Daredevil: A step in the right direction for Marvel 

“There are other ways to see,” says Matt Murdock, hero of the Marvel series Daredevil. 

All of us have a dark side, and that dark side is exactly what the show tries to tackle.  

By day Murdoch is a lawyer protecting the innocent. By night he’s beating up villains. Like Batman, he has a code to never kill, but at the beginning of the new Disney+ series, an assassin kills his best friend and he throws the murderer off a roof. By sheer luck the killer survives. After almost breaking his code he vows to never become the Daredevil again but his resolve is tested throughout the series as his archrival, Kingpin, makes a crime-ridden run for mayor. Daredevils struggles with the decision to either let the system handle it or put just into his own capable hands. 
 
The series is excellent overall for its excellent action sequences, its cinematography, its acting and its gritty style. 

Series antagonist Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofio, did great in the role. His gigantic physique paired with his menacing cold stare, gives off that I-could-break-your-ribs-with-one-punch vibe. Writing-wise, I really liked what they did with the character in making him run for mayor. With every responsible thing he does, whether it’s plugging potholes that other mayors would ignore or showing up at a preschool to speak to the kids, it really has you second guessing his intentions at all times. 

Charlie Cox plays a Daredevil with plenty of charisma. The way he carries himself during the day as a lawyer—good-natured, calm and collected, vowing to always stick up for the little guy—really felt genuine thanks to Cox’s warm smile and his performance of the character’s cheesy jokes. Then when he puts on the suit, he’s a different man, seething with anger and frustration at the system that never seems to do enough. He has to watch as friends and innocents die or get taken advantage of while the criminals and the corrupt politicians run free and profit.  

 The fighting and choreography are impressive. The action is one thing that’s very important and yet simple to mess up, especially in a superhero show like this. The fights have to somehow be both fun and realistic.  

Something that really complemented the fighting and the cinematography was the lighting. There were a lot of times during the show where I wanted to steal screenshots for my desktop wallpaper. It reminded me a lot of John Wick: Chapter 4 and how it used lighting to really make scenes pop overall. Sometimes colouring is used for symbolic effect, like when Matt Murdock is shot looking up at the sky in contrasting black and red tones to reference his two sides. 

The music was somehow even better. The show is scored by the Newton Brothers. The score gives off an eerie, mysterious, corrupted kind of vibe. Especially the main theme. Even just the mix between the opera singer, piano and the violin gives me goosebumps.  

The show is everything I want and more from a Marvel series. I came to this not knowing much about Daredevil but was intrigued by the hype. I leave it as a Daredevil fan who cannot wait for the next season. If you’re looking for an answer as to whether or not to watch it or you’re still debating, please do yourself a favor and watch it right now. You’ll thank me later. 

Cover Image: Disney, altered by AI