Dario Scardapane Comments on ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Revamp: ‘We Start with the Dream’

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As a dedicated fan, I’ve been keeping tabs on the progress of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, and let me tell you, it’s been quite a rollercoaster ride! The journey started back in 2022, with Matt Corman and Chris Ord at the helm as head writers and executive producers for the reboot series on Disney+.

During its initial phase, both Kevin Feige and Chris Gary were involved as producers. Later on, the SAG-AFTRA strike provided an opportunity for them to reevaluate their progress, but it was around this time that difficulties arose.

After the executives decided that the initial creative approach, spearheaded by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, was not aligned, they opted for a comprehensive revamp. This new direction showed stark contrasts with the Netflix series, particularly in terms of tone, and featured a gradual reveal of Daredevil in his costume, which progressed at a slower pace.

In this revised scenario, the initial creative team was changed. Dario Scardapane, who penned ‘Punisher’, took over as the showrunner, and Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead joined as directors. The series underwent a transformation towards a grittier, ongoing narrative style more akin to the Netflix adaptation, while preserving some footage shot before the strike, and incorporating fresh scenes.

In a recent chat, Dario Scardapane talked about a major revamp of ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’ He pointed out that although the initial footage had its strengths, it didn’t jive with Daredevil’s established character tone. To connect the Netflix series to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), they decided to create a fresh pilot episode which combines aspects of the original show and makes it accessible for newcomers who don’t have prior knowledge about the series.

In simpler terms, Scardapane mentioned that the storyline launches from the idea that Foggy, Karen, and Matt sketched on a napkin during the final episode of Netflix – an idea for the three of them to embark on a venture as partners in a new business.

The video contained several compelling aspects, yet it didn’t seem consistent with the character of Daredevil as previously portrayed.

Towards the final scene of Netflix’s series, Foggy, Karen, and Matt penned down a shared vision on a simple napkin. This vision serves as our starting point. It isn’t a complex dream requiring extensive deciphering; instead, it represents three loyal companions embarking on a joint business venture.

Charlie Cox revealed that the path of the series underwent a major shift following the writer’s strike. He clarified that Marvel aimed to make the show feel innovative rather than simply mimicking the initial series. However, upon examining the footage, they recognized that their approach wasn’t hitting the mark.

Consequently, they shot a fresh pilot and adjusted previous content to match the original series’ tone more accurately, which Cox referred to as an “immense challenge” that yielded remarkable outcomes.

Following the strike, there was a point where we had to change our course. This new path, though intriguing and justified, led us in a different direction.

Originally, the plan was to return after such a long time without simply repeating the old format. Marvel realized that the initial episodes weren’t quite hitting the mark. So, they filmed an entirely new pilot and restructured the footage to give it a similar feel to the show we produced years ago. Considering the colossal effort involved, their achievement is truly impressive.

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2025-01-25 18:14