Marvel Studios has some decisions to make about the future of the Man Without Fear within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though, one major decision has already been made. “Dardedevil: Born Again” has been canceled by Marvel ahead of Season 3. The forthcoming season will now serve as its last. So, what comes next for Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock? Could a movie be in the cards? Does that make sense as a box office gamble worth taking?
The show’s cancellation doesn’t come as a massive surprise. “Born Again” Season 2 suffered a major viewership drop on Disney+. Marvel Studios and Disney have also been focusing far less on streaming when it comes to the MCU, at least in terms of live-action shows, choosing to take a “less is more” approach in the future. That’s why they made the one-off “Punisher: One Last Kill,” as opposed to a whole season of TV starring Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, and the same reason why “Wonder Man” was canceled despite previously being renewed for Season 2.
None of this means that Daredevil has lost his importance as a character to the Marvel brand. It just means that things are changing, and “Born Again,” as a show, has run its course. That said, it’s been a very long time since Matt Murdock had the opportunity to topline a major motion picture. Giving Cox the chance to shine in that arena feels well earned, seeing as he’s been playing this role for more than a decade at this point.
On paper, it’s easy to see the argument from a fan perspective. From a business perspective in practice? It could make sense, but there are some big questions that need to be answered and some level of risk management that would have to be put in place.
Could a Daredevil film avoid the streaming-series-to-movie problem?
The last time this character graced the silver screen was back in 2003 when Ben Affleck’s “Daredevil” fell victim to its own ambitions, taking in $179.1 million on a reported $78 million production budget against iffy reviews. A so-so result. That also paved the way for the misguided Marvel spin-off that was the box office flop “Elektra,” but the less said about that the better.
In any case, it’s been an awfully long time since a “Daredevil” movie happened, and, with all due respect to Mr. Affleck, fans generally like Charlie Cox’s version of the character a great deal more. So, there is reason to think that putting him at the center of a solo film would work better than it did back in ’03. The problem? Much has changed since then, and audiences are more than okay with staying home for their entertainment. The box office is not as certain as it once was, and, more to the point, Marvel’s 2025 box office proved that the MCU has fallen from grace.
Yes, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was a massive success, but we no longer live in a world where every Marvel movie is almost an automatic hit. These films can flop and flop badly. See: “The Marvels.” The biggest issue here is that “Daredevil,” for most viewers, has become something to enjoy as a streaming series. Bringing those shows to the big screen is especially risky.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” set an unwanted record for “Star Wars” at the box office, taking in $345 million against a reported $165 million budget. That’s far from a big success, particularly by “Star Wars” standards. It’s the same reason why the “Game of Thrones” movie seems destined for disappointment at the box office.
Daredevil is ripe for a big screen reboot (at the right price)
There are key differences though. For one, “Star Wars” is very expensive to make no matter how one slices it. Likewise, when it comes to “Game of Thrones,” we’re talking about one of the most expensive, cinematic shows ever produced. Turning that into a film offers less novelty and not as much new for the viewer.
A “Daredevil” movie starring Charlie Cox, however, doesn’t have to cost “Star Wars” money. Not unlike how “Clayface” is an R-rated pure body horror film set in the DC Universe that was produced for around $40 million, a superhero movie centered on a street-level hero wouldn’t need to cost $200 million. It could be, in theory, much cheaper, thereby making grosses comparable to “The Mandalorian and Grogu” a win for Marvel and Disney.
It’s also important to note that Marvel doesn’t have many A-list characters that haven’t already been exploited on the movie side of thing. Daredevil is very popular. That could make this a bet worth taking. Now, studios rely on big franchises, and irresponsible budgets have been kneecapping them in the 2020s, with Marvel being a major offender. That needs to be said.
Still, if we assume that Marvel and Disney have actually learned some hard lessons, a potential “Daredevil” movie starring Cox, made at the right price, would be a logical place to take the character. Done the right way, it could be a relatively low risk/high reward prospect.
“Daredevil: Born Again” Season 3 doesn’t have a release date yet, but stay tuned.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
