The #SaveDaredevil campaign is going stronger than ever, now that two years have passed since Netflix canceledDaredevil and Disney has regained the screen rights to use The Man Without Fear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios has yet to announce what plans, if any, it has for Matt Murdock, much less whether Charlie Cox could reprise his role as Daredevil. However, if Cox does return, there's no need to reboot his story; his unfinished Netflix one fits the MCU perfectly.
Following his near-death during the destruction of Midland Circle in The Defenders, Cox's Matt Murdock spent most of Daredevil Season 3 struggling to decide whether he should fully embrace his dark side as a vigilante or resume his work as a criminal lawyer fighting for those marginalized by the law. The season ended with Matt choosing to return to the light by becoming a true "Man Without Fear" and resuming his legal work with his old pals Foggy Nelson and Karen Page. Sadly, before it could reveal what happens next, Daredevil was canceled by Netflix, along with the service's other Marvel TV shows.
Rumors persist that Cox has a deal in place to reprise his role as Matt Murdock in the MCU's Spider-Man 3, now that Marvel Studios can legally use him in Phase 4. It also feels like a good spot to pick up from where Daredevil Season 3 left things, with Matt having successfully sent his nemesis Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, back to prison, rekindled ties with his closest friends and taken steps to begin a new chapter of his life. In fact, the larger MCU is in a similar state of transition after the events of Avengers: Endgame, as the people of Earth continue to rebuild in the wake of Thanos' defeat and a new generation of heroes enter the spotlight.
Netflix's Daredevil deviated from the MCU's Infinity Saga in the lead-up to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, but by this point, there's nothing in the show's universe that would clash with what's happening in Phase 4. The old Hell's Kitchen, like the rest of New York, is gone five years after Thanos' snap, making now a great time to re-introduce Matt Murdock's stomping ground with its original history intact. Rehashing the events of Daredevil's three seasons not only feels unnecessary, but it also sounds less interesting than carrying over the rich backstory that's already in place for Cox's Daredevil and his supporting cast, including Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin.
Matt's decision to refocus his efforts on his legal career at the end of Daredevil Season 3 feeds equally well into the state of things when Spider-Man 3 begins. After Spider-Man: Far From Home ended with the world learning that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, Peter could use a top-notch lawyer to help him navigate the fallout. Plus, reincorporating Cox's Matt Murdock back into the MCU at this juncture could lead to him making a similar appearance in the courtroom on the upcoming She-Hulk series, in addition to a potential new season of Daredevil.
Netflix's Marvel superhero shows were admittedly hurt by the disconnect between the now-defunct Marvel Television and Marvel Studios, which is why series like Daredevil shifted away from the MCU's trajectory in Phase 3. With the newly-formed Marvel TV Studios focused on creating shows that interconnect with the MCU films for Phase 4 and beyond, they would do well to expand upon the foundation laid by Daredevil's previous seasons by keeping everything that worked and leaving the rest in the past. As luck would have it, the show ended its story at a point where it shouldn't be hard to do just that.
Directed by Jon Watts, the currently untitled sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina and Benedict Cumberbatch. The film arrives in theaters Dec. 17, 2021.