Marvel Was Right To Give Daredevil Such A Small Role In No Way Home

Limiting Daredevil to a small role in Spider-Man: No Way Home was ultimately the right choice by Marvel. Theaters erupted in cheers when Charlie Cox appeared on the big screen, reprising his iconic role as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in an official Marvel Studios project. After Netflix canceled the Daredevil series back in 2018, there was worry about the character's future. It is still unknown if this is the same iteration from the Netflix series or a variant, but it's a welcome addition either way.

New reports have come out that the writers of Spider-Man: No Way Home discussed giving Daredevil more screentime. During an interview (via The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith), writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers admitted they desired to feature more Daredevil scenes in No Way Home. However, they ultimately decided it was better to keep him to a minor role and keep the focus on Peter Parker. In the film, Matt Murdock was hired as Peter Parker's lawyer in the aftermath of Mysterio outing him as Spider-Man, and accusing him of being a murderer. Matt showed off his super-human abilities during the scene by catching a brick thrown at Peter with cat-like reflexes.

While it was initially discussed to give Daredevil more screentime, it would have been a disservice to the overall No Way Home story. More scenes and focus given to Daredevil would have muddied the flow of the narrative. After all, the film already had several characters to juggle. More screentime given to Charlie Cox's Daredevil would have taken away from the three different Spider-Man iterations, five villains, Doctor Strange, and the other prominent side characters MJ, Ned, and Aunt May. All those characters served a narrative purpose, whereas repeatedly showing Daredevil would have felt like an empty fan service. However, this certainly won't be the last appearance of Daredevil within the MCU.

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil

There may have been disappointment stemming from the one-scene limit, but this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When a character is teased in one project, it's only a matter of time before they reprise their role in another. Daredevil is rumored to appear in multiple upcoming shows, including She-Hulk and possibly Echo. There have also been whispers of a Daredevil show being developed for Disney+. Matt Murdock's brief scene in No Way Home served the narrative and gave fans of the character a thrilling cameo. At the same time, it introduced a new super-human character to the general audience who may not have seen the Daredevil series. While the shared universe and potential of cameos play a large part in why the MCU is so popular, their focus on character-driven storytelling is what makes the franchise exceptional.

While it would have been exhilarating to see Daredevil fight beside Spider-Man, it would have also taken away from the story they were trying to tell. However, the MCU shines brightest when the writers crack the code of integrating fan service through great storytelling. Movies like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home are prime examples of such a feat. By all accounts bringing three Peter Parkers into one movie was fan service. However, they did it in a way where Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men were a vital part of the story. Both characters played a role in developing Holland's character arc while allowing Maguire and Garfield's characters to find closure and redemption. If Daredevil had come to help in the final fight, it would have taken away from that great scene of seeing all three Spider-Men fighting together. Instead, Daredevil's brief cameo did its job without feeling patronizing. It played into the narrative cohesively, introduced the character into the main MCU, and teased future projects.

More: The MCU Must Avoid Repeating Its Kingpin Mistake With Daredevil