10 Biggest Changes Daredevil: Born Again Makes To The Netflix Show

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2.
Daredevil: Born Again has already proven itself to be quite different from the original show in just two episodes, differentiating itself as its own unique story. When the MCU confirmed the Netflix Marvel universe was canon to the main storyline, anticipation for Daredevil"s next solo project soared. That being said, Daredevil: Born Again is ultimately a very different show compared to Daredevil, proving as much in only the first two episodes.
The showrunners for Daredevil: Born Again publicly assured fans that the violence of the original Daredevil would not be lost to Disney censorship, and that many of the same elements that made the Netflix universe so special would be making their way to the MCU. While the series is certainly faithful to the Netflix storyline, it"s far from a simple fourth season of the first show. Daredevi: Born Again is a different beast entirely, no matter how much parallels to the original show are inevitably drawn.
10 Born Again Uses Far More CGI Even the grounded setting can't escape the MCU's digital effects

For some time now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe"s over-reliance on CGI has been a point of contention for critics, pointing out just how much of the franchise now takes place on a green screen. Considering Hell"s Kitchen and Daredevil"s world are much more tangible places to be than most Marvel stories, hopes were high going into Daredevil: Born Again that digital effects would take a backseat. While that has luckily turned out to be true for the most part, the Disney+ series inevitably has far more CGI than the original show.
The special effects of Daredevil: Born Again rely on CGI for certain acrobatic maneuvers done by Matt Murdock, looking fine in the context of the show, but sometimes appearing awkward when viewed in a vacuum. Certain shots like Daredevil"s mask falling to the street in the opening episode also make obvious and heavy use of digital effects, something the Netflix show might not have gone for so readily. Daredevil: Born Again still features plenty of great physical stuntwork and believable effects like Bullseye"s trickshots.
9 Daredevil Is Much More Of An Acrobat Born Again is arguably more comic accurate in certain regards

One consequence of the increased profile of CGI in Daredevil: Born Again is the ability for Matt Murdock to be much more of an acrobat. In the Netflix series, Daredevil was mostly limited to stuntwork that was practically achievable, limiting just how fantastical and comic book-y his acrobatics could get. Thanks to the increased budget and use of digital body doubles, however, Daredevil: Born Again is able to show off a far more nimble Matt Murdock, despite only featuring him as Daredevil very briefly in the first two episodes.
In a way, this makes Daredevil: Born Again the more comic-accurate show of the two, showing Murdock swinging on his grappling-hook batons like Spider-Man, just as he does in the comics. This might be a jarring sight to veterans of the orignal series, who are more used to Daredevil doing parkour down a fire escape and land-rolling on the roof of a car at most. It comes down to personal preference, but it"s certainly a noticeable difference between the two series.
8 Foggy Isn't In The Picture The most predictable plot twist of all time

Though it wasn"t outwardly revealed by Daredevil: Born Again"s trailer, Foggy Nelson"s death is the inciting incident of the entire series. This might have been meant to be a shocking twist for returning fans, but anyone who noticed Foggy"s stark lack of appearances in the promotional materials and took note of the surrounding context clues could easily surmise Foggy"s days were numbered. Sure enough, he"s shot to death by Bullseye within the first 20 minutes of episode 1, leaving Matt despondent enough to give up his alter ego for the time being.
It seems unlikely that Daredevil: Born Again will find a way to bring Foggy back, even if the MCU has famously returned many a character from beyond the grave in higher fantasy settings. Considering just how important Foggy is in the original show, his continued absence in the following episodes will be sorely felt. Foggy wasn"t just Matt"s best friend and professional partner, but an important source of moral and emotional support.
7 Karen Page Is Hardly There Is somehow written out of the story harder than Foggy is

Foggy isn"t the only member of the Netflix series" core trio to be left out in Daredevil: Born Again. Although she isn"t killed by Bullseye herself, the trauma of Foggy"s murder causes Karen Page to flee from New York, ending up in San Francisco. She and Matt have some kind of falling out in the time skip, a result of neither communicating well after the loss, resulting in a schism between them.
It feels a bit disingenuous for Karen and Foggy to be written out of Daredevil: Born Again so quickly despite all the promises from showrunners to expectant fans that they would return. While this is true on a technicality, it seems clear that Karen will also not play much of a role in the episodes to come, once again deepening the gap between Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again. It might not even be too far-fetched to theorize that their inclusion was shoehorned in thanks to last-minute reshoots.
6 Matt Doesn't Go To Confessional Anymore A recurring segment that won't seem to feature in the new series

One of the most interesting aspects of Matt is his status as the MCU"s most religious superhero, remaining a devout Catholic even after everything he has experienced. The Netflix show would emphasize this with frequent visits to a confessional booth with Father Lantom, who was clued in to the fact that Matt Murdock was none other than the Devil of Hell"s Kitchen. Sadly, in season 3 of Daredevil, he is killed by Benjamin Poindexter, paying the ultimate price for his association with the vigilante.
Matt"s recurring visits with Father Lantom were some of the most compelling scenes in the original series. While it isn"t the MCU"s fault he isn"t in the new show, Daredevil: Born Again"s statements against "navel-gazing" dialogue found in the original show are an ill omen for these types of conversations coming back. It"ll be interesting to see how the new series examines Matt Murdock"s relationship to his faith in light of the tragic events that continue to plague him.
5 The Pacing Is Much Faster The MCU wastes no time with its stories

Speaking of the new series" lack of longer conversations, one of the most jarring differences between the Disney+ show and the original Netflix incarnation is the new breakneck pace. Despite having episodes similar in length to the Netflix show, Daredevil: Born Again covers a lot of ground with every second. This is especially apparent in the opening episode, which features a year-long time skip that flings Matt Murdock and company into the future.
This brisk pace blows through events like court cases and investigations that would have easily spanned an entire series in the first show, increasingly obvious at every new development. This leaves not an ounce of fat on the new show, a refreshingly brisk pace compared to the original, that could sometimes get bogged down in endless court proceedings and similar conversations. That being said, it"s hard not to feel like something isn"t lost in the series not allowing itself more time to develop characters.
4 Daredevil Got A New Look But is still missing his iconic emblem

Custom image by Ross Tanenbaum Few Marvel heroes have been through as many dramatic wardrobe changes as Daredevil has. Starting with the cheap black suit and bandanna worn in his early career, Charlie Cox"s Matt Murdock has made his way through many different live-action Daredevil suits, ending the series in a practical-looking but still devilishly handsome red-and-black costume. Daredevil"s MCU appearances have also resulted in several new looks, including his ketchup-and-mustard yellow mask featured in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Now, Daredevil: Born Again has introduced yet another suit into the mix, with possibly more on the way if the multicolored masks seen in Matt"s possession in the trailer are any indication. This suit is far more sleek, lined with a carbon-fiber texture and brighter red body panels. Tragically, however, he"s still missing the classic "DD" insignia on his chest from the comics, with live-action Marvel movies being infamously allergic to chest symbols outside of Spider-Man.
3 The Intro Is Very Different Signifying a change in identity

Like all great TV shows, Netflix"s Daredevil had a chillingly stellar opening theme. The abstract art showed thick red paint (or, more likely, blood), streaming down various objects, including points of the New York City skyline, steeples, and religious iconography, ending with a figure of the devil himself. This perfectly set the tone for the whole series, signifying the increased bloodshed that surrounds Matt in his efforts to do good for his city.
Meanwhile, Daredevil: Born Again takes a similar approach, but is still very much its own animal. Instead of sanguine paint pouring down from the heavens, the new intro shows pieces of the city represented in marble crumbling to pieces as a statue of Daredevil reforms in reverse, representing Matt"s return to heroism. The music is also far more melancholy and less triumphant, relaying the message that Daredevil: Born Again will be arguably even more tragic than its progenitor series.
2 Daredevil Has Finally Attempted To Break His No-Killing Rule Shattering the moral compass he struggled with in the last series

A lot of the drama in the original Daredevil series, particularly season 2, revolved around Matt"s staunch refusal to ever take a life under any circumstances. Daredevil is willing to snap bones left and right, but will never kill in even the most dire of circumstances, a stance which often bristles with rivals and allies like Elektra, Stick, and Punisher. Interestingly, most MCU heroes don"t have a no-kill rule, making Daredevil a stark exception in his new cinematic universe.
Yet in the first 20 minutes of being in his own solo project in the MCU, Daredevil has already come incredibly close to breaking his nominal rule. After catching Bullseye and hearing Foggy"s heartbeat go out, Daredevil simply pushes him off the roof of a building onto the street below, later admitting he did so with the intent to kill. Bullseye survives thanks to his experimental surgery granting him superhuman durability, but it says a lot about the difference between the two shows that Matt already came so close to killing.
1 Bullseye Is Daredevil's New Arch-Nemesis Benjamin Poindexter has truly evolved

On the subject of Bullseye, the dead-eyed supervillain"s presence in the new series is sure to be one of the defining differences compared to the Netflix show. Benjamin Poindexter first shows up in season 3 of Daredevil, already displaying his supernatural levels of marksmanship as he impersonated Daredevil to frame him for various crimes on Kingpin"s behalf. But it isn"t until Daredevil: Born Again that he finally fulfills his destiny as Bullseye, the beloved psychopath from the comics.
Already, Bullseye has done irrevocable damage to Matt Murdock"s life. However, it remains unclear as to why Bullseye bears such a vendetta against Matt over Wilson Fisk, considering Kingpin was the one to break his spine. Poindexter is currently still in prison as of the latest Daredevil: Born Again episode, but it"s safe to say he"ll be back to haunt Matt"s life soon enough.
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