If online scoopers are to be believed, Daredevil is definitely on his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Charlie Cox will reportedly reprise the role (likely as a new version), and after defending Peter Parker for a Spider-Man: No Way Home courtroom scene, it's thought the actor will continue playing the Man Without Fear as we head into Disney+'s She-Hulk sometime next year.
Assuming that's true, though, what comes next for Matt Murdock beyond these two appearances?
Well, that's what we're taking a look at today. Marvel Television and Netflix did an okay job with the character, but under the watch of Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios, Daredevil can be "Born Again" on the big or small screen (perhaps both). From unique storylines to unexpected team-ups, this is what we want to see next...assuming the character really is about to become part of the MCU!
To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click on that "Next" button below!
5. Behind Bars
Matt Murdock has spent time in prison not once, but twice. The first time came after his secret identity was outed to the world at large, and that led to the lawyer being called to task for his vigilante activities. It was a great storyline, especially as he was sharing space with many of his greatest foes.
It obviously wouldn't make sense for Marvel Studios to jump straight into this, but if his history as Daredevil is established well enough in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk, then it might not be too difficult to kick off a movie or TV show by having Matt find himself framed and behind bars.
Warner Bros. once planned to release a Supermax movie revolving around Green Arrow crossing paths with some of the greatest DC Comics villains in prison, but how cool would that be in the MCU?
4. West Coast Avenger
The Man Without Fear may be closely associated with Hell's Kitchen in New York City, but he's also spent quite a bit of time patrolling the (not quite so mean) streets of San Francisco.
That would be a great way to put a fresh spin on Daredevil's adventures, and moving out of the Big Apple certainly wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to the MCU. Throw in the fact that many fans are hopeful we could see the West Coast Avengers at some point - especially with T'Challa setting up a base there - and having Matt be a key part of that team could be a lot of fun.
It's true that Daredevil has never been much of a team player, but that could change with this fresh interpretation, and we'd love to see him assemble alongside the likes of Hawkeye and Vision.
3. Spider-Man's New Mentor
For whatever reason, the MCU's version of Spider-Man seemingly can't cope without a mentor. It's possible Peter Parker is just looking to fill the void left in his life by the death of Uncle Ben, but Matt Murdock - who the wall-crawler has a firm friendship with in the comic books - could be a very different sort of superhero for Spidey to look up to after teaming with Iron Man and Mysterio.
In Homecoming, the hero successfully put an end to The Vulture's plans to put dangerous weaponry on the streets. Since then, he's taken on much greater threats (including a trip into outer space for a battle against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War) and his next movie looks set to heavily feature the Multiverse. So, what happened to being a Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man?
Daredevil would be the perfect superhero to remind him that normal people need Spidey's help too, and that could lead to us getting a web-slinger a little closer to what we see in the comics.
2. Street-Level Superheroes
As we've established, Daredevil is very much a street-level superhero, and beyond making Spider-Man aware of the people on the street who need him, the Man Without Fear can open the door to a whole new style of storytelling in the MCU. That was supposed to be what Netflix's Defenders were for, but Marvel Television didn't stick the landing; Marvel Studios, however, can.
Moon Knight appears to be heading down a more supernatural route than anything else, but there's an awful lot that can still be done with the likes of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Punisher, and Elektra, not to mention the likes of White Tiger, Echo (who we'll meet in Hawkeye) and Cloak & Dagger.
We definitely wouldn't suggest another team-up, but it would be awesome for Daredevil to lead the way in something of a renaissance for characters like these either on the big or small screens.
1. Walters & Murdock
Traditionally, Matt Murdock has been part of a law practice alongside Foggy Nelson. If Marvel Studios is looking to shake things up a little, though, why not pair Daredevil up with She-Hulk on a permanent basis?
It's already been reported that Jennifer Walters is going to represent superhuman clients, so if Matt is her partner, then that would certainly explain why he helps Spider-Man out in the courtroom. Making Daredevil a key supporting character in She-Hulk makes sense for a lot of different reasons, and from there, the stage could be set for him to expand their practice elsewhere.
Some fans won't be happy seeing Matt relegated to supporting character status, of course, but Daredevil is in need of redemption after what we saw on Netflix, and this could be a good start in that respect.