Daredevil: Born Again Review (Ep 1-2) - Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio cook a brutal storm in Hell's Kitchen!

Daredevil: Born Again Review (Ep 1-2) Story:

Smoothly gravitating towards a new world, Daredevil has left the mantle and is back to bring Matt Murdock. He is making peace with the fact that Hell’s Kitchen and New York at large will have a new saviour and he doesn't need to suit up. But some time after the events of Season 3 (from Netflix), a night at Hell's Kitchen turns tragic enough for him to suit up but one last time, as the target this time isn't him but someone he loves and the enemy is successful. So now Matt has left Daredevil long back. It has been a year since that tragic night. Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, is now an all-changed man who wants to be the mayor of NY and eradicate the vigilantes who wear costumes and call them saviours (You better save yourself too, Peter Parker). It also includes Daredevil but you know that's not going to be this easy. 

Daredevil: Born Again Review (Ep 1-2):

That the Marvel Cinematic Universe at this point is running in all directions is a fact. That the Multiverse Saga has mostly been underwhelming is also a fact. But one cannot deny that after smelling the tea and probably changing the entire course of action, the future does look promising again. Especially with the shows streaming on Disney+ (JioHotstar in India), the studio has hit gold more than a couple of times in the past few outings.

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So when they decide to revive Daredevil and take the story right from the time Netflix stopped making it, it is a bold decision. Expecting an audience to watch the three seasons on another streamer and also be sound with everything that has happened in the MCU so far is, of course, too much to ask for. But the audience will even do that if the outcome on the other end is worth it. Is Daredevil: Born Again worth it enough? Here's what the first two episodes hint at. 

The return to Hell’s Kitchen is not that easy. Too much time has passed and you expect these characters to age. Of course there is the big question about where these people were during the blip. But even if you ignore all of that, Daredevil, as a character, has so many intricacies that it is a web in itself to cater to and solve. Creators Matt Corman and Chris Ord take the responsibility to do it and well, they do it pretty well, at least for the first two episodes. Born Again in the first two episodes catches Matt Murdock in his most vulnerable state of mind. He has lost someone very close and it has just been a year. That tragedy led him to abandon his role as a vigilante, which was, in a sense, an integral part of his life and identity. Remember he once had stopped being Matt and was almost Daredevil completely? It's that inseparable.

To see wrongdoing and not use vigilantism and instead use the system to punish bad men is hard for a guy who is used to fast-tracking the process. Corman and Ord chose the perfect story to tell, that of a time when both the hero and the antagonist have progressed in their lives and are living their new lives. Both are trying to be what they aren't. Of course I am hinting at Wilson Fisk, played by the amazing Vincent D'Onofrio, who probably wears the Kingpin as his second skin. That dynamic is so meaty because they both fear the resurgence of each other and that, in a way, makes way for so much drama.

The writing in the first two episodes shows the Marvel Cinematic Universe what the movies exactly need. The creators, with a team of seven writers including Dario Scardapane, Jill Blankenship, Jesse Wigutow, Heather Bellson, David Feige, Grainne Godfree, and Thomas Wong, do not focus on just one thing and treat the rest like devices to service that main conflict. Everything is as important as the main conflict and requires the same attention. There are layers to the show. A killer who kills someone who is dear to Daredevil but doesn't regret it, the White Tiger who is trapped probably by Kingpin as he is now the mayor but not through correct means, Matt Murdock slowly gravitating towards taking back his Daredevil mantle again. And a whole lot of other things.

All in all, Daredevil: Born Again, with the first two episodes, it is off to a superb start that promises a stellar show because it is dark, the tension is much more than he will save the world, the villain is strong and not loosely written, and the world actually seems to be at risk. Hell's Kitchen is cooking something brutal and intriguing.

Daredevil: Born Again Review (Ep 1-2) Final Verdict:

Daredevil: Born Again has the potential to be one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe shows with how beautifully it blends the past and present, promising a great future. Please don't mess this up, Kevin.

Daredevil: Born Again debuts with two episodes on March 5, 2025. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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