We've talked a lot about Daredevil: Born Again's "creative overhaul" since the news broke that the series was being taken back to the drawing board by Marvel Studios.
Chris Ord and Matt Corman were the show's original showrunners but during 2023's Hollywood strikes, the decision was made that their vision for the Man Without Fear wasn't working. Based on what's been leaked and comments from the cast and crew, the previous iteration of Daredevil: Born Again was lacking on costumed action and links to Netflix's Daredevil.
Ord and Corman are still credited for the majority of Daredevil: Born Again's episodes, though we know new showrunner Dario Scardapane came in and rewrote the pilot and the final two episodes.
Those are a highlight of the season, meaning season 2 will likely be on a whole other level.
While we're unlikely to ever know what was originally planned for Daredevil: Born Again, some new details have surfaced today courtesy of scooper @MyTimeToShineH.
They recently shared, "Finished watching episode 2 of Daredevil: Born Again and WTF that IS the original pilot. So they didn’t scrap it, just turned it into episode 2."
Asked to elaborate today, the insider explained, "It started with Foggy talking and then getting shot off screen, followed by a 'One Year Later' title card and THEN Fisk's speech at Times Square after becoming mayor."
That means a lot of material was added to the premiere, including the build-up to Fisk becoming New York's Mayor and Bullseye's return. It also appears Karen Page was going to be left on the shelf, so as of now, every change Scardapane has made looks to have been hugely beneficial to the Disney+ series.
It's important to note that Marvel Studios must have been on board with the decision to sever ties with the Netflix series as there's no way Ord and Corman could have got that far without executives agreeing.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Hawkeye made it pretty clear that the idea was to reimagine Daredevil and the Kingpin as both were far more powerful than their Netflix predecessors. So far, Daredevil: Born Again has dialled that back a little.
In Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
"A masterpiece of epic proportions, Daredevil: Born Again delivers a powerful, unmissable take on the Man Without Fear," we said in our review. "Putting street-level heroics on the map in a way that promises to change the MCU forever, the show is sublime superhero storytelling on a whole new level."
Daredevil: Born Again's first two episodes are now streaming on Disney+.