Daredevil: Born Again was a hit with fans and critics, but the fifth episode—"With Interest"—proved to be the most divisive. Tonally, it was far more jovial than the rest of the season and felt more like a Mark Waid Daredevil comic than one by Frank Miller or Chip Zdarsky, for example.
In the episode, Matt Murdock finds himself caught up in a bank robbery alongside Ms. Marvel's father, Yusuf Khan. The Man Without Fear helps to take down the robbers, and it's been confirmed that this was the only instalment of Daredevil: Born Again left untouched by the creative overhaul.
Talking to The Playlist, Charlie Cox elaborated on what the series looked like before Dario Scardapane took over as showrunner, and made a startling admission.
"There was one episode we didn’t change at all," the actor started. "It’s the episode in the bank ['With Interest'], and that was part of the original [shoot]. We shot that before the strike. That was part of the original, and just for my money, I wasn’t into it. I didn’t like it. It was my least favorite of the episodes, and I kind of pushed back against it as much as I felt was possible."
"I said, 'I don’t believe in a bank heist in 2025. That feels like a 1970s game. Too much technology these days for that to work.' And also, I didn’t think the actual device used for the theft was sophisticated enough," Cox continued. "I really pushed back on the episode, and yet I hear from so many people that they love that episode. So, it just goes to show you just don’t know."
"It’s so subjective. Everyone’s taste is different. And I’ve heard that that episode is one of the highest-rated. Internally, when they do their ratings, it’s one of the highest-rated Disney shows that they’ve had," he revealed.
Cox couldn't share much about Daredevil: Born Again season 2, but did offer a glowing review of what's on the horizon now that Scardapane is free to do his own thing and no longer attempting to fix anyone else's work.
"I don’t want to oversell it. I do happen to think it’s some of the best writing we’ve ever had on this show," Cox enthused. "I am sure everyone always says that. I texted the showrunner, Dario, the other day and was like, 'Obviously we’re still halfway through shooting it, but huge, huge credit to what you’ve pieced together here.'"
"He’s done something which I’m really excited about, which is that he’s fleshed out characters that in the previous iteration of the show often get left behind," he added. "So, it feels much more like an ensemble than it’s ever felt. Dario is a real, really extraordinary talent. We’re very lucky to have him. I think this is going to be a good season."
Many fans have already pointed out the difference in quality between the reshot pilot and final two instalments when comparing them to the rest of the season (only minor tweaks could be made to the episodes already shot). Now, it will be up to Scardapane to keep the finale's momentum going and deliver a second season that meets fan expectations.
All signs point to that being the case, and Daredevil: Born Again will likely feel like a much different series when it returns...and not just because 'ol Hornhead will be going to war with Mayor Wilson Fisk in a city that's been put on lockdown and outlawed vigilantes.
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is now streaming on Disney+. Season 2 premieres in 2026.