Spoilers for The Defenders will follow. If you haven’t yet finished the show, bookmark this page and return once you have.
As you surely know, Marvel’s much awaited team-up series, The Defenders, is now available for your viewing pleasure on Netflix. The eight episode first season hit the streaming service this past Friday and though reviews haven’t been glowing, they have been mostly positive, with fans feeling generally pleased with seeing the four street-level heroes finally coming together to form the titular team.
While there were quite a few moments that got people talking, the one that’s caused the most discussion is probably what happens to Matt Murdock AKA Daredevil at the end. Though his teammates think him to be dead, the final scene of The Defenders reveals that Murdock survived and is recuperating in what looks to be the orphanage run by nuns that he grew up in after his father died. This scene is a major one as it practically 100% confirms what form Daredevil season 3 will take.
Going by what we see here, it looks like the third season will adapt the seminal “Born Again” comic book storyline by Frank Miller, and now, star Charlie Cox has confirmed that that’s indeed the case. Speaking to THR in a recent interview, the actor noted the next time we see the Man Without Fear in his own solo outing, it’ll be an adventure that draws from the classic arc – though it won’t follow it too closely.
“That’s such an amazing story. Everyone who loves Daredevil loves Born Again. You can’t not. And if that’s the case, then the implications of that would be very exciting to me. That would be great. Having said that, I know we don’t tend to follow any story blueprints too closely, because if you do, then you become a foregone conclusion.
Continuing on, Cox said that while season 3 may be using “Born Again” as its basis, there will still be a few surprises along the way to keep fans on their toes.
There may be elements from Born Again, but I’m sure there will be elements that are unfamiliar and surprising and different in order for the show to be compelling to fans who know the comics very well. If we start making Born Again page-for-page, then the people who have read it and loved it — the hardcore fans — they won’t have too much drama.”
Though Daredevil‘s next solo outing may still be a ways away, all eight episodes of The Defenders are now available to stream, which leaves Marvel fans ample time to indulge in the Netflix team-up series before the oncoming IMAX premiere of Inhumans. Though if early reviews are to be believed, ABC’s adaptation of the Royal Family is not nearly on the same level as the studio’s other shows, which is certainly disappointing to learn. Then again, given that Marvel was apparently aiming for “cheap and fast” with it, that doesn’t really surprise us.
