Why does Daredevil have a new suit in ‘She-Hulk?’

Daredevil fans, your day has well and truly come. Following Charlie Cox’s cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home last December, the Man Without Fear is now all over the MCU. On top of the Daredevil: Born Again revival, that’s on its way to Disney Plus in 2024, Cox is also likely reprising his role in 2023’s Echo and lending his voice to animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year. But, before all that, we’ll be seeing him again very soon in the upcoming Disney Plus series She-Hulk.

Yes, Marvel’s two superhero lawyers will come face-to-face in the studio’s latest streaming series, something confirmed by She-Hulk‘s Comic-Con trailer. The promo ended with a jaw-dropping clip that saw a very familiar figure flipping into view on a rooftop, much to the surprise of Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters. Although this footage kept Cox’s face obscure, it’s clear that it’s Daredevil. Except, if you take a close look, you can spot that he’s wearing a costume we’ve never seen before.

What suit is this and why has Matt got himself some new threads since we saw him last? Let’s take a look…

Matt Murdock returns in She-Hulk

Yes, Daredevil is back in She-Hulk. We don’t currently know how much of a role he’ll have in the show, which is being pitched as a legal sitcom, but clearly, it’ll deliver our first look at Cox in the Hornhead costume since Netflix cancelled the original series back in 2018. And it seems Marvel has decided to give him a sartorial reset for this new era for the character, which will see him interact with the wider MCU for the first time.

Though his cameo in the She-Hulk trailer is cast in shadow, which is pretty typical for the night-dwelling Defender, a flash of light briefly illuminates the hero mid-somersault and we can plainly see that his costume has a new color scheme. In place of the maroon coloring with black embellishments it had during the Netflix years, DD’s suit now has mustard-yellow sleeves and a matching helmet. Many of the details on the outfit seems to match up to the original, so it’s possible this is the same suit, just recolored.

Daredevil’s yellow costume, explained

But why has Daredevil switched things up and where does the yellow DD costume come from? As hardcore Hornhead lovers will know, Matt Murdock’s first look saw him don a bright yellow and red costume, akin to a circus performer, in keeping with his original depiction as a fun-loving acrobat and thrill-seeker. It wasn’t until Frank Miller rebooted him as a much darker character in the 1980s that he switched to his devil-red suit.

As for why Matt has changed to this look in the canon, it’s worth remembering where we left him in season three. Benjamin Pointdexter AKA Bullseye had stolen his costume and framed Daredevil for multiple murders. Though the hero’s reputation was eventually cleared, it’s possible Matt decided he needed to distance himself from Bullseye’s antics by revamping his threads.

Having reformed his lawfirm with friends Foggy and Karen, rebuilt his relationship with his estranged mother, and put Kingpin back behind bars, Matt was also in a good place, having laid many of his demons to rest, so that might be why he’s lightened up, both literally and figuratively.

Will this be Daredevil’s costume in Born Again?

So, with She-Hulk establishing this new costume, is this what the vigilante will wear in Born Again? Well, that’s so far away at this point, it’s difficult to say. Certainly, the lighter suit wouldn’t match the tone of the grimdark graphic novel of the same name. However, that was already loosely adapted for Daredevil Season 3, so it’s unclear if Born Again is actually going to draw from that storyline or not.

Born Again may instead refer to the character being reborn as a brighter hero, taking him back to his roots in the 1960s comics. It will be a Disney Plus show after all. The MCU frequently has its heroes freshening up their wardrobes every time they get a new project, however, so there’s every chance that yet another variation of Matt’s costume could debut when Born Again eventually gets here.

For now, catch Charlie Cox’s return in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, premiering on Disney Plus this Aug. 17.