Along with the news that Ghost Rider will get a sequel, Empire Online reports a confirmed Daredevil reboot.
Marvel are “quietly developing a new version of Daredevil“. No other details of writers or producers or potential directors or stars (although we know it won’t be Ben Affleck, who’s been vocal about how he felt stung by the reaction to the original).
Now, I’m a big fan of the Daredevil character and am happy for a reboot since a sequel is out of the question. Though, I’ve said on the record in many blogs and articles that I don’t mind the Affleck treatment and especially love the director’s cut. It has an entirely different feel than the theatrical cut and recommend it for people who weren’t a fan of the original.
There are so many Hornhead stories to tell from Kevin Smith to the more recent Ed Brubaker stuff, I’d personally love to see something in between those and not just a rehash of Frank Miller’s arc. There’s been rumors of Jason Statham as Matt Murdock, but I’d love to see Guy Pearce wear the horns and billy club.
So, with this news I ask you, readers: who or what would you like to see in this new Daredevil feature?
September 24th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I’m a fan of the Directors Cut as well but if we’re going with a total reboot, I’d like to see someone with Statham’s athletic/martial arts ability but can bring the depth needed to the Matt Murdock role. No one sticks out to me so they may have to go with an unknown.
September 24th, 2009 at 7:56 am
based on this notion that the DC is so much better, i sought it out. and i have to ask, what made it better? because i just don’t see it. maybe it’s that i just can’t get past affleck, who i call “the ruiner” for reasons that should be obvious. anyway, since it’s not just you guys who have claimed that the DC is so much better, i’m starting to wonder if it’s me. but, again, while i’ve heard that sentiment, i’ve never heard an explanation of why it’s better.
September 24th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Irv, I will gladly tell you why I think the DC is better.
1. You see Matt actually, you know, BE a lawyer. Coolio was cast as his client and that subplot was left out. Sadly.
2. The violence is amped, if only a tad.
3. I feel this version was more loyal to the Frank Miller feel of the Daredevil world, with more focus on themes such as Matt’s struggle with his Catholic upbringing.
4. Less focus on the romance and more focus on Daredevil himself.
Check it out, but then again, this is just my opinion.
September 24th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Totally agree with the Guy Pearce as DD pick, though I would say Affleck did a good job with the material he had. DD has always had the more cerebral as well as somewhat spiritual side, and to project that both the writing and acting are going to need to be top notch.
September 24th, 2009 at 11:10 am
I’ve long maintained that Ron Eldard would be the perfect Matt Murdock. Then he goes and proves it in his short-lived ABC series “Blind Justice”.
September 24th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Why a movie? Here is a good character to save for whatever TV ventures come from the merger. Even after 30 years of big name writers and artists, he’s still not a big name character to the general public. More movies might not create much of a buzz (though Iron Man wasn’t exactly a big name, either.)
And he’s got the sort of story arcs that might lend themselves to present day TV. Season one could riff off of “Daredevil: Yellow,” season 3 or 4 could be the Miller era, later seasons could be Smith or Bendis. A TV show might also be better suited to a hero whose fighting style can be less flashy than Iron Man or even Batman and who has had one boot planted in noir for a long time.
September 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I nominate Sam Worthington for the role.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I thought Affleck made a great Matt Murdock, but not so good as Daredevil himself. The thing in super-hero movies is buying the character when they AREN’T in costume. Thats the hard part. Finding a way to make the action sequences work is a lot easier.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
The main problem I see with a DD reboot is that he has a pretty weak rogue’s gallery. Personally, I don’t want to see Kingpin or Bullseye revisited. It just seems too soon. The other hand (no pun intended) is that the Hand and Stick were used in Elektra (ugh), thus eliminating HUGE components of DD’s rogues gallery. SO, if a reboot did not include any of these characters, who would/could the villains be???
September 24th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I thought Fox still had the rights to Daredevil and were floating the notion of a reboot just a couple of months ago, presumably to keep the rights?
September 24th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
I didn’t dislike the first DD movie… Not my favorite film, but I liked it OK. The Director’s Cut is definitely a superior version, for all the reasons Lan mentioned.
I didn’t mind Affleck either and I think he gets a bad rap (see Hollywoodland, a film he probably should’ve gotten an Oscar nom for) , but I always felt his buddy Matt Damon should’ve played Matt Murdock/DD instead. Not sure who should play DD in a reboot, but I agree with Tyler that the rogue’s gallery is a bit thin at this point.
Plenty of good stories to crib though, so even though there might be some rehashing if it’s done well I don’t mind!
September 24th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
why does every picture of Daredevil have to have him throwing the billy club at you, with rope flying every in preposterous ways?
September 25th, 2009 at 8:52 am
I know others here have said it, but I think Daredevil would be best suited to TV.
Daredevil’s journey makes for great long form story telling. He has a good group of b-list villains that you couldn’t do in a movie but would work pretty good in a serial format. Additionally, you could have Kingpin be a good background villain who builds a scheme, thats much harder to do in a movie.
The action wouldn’t even be that pricey. Most of it would just be good fight coreography, not a lot of CG or explosions are needed for Daredevil.
Barring a TV series, I think the best movie possible would be Born Again. Change it just a tad, and it will be amazing.
September 28th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I’d like to see a Dark Knight style epic, focussing on the character of Matt in the manner of Born Again and Bendis’ run. Bendis has said he’d like to see the big grand Once Upon a Time in America-scale superhero movie.
Have Fox let their option lapse? It would be cool to have Scarlett Johannson’s Black Widow featured as a supporting role.
And yeah, Guy Pearce. It’s gotta be. Jason Statham doesn’t have the chops for Daredevil, though he’s got the moves. Jason Statham would be a good Bullseye.