The star has addressed his exit from the Marvel production.
When Daredevil (2015) first premiered on Netflix, it immediately distinguished itself from the rest of Marvel’s television output. Gritty, grounded, and unapologetically brutal, the series offered a street-level perspective that stood in stark contrast to the cosmic stakes and larger-than-life spectacle of the MCU films. Audiences quickly embraced its intense fight choreography, layered storytelling, and Charlie Cox’s (Matt Murdock) portrayal of a blind lawyer balancing his moral code with vigilante justice.
Over three seasons, the show built a loyal fanbase and earned widespread critical praise. For many, it became the gold standard of Marvel television, but it was canceled in November 2018. When Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, the franchise then fell under the House of Mouse, and it wanted to launch its own series with the beloved characters.
In 2021, fans were thrilled to see Cox reprise his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Though brief, the cameo signaled that Marvel Studios had plans for the character. Around the same time, Vincent D’Onofrio (Wilson Fisk) made a memorable reappearance in Hawkeye. These moments weren’t just nostalgic callbacks — they were the first clear signs that Marvel was preparing to bring Daredevil and his world fully into the MCU fold.
That plan took shape in 2022 with the announcement of Daredevil: Born Again.Initially described as a hybrid reboot and continuation, the Disney+ series was set to be one of Marvel’s most ambitious streaming projects yet, with an eighteen-episode order that far exceeded the typical MCU show format. Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle/The Punisher) was also brought back into the fold, reprising the role he’d originated on Netflix’s The Punisher, a Daredevil spinoff that ran for two seasons to mixed reviews before its own cancellation.
A Rocky Start Behind the Scenes
Production hit a major roadblock during the 2023 Writers’ Strike, which forced filming to pause. While delays are never ideal, the break ultimately gave Marvel Studios an opportunity to take a closer look at what had been developed so far. What they saw prompted a significant creative rethink — and, as it turned out, it wasn’t just the studio that had reservations about the direction of the show.
According to Bernthal, his own frustrations with the original version of Born Again predated the strike-forced shutdown. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor revealed he initially exited production and walked away from playing Frank Castle over how the character was being written. “I didn’t like what they had for Frank at all,” Bernthal told the outlet. It was only once production stalled midway through the first season, and original showrunners Chris Ord and Matt Corman departed, that Bernthal saw an opening to fight for the character he wanted to play. “Ultimately, they gave me something that they let me rework and rewrite — and they aired that,” he said. “It worked for them.”
That willingness to walk if the material didn’t work, paired with a willingness to dig in and rewrite when given the chance, has become something of a pattern for Bernthal. He carried the same approach into One Last Kill, a standalone Punisher special he co-wrote with filmmaker Reinaldo Marcus Green, who directed some of the actor’s best-reviewed work in King Richard (2021) and HBO’s We Own This City. Bernthal described that project to The Hollywood Reporter as the product of “five years of negotiating and navigating, of not doing a lighter version that maybe they wanted.” He added, “I insisted that I had to be the creative force behind it.”
Marvel Hits Reset
In a move that underscored the importance of getting Daredevil right, Marvel opted for a substantial overhaul. Corman and Ord were let go and replaced with Dario Scardapane as showrunner and Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead as lead directors. The tone of the series was recalibrated to better match the grounded, character-driven style that made the Netflix version so beloved.
The structure of the show also changed dramatically. Instead of one sprawling eighteen-episode season, Born Again was reshaped into two more focused installments, with a third season confirmed last year. A brand-new pilot was created, and multiple episodes were rewritten to ensure a stronger narrative throughline.
Perhaps most importantly, Marvel doubled down on continuity. Fan-favorite characters Karen Page and Foggy Nelson — played by Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson — were brought back into the fold after initially being left out of early plans. Even casting decisions were revisited, with the studio reversing a recast of Vanessa Fisk, bringing back Ayelet Zurer, in order to maintain consistency with the original series.
All of these changes signaled a clear intention: Daredevil: Born Again wouldn’t simply start from scratch. It would honor what came before. When the series finally premiered in March 2025, it became evident that Marvel had delivered on that promise. Rather than serving as a complete reboot, Born Again positioned itself as a direct continuation of the story that began on Netflix — one where Bernthal’s Frank Castle, reshaped in his own image, fit right back in.
What Else Was Lost in the Overhaul
During the run of the second season, Cox revealed more information about the scrapped first iteration of the series. Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Cox — after a surprise message from his close friend Tom Hiddleston — revealed that Hiddleston had a role in the original Born Again series.
“Well, when the first season of Born Again was originally going to be eighteen episodes long, Tom was going to direct one of the episodes,” Cox told Horowitz. “One of the great losses of the back half of that original season, even though the changes that were made to the show were needed and necessary and made it much better, but he was going to direct episode twelve or something.”
The actor added that the pair had connected and discussed what the episode might look like, saying it would have been “lovely.” However, following the overhaul of the project, Hiddleston’s directing role was scrapped, leaving fans to only guess what he would have cooked up. Between Hiddleston’s shelved episode and Bernthal’s near-departure over Frank Castle’s characterization, the original version of Born Again clearly bore little resemblance to what audiences eventually saw.
Where the Story Stands Now
Set after the events of the original series, Daredevil: Born Again finds Matt Murdock in a very different place. Despite the challenges it faced during development, and despite nearly losing one of its key players before the cameras even reset, the end result feels like a carefully considered evolution rather than a compromise. The return of key cast members, the renewed focus on character-driven storytelling, and the commitment to continuity all contribute to a series that respects its legacy while moving forward.
For fans who have followed Matt Murdock’s journey from the beginning, Daredevil: Born Again represents more than just another Marvel show — it’s the continuation of a story that refused to stay finished, shaped in no small part by the actors who fought to get it right.
How do you feel about Disney’s current Daredevil series? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
