Marvel’s Phase 4 reintroduced Daredevil and Wilson Fisk in the MCU ahead of Daredevil: Born Again, and it set up Matt Murdock’s role in the Multiverse Saga. Given that Marvel has yet to confirm whether Netflix’s Daredevil is canon to the MCU, it can be tricky to say that Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk only joined the franchise in Phase 4. Still, four years had passed since Daredevil season 3 by the time Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio returned as Daredevil and Kingpin, respectively. In addition, the MCU’s versions of Daredevil and Fisk are considerably different from the Netflix series.

Charlie Cox made his MCU debut – or comeback, depending on the canon status of the Netflix Marvel series – in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Matt Murdock appearing as Peter Parker's lawyer. A week before that, Vincent D’Onofrio returned as the Kingpin in Hawkeye. Daredevil and Wilson Fisk will return for their own MCU show, Daredevil: Born Again, which is expected to release in 2024 as part of Marvel’s Phase 5. Until then, the "Daredevil side" of the Marvel universe continues to have a strong presence in the MCU. Daredevil appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, a show that highlighted how different the MCU’s version of Matt already is.

Related: Daredevil's MCU Future Creates A Double Variant Problem

Phase 4 Made Both Kingpin & Daredevil More Powerful

Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio on a collage image.

While there are differences in how Daredevil acted in She-Hulk compared to the tone of the Netflix Marvel shows, the most noticeable difference between that version of Matt Murdock and the MCU one is how much more agile the latter is. Netflix’s Daredevil’s Matt Murdock was agile and highly skillful, but it never seemed like he was fighting beyond what a human being could do. Daredevil and the other Netflix Marvel shows were defined by their realism, even when it came to heroes with superpowers like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. In the MCU’s Phase 4, however, Daredevil’s abilities are more comic-accurate – he is indeed a superhero.

There is a difference between Daredevil’s backflips in the Netflix series and Matt Murdock being able to jump through buildings. The MCU’s take on Daredevil seems to be borrowing more from the comics in terms of Matt Murdock’s powers and skills, as there are certain versions in which Daredevil is almost as agile as Spider-Man. While the Netflix show never highlighted that part of the character, Daredevil is as much of a superhero as Spider-Man and not just a vigilante like Batman or the Ronin, for example. That is why Daredevil’s skills in She-Hulk are not really a surprise – at least in terms of the comics.

The MCU’s Kingpin is also noticeably more powerful than his Netflix counterpart. In Daredevil, Wilson Fisk was depicted as being a strong person. Some of the scariest and most intense moments of Netflix’s Daredevil show happened when Fisk unleashed his anger, such as when one of his associates appeared during Fisk’s dinner with Vanessa. Still, as threatening as Daredevil’s Fisk was, he was not inhumanly strong like the comic book Kingpin. In Hawkeye, however, Wilson Fisk was able to survive an exploding arrow and threw Kate Bishop from one side of a room to the other, which is closer to how strong Fisk is in the comics.

She-Hulk Showed How Daredevil’s Humor Can Work In The MCU

Charlie Cox as Daredevil smiling at Jen Walters played by Tatiana Maslany in She-Hulk episode 8

Another major difference between the MCU’s Daredevil and the Netflix one is how the former incorporated humor. Granted, Matt Murdock was funny in Netflix’s Daredevil, not to mention characters that would sometime work as comic relief, like Foggy Nelson. However, in She-Hulk, the Daredevil persona was acting as funnily and lighthearted as Matt Murdock. It’s important to notice that both Matt and Daredevil are funny in the comics as well, depending on the stories. Still, given that Charlie Cox’s last appearance as suited-up Daredevil had been in the intense Daredevil season 3 finale, the lighthearted take seen in She-Hulk was surprising

Related: She-Hulk Has Already Made Daredevil: Born Again Better

In terms of tone, Netflix’s Daredevil would not fit in most MCU projects – which is okay. There is a difference between a Matt Murdock-centered story like Frank Miller’s Born Again, which served as the inspiration for Daredevil season 3, and an Avengers adventure featuring aliens, a multiverse, and time travel. The Marvel universe was never defined by one tone alone in the comics, and the same can be said about the MCU. For that reason, it makes sense for the MCU to focus on sides of Matt Murdock that the Netflix show never did. Daredevil’s humor, both as Matt and as a superhero, is one of those.

The MCU’s “New” Daredevil Is A Better Fit For The Avengers Movies

Daredevil at night in She-Hulk

Simply placing Daredevil from the Netflix Daredevil series in the MCU without changing anything about the character would not work. There would be a jarring contrast between Daredevil and the rest of the MCU Avengers, as even the more serious and realistic MCU characters were still crafted to be part of a larger Marvel universe. While Daredevil and the other Netflix Marvel shows would sometime reference the MCU, such as The Avengers’ Battle of New York callbacks in Daredevil season 1, it never felt like that world was truly part of a larger Marvel universe. That is why the MCU’s Daredevil and Kingpin changes are needed.

In addition, trying to replicate what the Daredevil show did years later would only spark more comparisons between the MCU and the Netflix Marvel shows. Nothing will change what Daredevil and the Defenders Saga did, as those stories will forever be available for audiences to revisit. Whether the Netflix Marvel shows are canon to the MCU is difficult to say, but those stories are concluded regardless. The fact that Marvel Studios brought Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio back despite the canon confusion proves how well-received their version of Daredevil and Kingpin were, which doesn’t mean the MCU must copy what Daredevil did.

Will Daredevil Be In Avengers: The Kang Dynasty & Secret Wars?

Daredevil in front of the Avengers.

As of now, it hasn’t been confirmed whether Daredevil will be in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. It is safe to say, however, that Daredevil is currently not an Avenger in the MCU. While the MCU’s Daredevil appears to have been acting as a superhero for a while, She-Hulk did not know who Daredevil is. The status of the Avengers as a group is also a mystery, as the Avengers haven’t been on the screen since Tony Stark’s funeral in Avengers: Endgame. Still, it will be surprising if Daredevil does not at least interact with the Avengers in The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars.

Related: No Way Home Was Smart Not To Reveal Daredevil’s Secret

The fact that Born Again is part of Phase 5 allows Marvel to better establish Matt Murdock’s role in the MCU. Daredevil could still be limited to his solo adventures, like in the Daredevil show, but he could also interact with other Marvel heroes. The latter is more likely, as the best way for the MCU to set its new Daredevil show apart from the previous one is by incorporating the larger MCU into Matt’s story as much as possible. Aside from the Defenders, Daredevil never really got to interact with other heroes in the Netflix shows. That has now changed after She-Hulk and can continue past Daredevil: Born Again.

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