Editors’ note: This review contains spoilers.
Matt Murdock, also known as the hero Daredevil, returns in Disney’s “Daredevil: Born Again.”
Acting as a connecting point from the Netflix series “Daredevil,” the two-episode premiere explores Murdock’s journey as a lawyer against a mayor whose mission is to snuff out vigilante justice and have New York City abide by the rule of law.
Episode 1, “Heaven’s Half Hour,” starts with the assassination of Franklin Nelson. Murdock tries to stop the assassin, but Nelson dies. Murdock is left grief-stricken.
The theme song of “Daredevil: Born Again” is different as it sounds holier than the original. Cellos and choral accompaniment are used as during the opening credits statues are broken and reformed with the result being a newly built Daredevil statue.
One year after the murder, Murdock isn’t over his best friend’s death. To make things worse, his former romantic partner Karen Page left him. Murdock joined a new law firm working with Kirsten McDuffie.
Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, has decided to run for mayor of New York City. He believes New York is no longer safe, with all the vigilantes running about. He plans to snuff them out, once and for all.
Fisk and Murdock meet to talk and the two are so similar, yet different. Both men are trying to protect New York City, one through acts of heroism and being a lawyer and the other by politics. Fisk and Murdock are hiding their violent tendencies, which proves difficult with ever-increasing problems.
Episode 2, “Optics,” sees Fisk settle in as his time as mayor while Murdock has the case of Hector Ayala on trial for killing a police officer. Ayala was trying to save a bystander from a mugging and ended up throwing an officer in front of a train.
Murdock talks to Ayala about how a secret identity is important to the case. Murdock later convinces the judge not to mention Ayala’s time as the superhero during the trial.
Murdock tracks down one of the police officers by listening to his footsteps. He ends up at the victim’s house and tells him to leave so he can be a witness for Ayala. Two police officers arrive and start beating the lawyer, which causes Murdock to attack them back.
After the fight, Murdock stood at the beaten bodies, angry. He not only broke his vow of nonviolence but his facade of playing the lawyer had been tarnished.
Given the show’s merciless tone, one can only expect things to get worse. Eagle-eyed viewers might also have spotted a skull tattoo on one of the cops, suggesting the appearance of the Punisher. The appearance of the upcoming villain Muse is still yet to be seen.
Fans should be excited about how Murdock can rise against this litany of troubles. There is romance as well to balance out the gritty action. They should also expect more tragedy because as seen with Nelson, anyone can be taken out.
“Daredevil: Born Again” is darker than some titles on Disney+, but the themes of donning masks and acts of violence taking control are poignant today. New episodes will be released every Tuesday on Disney+ until April 15.
