Why Marvel Cut Down ‘Daredevil: Born Again’s’ Episode Count – Exec Explains

As a seasoned gamer and a die-hard fan of the Marvel Universe, I’ve seen my fair share of twists and turns, but the saga of Daredevil: Born Again has got to be one of the most intriguing rollercoaster rides yet!


As a dedicated gamer, I’ve been on quite a rollercoaster ride following the development of the Daredevil: Born Again series, which kicked off in 2022. Matt Corman and Chris Ord have been steering this ship as the main writers and executive producers for Disney+’s fresh take on the reboot.

Initially, Kevin Feige and Chris Gary played producing roles. But during the SAG-AFTRA strike, Marvel seized the opportunity to assess the show’s development, and it was then that issues started to arise.

After the executives determined that the initial approach by Matt Corman and Chris Ord wasn’t successful because it deviated significantly from the Netflix series’ tone and took an excessive amount of time to reveal Daredevil in his costume, the production underwent a significant transformation.

In this revised scenario, the original team of writers and directors were replaced, with Dario Scardapane stepping in as showrunner and Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead taking over directing duties. The series underwent a transformation to adopt a grittier, more interconnected narrative style reminiscent of the Netflix adaptation, while retaining some of the previously filmed footage and incorporating fresh scenes.

Initially, the production schedule called for 18 episodes, but it was eventually reduced, and they managed to film just six by mid-2024. Marvel Studios and the cast agreed with this new approach, which aimed to provide a fresh beginning while still honoring the original show’s essence.

Charlie Cox described the initial 18-episode run as a “massive project,” attributing it to the abundance of story possibilities that Matt Murdock’s legal career offered, making the length extension justifiable. Contrastingly, the upcoming reboot will only consist of nine episodes for its inaugural season. Recently, Brad Winderbaum, from Marvel, shared on the “Phase Hero” podcast the reasons behind reducing the episode count by half.

Initially, our idea for Daredevil was to explore a more extended narrative structure. We decided to delve into the character of Daredevil and the bustling city of New York, crafting an extensive cast in the process. Throughout this journey, we picked up many valuable lessons along the way.

Due to several factors such as the work stoppages caused by the strikes, we’ve had the opportunity to reevaluate our episodes and pick out the top nine. These feel like an excellent representation of what could be considered our inaugural season.

As a gamer, I’ve got to admit that the initial concept presented by Corman and Ord just wasn’t hitting the mark for me. It was understandable, really, that Daredevil didn’t debut his costume right away in the series, considering its original episode count. Thankfully, the studio made a wise decision to prioritize quality over quantity, which ultimately resulted in a more satisfying gaming experience.

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2024-11-18 11:13