The indie horror duo behind The Endless and Moon Knight take on Marvel’s most brutal hero, bringing Matt Murdock back into the fight with a fresh yet familiar vision.
Hell’s Kitchen better brace itself because Daredevil is back, and he’s bringing the kind of street-level justice that even the Avengers wouldn’t dare touch. Since his first live-action appearance in Netflix’s Daredevil (2015), Matt Murdock, played to perfection by Charlie Cox, has been breaking bones and breaking hearts with his relentless pursuit of justice. By day, he’s a blind lawyer fighting for the little guy. By night, he’s the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, serving up a brand of vigilante justice that’s as brutal as it is poetic. But after the heartbreaking cancellation of Daredevil in 2018 (we’re still in mourning), Marvel Studios has finally answered the prayers of fans everywhere.
Set to debut on Disney+ in March 5, 2025, Daredevil: Born Again marks the triumphant return of Matt Murdock to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but don’t expect a simple rehash of the Netflix series. While Born Again maintains the gritty, no-nonsense tone that fans love, it’s also designed to be an accessible entry point for newcomers. In other words, whether you’ve binged the original three seasons or are just hopping on the hype train now, you’re in for a wild ride.
The biggest change? Wilson Fisk, played by the always-intimidating Vincent D’Onofrio, isn’t just New York’s crime lord anymore… He’s now Mayor Fisk. (Yes, you read that right. Who let this happen?!) With Murdock trying to leave his past behind and Fisk attempting to reinvent himself as a legitimate leader, it’s only a matter of time before these two unstoppable forces collide in spectacular, bloody fashion.
Behind the camera, Born Again is in the hands of showrunner and executive producer Dario Scardapane (The Punisher), alongside directing duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Moon Knight, Loki Season 2), as well as Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd. And if that wasn’t enough to get fans excited, Born Again also brings back some familiar faces: Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson and Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page. Because let’s be real, Matt needs his besties to keep him from completely self-destructing.
Benson and Moorhead, the directing duo best known for their mind-bending indie horror films, helm episodes 1, 8, and 9. These two have made a name for themselves crafting eerie, atmospheric thrillers that blur the lines between reality, sci-fi, and existential dread. Their breakout film, Resolution (2012), was a genre-defying psychological horror that laid the groundwork for their expanded cinematic universe, which continued with Spring (2014), a haunting, Lovecraftian love story, and The Endless (2017), a cult horror mystery that’s basically what would happen if you mixed Midsommar with time loops and existential dread.
After establishing themselves as indie horror kings, they moved on to bigger projects, directing episodes of Archive 81 for Netflix, Moon Knight for Marvel, and Loki Season 2. Now, with Born Again, they’re bringing their signature eerie tension, character-driven storytelling, and a knack for unsettling realism into the world of Daredevil. And honestly? That’s the perfect mix. If there’s anyone who can capture the moral gray areas of Matt Murdock’s world, where justice isn’t always clean-cut and heroism comes at a cost, it’s these two.
With the return of Daredevil, the MCU is about to get a whole lot darker, bloodier, and, let’s face it, way more interesting. But what exactly can fans expect? To get the inside scoop, ZYRUP Magazine sat down exclusively with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Directors and Executive Producers) to talk about their leap from indie horror to Marvel, the pressures of reviving such an iconic character, and why Born Again is going to knock fans (and maybe some bad guys) off their feet.
ZYRUP Magazine: The Daredevil fans have been waiting for this moment for years. How does it feel to be the ones bringing him back in such a big way?
Aaron Moorhead: The thing is, we’re fans of Daredevil too! So, we wanted him to come back, whether or not we were the ones in charge of it. We’re just excited to see more Daredevil content out there. Even though we already knew it was happening
Justin Benson: To see the posters go up around our neighbourhoods feels surreal. Like, “Oh my gosh, we collaborated on that!” And now, it’s back.
That must be an absolute dream come true! This series is designed to be both a continuation and a standalone entry in Daredevil’s journey. What were the biggest challenges in making the show accessible to newcomers while still satisfying longtime fans?
AM: Yeah, I mean, the title “Born Again” is pretty accurate, it’s a fresh start. If you haven’t seen the previous show, you’ll be fine. But if you have, there’s perfect continuity. There might be a few moments where you wonder, “Was that from the previous show?” but then we’re off to the races. The most important thing for us was capturing the feeling of the Daredevil series on Netflix. Even though this is a new story set in a slightly different world, within about 15 minutes, you’ll see exactly what we mean. The moment you press play, it still feels like Daredevil: it’s gritty, dark, street-level, and bloody. It has mature themes and remains a story about Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk.
Absolutely! You’ve both worked on indie sci-fi and horror projects, and now you’re directing one of the most beloved Marvel TV franchises. What was the most exciting, and most challenging, part of that transition?
JB: Wow, you know, the transition has taken years! Funny enough, our very first job in television was directing an episode of Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone. It was about a killer octopus. It sounds ridiculous, but it was actually a well-written episode! From there, we got lucky and worked on Archive 81 for Netflix. While doing that, we landed Moon Knight, which was on a completely different scale. That was when we really had to learn how to navigate this business and figure out what we, as a couple of sci-fi horror guys, could get away with when given these massive resources. Luckily, Daredevil: Born Again came at the perfect time. By then, we had found our footing in this world, and we’re probably prouder of this show than anything else we’ve ever done.
That’s amazing! Now, we’ve seen Matt Murdock appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo. How does Daredevil: Born Again expand his role within the wider MCU?
AM: That’s an interesting question. We took our cues from Charlie Cox on this. He always said that Daredevil is such a serious character that if you just drop him into another MCU show with a different tone, it can feel weird. He has to adapt slightly to fit the tone of whatever show he’s appearing in. But this version of Matt Murdock? This is the tone of the Netflix show. He’s just as tortured and dark as ever. So we’re not really making an effort to adapt him into the MCU. Instead, we’re bringing the Daredevil series into the MCU and making it feel seamless.
Now that Daredevil is officially part of the MCU, some viewers will be introduced to Matt Murdock and his world for the very first time. If you could give them a heads-up on what to expect, what would you say to get them excited for the show?
JB: Ohhh!
AM: If you like mature, gritty, dark, street-level stories where the stakes are sky-high but still deeply personal, this is for you. If you like— (points at JB upon realising JB might have the answer in mind)
JB: (excitedly steps in) Brutal, street-level tragedy with heart.
AM: Yeah.
That sounds amazing. Thank you both for speaking with us. We can’t wait for everyone to watch the show!
AM: Thank you!
JB: Awesome. Thank you!
Daredevil: Born Again premieres exclusively on Disney+ on March 5, 2025, with the first two episodes dropping on launch day.
Original interview by Joel Lim. Additional input by Bernard Limbaga and Vanessa Leonardo.
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