Daredevil: Born Again has a new head writer and directors – and their hiring has restored my faith in the forthcoming Marvel TV show.
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Marvel has handed the reins of the Disney Plus series to Dario Scardapane – the journalist-turned-screenwriter taking over from departing duo Chris Ord and Matt Corman.
The Disney subsidiary has also drafted in Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to film the rest of the show. The filmmakers’ names will be familiar to established Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans, with the pair previously helming two Moon Knight episodes. The duo are also the main directors on Loki season 2, which is currently airing on Disney Plus.
The trio’s hiring comes as a big relief for fans who have waited a long time for a standalone Daredevil series set in the MCU.
In early October, we reported that Daredevil: Born Again‘s development was in serious trouble as Marvel looked to completely rework the live-action show. At the time, THR suggested Marvel was unhappy with the direction that the series was going in, so it decided to overhaul the project before it was too late. That led to Ord and Corman’s departure alongside those who had helmed its first four episodes.
It’s believed that Marvel will retain scenes from the show’s first few weeks of production – principal photography that began in March, but was shut down amid the now-resolved writers strike and ongoing actors strike. Once a resolution is found for the latter, filming will resume on the Marvel Phase 5 TV show. Rewrites are also expected, with Scardapane penning extra content to fit into the already shot footage, and new episodes to build out the rest of Daredevil: Born Again‘s plot.
Scardapane’s involvement in Daredevil’s MCU project is certainly intriguing. With writing and producing credits on shows including Prime Video‘s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Scardapane has already made a name for himself in Hollywood circles.
It’s his previous work on Netflix‘s The Punisher – the John Bernthal-starring spin-off from Netflix’s Daredevil TV show – that makes his hiring so exciting, though. Scardapane wrote four of The Punisher‘s best episodes, including ‘Home’ (season 1 episode 12), which, according to IMDb users, is the show’s best entry. In a producing capacity, Scardapane will have overseen The Punisher‘s gritty tone and gory action. MCU fans hoping that Daredevil: Born Again will follow a similar R-rated trajectory to its Netflix counterpart and The Punisher, then, should welcome Scardapane’s involvement with open arms.
Benson and Moorhead’s recruitment is equally fascinating. The duo made their names on acclaimed indie movies, including sci-fi flick Something in the Dirt and horror-infused projects The Endless and Synchronic.
It’s their work on Moon Knight and Loki season 2, though, that’s catapulted them into the limelight – and with good reason. Their kinetic camerawork helps the Marvel episodes they’ve directed to feel more alive, which bodes well for Born Again‘s various action sequences. Their ability to draw the top-tier emotional performances from each show’s stars, as well as imbue certain scenes with dread-inducing and gruesome horror, mind-bending sci-fi, unexpected comedy, and thrilling drama make them ideal for the MCU’s multi-genre approach.
Here’s hoping they and Scardapane can give Born Again the much-needed injection of weighty drama, ultraviolence, and superpowered legal tonality it needs. Fans shouldn’t expect Daredevil: Born Again to debut on Disney Plus until 2025, though with the series joining many of its TV peers in being delayed into 2024 and beyond.
