Marvel Studios made the surprising decision to completely overhaul Daredevil: Born Again after concluding that it wasn't working in its current form. Several episodes were shot, and while some footage will remain, it's thought the series will look drastically different when it eventually arrives on Disney+.
Dario Scardapane (The Punisher) was recently tapped as showrunner (marking the first time Marvel Studios has hired one to take charge of a TV show), while Loki and Moon Knight directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are set to helm the remaining episodes.
Changes to Daredevil: Born Again are so drastic that Scardapane has reportedly written a new pilot episode and at least two new episodes. Recently, we learned that one controversial plot point has been scrapped in the process with neither Foggy Nelson nor Karen Page now set to be killed - potentially off-screen - as the series begins.
It was last year we first heard of those plans and the response online was overwhelmingly negative. Marvel Studios' plan appeared to be for Foggy's death (we're still not sure if Karen was also set to meet her maker) to lead to Matt Murdock giving up Daredevil...until inevitably suiting up again. It sounded grim and, while it would separate this show from what we saw on Netflix, simply wasn't what fans wanted to see.
Well, Kevin Feige does seem to have taken that on board, hence why we're seemingly going to see both Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll reprise their respective roles. We don't know how much they'll ultimately factor into Daredevil: Born Again but Knight Edge Media reports that the decision was made only a week ago before production started up again in New York.
That's very last-minute and likely came about when Scardapane handed in those completed scripts for his revised version of the show. Maria Hill's death ended Secret Invasion's premiere on a shocking note and turned a lot of fans off, so it's good to see Marvel Studios learn from recent missteps.
It was last October when we first learned the show had essentially been scrapped in its current form, with Head Writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman fired along with the directors attached to the remaining episodes.
Ord and Corman, who came up with a legal procedural which wouldn't have shown Matt Murdock suiting up until nearly the halfway point of season 1, will still receive executive producer credits. However, much of what was shot will now be locked inside Marvel Studios to never see the light of day.
Daredevil: Born Again is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2025.