Netflix dares to take on superhero TV
Marvel’s Daredevil series is service’s first leap into genre that’s quickly growing
By some accounts, Netflix’s Daredevil reboot already has a lot going for it.
For one, this is a Ben Affleck-free zone. The character of Elektra, played by Affleck’s wife, Jennifer Garner, is also missing in action.
The husband and wife team (they met on set) nearly destroyed the Daredevil brand in the 2003 movie that was derided by critics. So it seems, at least in the eyes of some fans, this time around there is nowhere to go but up.
Daredevil was always Marvel’s most elemental superhero. As lawyer Matt Murdock by day and vigilante by night, he was a groundbreaker: a handicapped hero. He didn’t have the benefit of Bruce Wayne’s millions and there was no Batmobile in sight. In fact, he didn’t have sight.
And unlike Iron Man or Thor, he wasn’t out there saving the universe from extraterrestrial beings. Most days he was in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, content to call it a day if he staved off a mugging or two.
As expected, Netflix’s first foray into the superhero universe is a spare stripped-down vehicle that reduces the “super” in the hero and allows the characters to breathe. But it is by no means a home run.
One reason is that over the decade or so since Affleck played Murdock, the bar has been raised considerably by superhero series from DC and Marvel on broadcast television.
True, the Netflix entry is dark and noirish, taking viewers into the hellish world that begat a devil who would dare to take on the worst elements of society.
But you want noir? Try the superior Gotham, a gritty Fox vehicle that delves into a world before superheroes and with an all-star cast that hits it out of the park.
In Marvel’s Daredevil, the fight scenes are solid. Mixed martial arts fans will appreciate the deft battle scenes influenced by hardcore parkour. But they are not better than what you will find in the CW’s Arrow, which has some of the best if not the finest martial arts-influenced action scenes on TV today. So what are fans left with? Critics were given the first five episodes of Daredevil before the Friday premiere when the online broad- caster drops all 13.
It is a worthwhile addition to the overstuffed superhero canon and there is a lot to like.
British actor Charlie Cox ( Boardwalk Empire) plays Murdock as a likable, conflicted avenger who is coming into his oats.
As a child he loses his sight in a chemical spill. He eventually learns to develop his other senses, such as hearing and smell. Years later, he opens a law firm with best friend Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay)
The standout is arch-enemy Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio of Law
“We really wanted to make it accessible to new fans. They will be able to instantly understand the story of a morally conflicted man.” STEVEN S. DEKNIGHT DAREDEVIL SHOWRUNNER
& Order: Criminal Intent) who imbues the animalistic kingpin with deep humanity.
The ace in the hole for Netflix is that, unlike the broadcast networks, it does not have to appeal to toddlers and grandmothers to get ratings. For that, you have The Flash, an insipid, juvenile and predictable take on the comic book superhero.
Netflix can afford to go more narrow and targeted. This Daredevil is strictly for adults and it gets more violent as the episodes go along. There is a scene in the fourth episode in which Fisk is introduced that is graphic, violent and disturbing but in keeping with the tone of the show.
What does not stand up is Daredevil’s early costume, which essentially looks like a black bandana supplemented with long johns from Mark’s Work Wearhouse.
The producers call it “dramatic, sexy and badass,” but it looks sad. However, it does give a reductive feel to the enterprise, that Daredevil at the start is just some misplaced guy in a Lululemon track suit. The red devil outfit will come later.
Daredevil is the first dip by Netflix into the Marvel universe. Up next are A.K.A. Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. This will lead to the inevitable team series Marvel’s The Defenders, a strategy that has worked for Marvel in movies, with Iron Man, Captain America and Thor teamed up in The Avengers.
This is smart, but also risky. Netflix is taking on the B-team list, the back catalogue if you will, of Marvel heroes whom many are not familiar with. They do not have the cachet of A-listers such as the Hulk and Spider-Man. It allows them to develop a franchise of street-level heroes more akin to the real life Guardian Angels neighbourhood watch group than Superman and boy, do they save on special effects.
Still, as we have seen from other Marvel TV entries, just because you have had mega success at the movies does not mean a sure thing on TV. The disappointment of the disjointed Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is testament to that.
The showrunner for Daredevil is Steven S. DeKnight, who created the bloody Spartacus and cut his teeth on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. So Netflix is taking this seriously.
“We really wanted to make it accessible to new fans,” DeKnight said in a statement. “They will be able to instantly understand the story of a morally conflicted man as he tries to figure out, not only how to be a hero, but whether or not it is worth the price.”
In other words, just like every other superhero movie. And not. Daredevil will not change the broadcast playing field as Netflix did with its groundbreaking House of Cards drama, but it is a serious attempt at a serious superhero show.
We will know just how worthy a challenge it is by the time the Defenders finally assemble.