EDITORIAL: Why Michael C. Hall Is Perfect For The Role Of Daredevil!

I never really understood or cared all that much about the huge support that Michael C. Hall had for the role of Daredevil. Don’t get me wrong, DD is one of my favourite comic book characters but I had never really seen enough of Hall to judge whether or not he’d be a good choice. In fact, I was a strong supporter of my fellow CBM user DDD‘s brilliant choice - Misha Collins - playing the character! (who I still think would be a great choice!) However, it was when I finally decided to watch Dexter that I realised what the hype was all about.

Before I get to that though, I have to admit to being one of the few people that actually enjoyed the first Daredevil movie. I admit that it was far from perfect, the acting wasn’t exactly brilliant for the most part (although Affleck was actually pretty good here and there) and I cant deny that the CGI was downright awful in places. However, as a whole I think that the essence of the character was captured quite well on the big screen. Since then, there have been rumours that Fox are planning another movie. The details have been scarce and as much as I’d like to see it not happen so that we’d eventually see DD back in the hands of Marvel Studios, that’s pretty unlikely so I guess that we can only hope the next one will be better. Personally, I think that the best direction for them to now go (regardless of who ends up making it) is with an The Incredible Hulk style reboot that skips the origins and just picks up things with the character without any reference to what’s come before. And in my opinion, Hall is perfect for exactly that type of movie. He’s 39 years of age which is ideal for a slightly older, battle hardened Matt Murdock - funnily enough, exactly what the character is in the current comic books that he features in!

Hall also happens to look ideal for the role. And no, it’s not just the fact that he shares DD’s trademark red hair! In my eyes, he looks exactly as if the character had stepped right out of the comic books and his built (fairly muscular but not overly so) is just right for capturing the slightly more slender look he‘s had since Frank Miller‘s iconic run. However, looks really aren’t important when it comes to whether he has the acting chops to be able to actually do the character justice. The real question when it comes to picking an actor to play Daredevil is whether they’d also be able to effectively portray Matt Murdock. Unlike a lot of superheroes whose personalities don’t differ all that much from when they’re in costume, there are two very different sides to this particular character. Hall has already proved numerous times in my eyes that he could pull off the intensity of Daredevil. He’s done a fair bit of stunt and fight work in Dexter so that is something I have no fear of him easily being able to handle as long as he were given a little extra training to be able to perform a similar fighting style to what is seen in the comic books. For an example of both what a great actor he is and the brilliant intensity he can bring to a scene, check out this scene from season 4 of Dexter: (head to 1:30 to see exactly what I‘m talking about!)



But would he be any good as Matt Murdock, the lawyer? Absolutely. A few months ago, I bought the entire box set of Six Feet Under and was astonished to see a completely different side of Michael C. Hall. Playing the uptight, gay undertaker David Fisher, his performance couldn’t have been any different from what I had so far seen from him in Dexter. To me, this proves that he’s a diverse enough actor to be able to do more than just portray the darker side of Matt‘s personality. One of the things I’ve noticed here on CBM is people saying that they couldn’t see him in the role because he comes across as being too villainous. While I cant deny that he would indeed make a great villain, I have to disagree with the assumption that that is all he’s capable of playing. After the first couple of seasons of Six Feet Under, Hall’s character became far more likeable and many times displayed the exact same qualities that Murdock has when he’s out of the costume and surrounded by his friends or fighting for the justice that he so believes in in court. If you’ve never seen that show, then I doubt that I’ve managed to change your mind all that much but I would advise you to check out at least a few clips or episodes of the show because seeing it most definitely convinced me of not only what a great actor Hall is but also the many acting skills that he’s capable of! However, look back at the past few years of Daredevil comics, as well as the success of a movies like Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and it’s not hard to see that a darker DD movie would be actually be a good thing.

I’m one of the people that hates the thought of the studios making movies “darker” simply because of the success of films like the ones I’ve mentioned above but Daredevil is a character who would actually benefit from this. You’ve only got to take a look at Bendis, Brubaker and now Diggle and Johnston’s runs to see why a grittier DD would be a good thing! So if you’re still not sure about Hall, reassure yourself with the fact that there’s no one more perfect for capturing that particular side of the character! One thing I think I probably have to address here is the fact that the actor was recently diagnosed with cancer and was later pictured at the Golden Globes (where he actually won the award for ‘Best Actor‘ for his performance in Dexter) having lost his hair. At the time that this news came out, some people on this site wrote him off and claimed that he was no longer suitable to play DD. No, I don’t quite get what the hell they’re on either but he’s since made a full recovery and is expected to start filming season five of Dexter in the next month or so proving that his health is not an issue when it comes to his suitability for the role. And the hair? Well, a movie that he recently finished filming on actually supplied him with a $10, 000 wig so again, not a problem in my opinion.

The fact is, I’m not trying to force my opinion on you if you’re not a fan of thought of seeing Hall play Daredevil. Hopefully, I’ve at least helped to change your mind to some extent and highlighted a few of the main reasons why I think that he’s the right guy the for the job! Either way, have your say in the usual place and thanks for reading!

Also, feel free sure to check out some of my past editorials:

Why Michael Rapaport Is Perfect For The Role Of Hank Pym!
Why Bret Harrison is Perfect For The Role Of Spider-Man!
Why Ryan McPartlin Is Perfect For The Role Of Captain America!
Why Kathryn Prescott Is Perfect For The Role Of Pixie!