Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane has highlighted the key differences between the forthcoming series and its Netflix predecessor.
The new Disney+ show, which is due to start on 4 March, will see Charlie Cox return as the Marvel superhero, seven years after he played the character for three seasons between 2015 and 2018 (He did a cameo in the role in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home).
Despite the switch from Netflix to Disney, Daredevil: Born Again will continue the story of Matt Murdock and will also see Vincent D’Onofrio return as Kingpin and Jon Bernthal as The Punisher.
Speaking to SFX Magazine, via Games Radar, Scardapane praised the Netflix show but was keen to emphasise the differences with the new version.
“The earlier show, at its best, was fantastic,” says the 58-year-old. “At its worst, it was two characters in a room talking about what a hero is. I felt that had been done. I’m not taking swipes. I just didn’t want to hear characters grousing about their lot in life. I wanted to see them doing things.”
Scardapane, who also worked on Netflix’s The Punisher, talked up Born Again’s influences, specifically those that revolve around crime stories set in New York City.
“I really feel that Netflix’s Daredevil, which I know in my blood, was much more noir, and this show is more New York crime story,” he says.
“It has elements of The Sopranos and King Of New York. There’s a feeling for those classic 1990s crime tales. It has a pace and a scope that, for a lot of reasons, Netflix wasn’t able to do. They were very dark, cinematically, not necessarily story-wise, although there were some dark elements. We’re much darker.”
This comes after eagle-eyed viewers also spotted a brief glimpse of Michael Gandolfini, the son of Sopranos star James Gandolfini, in an unspecified role in the show’s trailer.
The 25-year-old, who played a younger version of his father’s iconic role in 2021’s The Many Saints of Newark, is seen in just one shot in the entire trailer but fans are already keen to learn more about the character.
Although it has been confirmed for some time that Gandolfini would be in the show, he has remained tight-lipped about what his role will be.
Speaking to Collider in March 2023, he said: “I believe all I can say about my character is that my character is from Staten Island, and that’s about it.”
