Daredevil: Born Again has finally arrived and that means critics are finally able to share their thoughts on the latest TV series from Marvel Studios.
Social media reactions were glowing, both for the first two episodes and when the remaining seven were sent out. We know all too well that there's often a big difference between what's said on X and in a full review and, in the case of Daredevil: Born Again, the jury has returned with its verdict:
Daredevil: Born Again is a hit. Mostly.
Variety calls the show "a breathtaking example of what it means to revisit a known hero while offering him new reasons to fight for justice." The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, says it's the "adherence to formula that makes Born Again so satisfying at its best is also what ultimately keeps it feeling trapped in amber."
Rolling Stone describes the revival as a "product of two competing visions" and USA Today argues that, "Too much of 'Born Again' feels like something we've already seen."
TV Guide's critic "[would] rate it higher than last year's much-lauded Batman spin-off The Penguin" and Slate shares its take that this "wildly entertaining new series is exactly the sort of smaller, self-contained victory that Matt and his friends are always striving for." CBR hails it as "flawless from beginning to end" and IGN promises fans Daredevil: Born Again has "the same winning formula as the Netflix show."
Even The Telegraph believes "Marvel has never seemed so visionary," with Radio Times hyping up what they describe as "a bloody delight and a worthy return to Hell's Kitchen."
Finally, Deadline starts its review by stating, "After several years of teasing cameos, Marvel’s the Man without Fear is finally back in Daredevil: Born Again and the Disney+ show’s timing is fearlessly fantastic."
In our review, we concluded with, "A masterpiece of epic proportions, Daredevil: Born Again delivers a powerful, unmissable take on the Man Without Fear. 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."
Rohan Patel also shared his take, calling Daredevil: Born Again "a bloody masterstroke" and a series featuring "some of the most jaw-breaking comic book action ever put on screen." He concludes by praising "the MCU’s darkest and most violent series" as its "best yet."
Ultimately, it seems the biggest issue is Daredevil: Born Again feeling a little too much like Netflix's Daredevil...which is exactly what fans wanted and the main reason for last year's creative overhaul.
The consensus is overall very positive, though, and it's pretty obvious that this show is for the fans, not the critics who have grown bored with superheroes.
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.
The series also stars Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Zabryna Guevara, Nikki James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan, Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, with Ayelet Zurer and Jon Bernthal. Dario Scardapane is showrunner.
Daredevil: Born Again's first two episodes are now streaming on Disney+.