock potentially has the perfect pathway into a TV return through another superhero set to make her small-screen debut. She-Hulk is set to premiere on Disney+ with her own series (2022), and her background gives a great reason to incorporate Daredevil. Like Matt, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk is a lawyer; and also like Matt, Walters is based in New York.
It's speculation, but fans can't help but wonder if when Kevin Feige was talking about She-Hulk at the Investor's Day that since she's a lawyer who deals in superhero-related cases we'll never know what characters might appear, he's hinting that Nelson & Murdock (or at least Murdock) will show up. SM3 to She-Hulk to his own show sounds like a smooth transition. It could be similar to how Boba Fett got a role and then a post-credit scene in The Mandalorian S2 revealing his show.
Movie: Daredevil/Spider-Man Team-Up
A major reason for fans wanting Daredevil to be revived through Spider-Man 3, aside from the fact that the show was widely beloved, is that his and Spider-Man's team-ups are some of the most famous in comics when it comes to the Wall Crawler's social circle. The two are known to be close friends and Spider-Man features in Chip Zdarsky's current run of Daredevil. Plus, the plot of the upcoming threequel begs Murdock's presence.
After Far From Home, Peter's been framed and his identity exposed to the world, so he could really use a lawyer. Following up eventually with a Daredevil/Spider-Man movie thrill fans. It'd simultaneously work wonders for both characters if executed well, and a blockbuster like this with Holland's iteration would give attention to Cox, too.
TV: Hulu Merger
It's been a rumor for now, but there are rumblings of Hulu merging into Disney+. Since the former is majority-owned by Disney, they could do it if they deem it reasonable, and that'd be one of the biggest points in favor of having Daredevil continue on the TV. Should Hulu become a subsection within the Disney+, it'd be the best way to have the themes and tones of Netflix's Daredevil intact.
This is essentially because Hulu could go from being a separate streaming service to becoming the "mature-content" section of Disney+. Being within a section like this would be the closest thing to having the creative liberties Daredevil had.
Movie: Joker-Style Daredevil/Spider-Man Multiverse Movie
Less talked about, but no less exciting is hypothetically having a Daredevil/Spider-Man team-up movie, but with Andrew Garfield. This idea gained more traction online when fans discovered Charlie Cox and Andrew Garfield are friends, and Cox in an interview said that back when he was still in the role he wanted to team with Garfield's Spider-Man. It makes sense, with the superheroes being friends in the comics and Charlie and Andrew's characters being closer in age than Holland.
This could be Marvel Studios' chance to start a multiverse/alternate-timeline collection of movies like DC started with Joker. Likewise, and like the purpose Joker filled, this would be a great way to have a more experimental Marvel Studios movie independent from the MCU.
TV: Punisher
It's definitely not the same friendly dynamic of Daredevil/Spider-Man, but the loosely-connected Netflix corner of the MCU established the enthralling combination of Daredevil/Punisher. Despite being the "black sheep" season of the show, Daredevil season two was still well-received in spite of its faults, and Jon Bernthal's Punisher was a good part of that.
Bernthal and his adaptation of the antihero were acclaimed and fans who love Daredevil and Jon's Punisher have a lot of overlap, and he deserves to have him come back as Frank Castle. Should Hulu merge into Disney+ and give Daredevil a show back, the creative liberties allowed could be Punisher's paved path back.
Movie: A Launch Pad For TV
It's a bit of a "best of both worlds" situation, but for the sake of ramping up demand for Daredevil, having a movie with him as the/a titular role first could be the best way to ease into a limited series. As mentioned, MCU is known most for theatrical movies, and having him in a movie could be a great way to get him front and center in the theaters and then tease his own limited series on Disney+.
This could easily be done through a post-credit scene. It'd bring in fans of the original show and introduce him to newcomers, all while securing more viewership for a series.