Daredevil: Born Again Was Revamped When Two Stars Forced Marvel's Hand

Marvel has undergone multiple changes in recent years when it comes to television. Coming off "Avengers: Endgame," the studio set its sights on the streaming screen. Reviving one of the company's biggest hits, "Daredevil: Born Again" was announced in 2022 with Matt Corman and Chris Ord on board to helm the series. However, Corman and Ord wouldn't stick with "Born Again," as, thanks to its stars, the streaming revival turned into a continuation of the Netflix series that predated it.

During production, "Daredevil: Born Again" underwent a complete creative overhaul thanks to its two main stars. After their previous success with the original series, Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio — whose Kingpin character can only be used on television — expressed their desire to see "Born Again" get closer to what made the Netflix series great. During Los Angeles Comic Con 2025, the duo shared how they pushed Marvel to make some changes, giving the producers detailed feedback to show how much work the first season could use.

"Basically our plan was just to give notes, give notes, give notes, give notes," D'Onofrio recalled (via Popverse) "We would talk about it, we were in each of our own notes, we'd share emails, and send the group emails, and none of it was working. They weren't taking us seriously." While it took some time, the stars finally "got the ears" of the right people just before the 2023 writers' strike. "Then when that happened, our bosses, the guys who run the studio, were allowed to look at the 6 [episodes] we had shot," he continued. "And that's when they started [rethinking it]."

The strike's impact can't be overstated. With production halted, decision makers at Marvel Studios discovered what wasn't working. After seeing a few episodes and taking stock Marvel's other Disney+ shows, the studio opted to start over. While some of the previous "Born Again" material made the cut, more elements from the Netflix series were added in as Corman and Ord were replaced by showrunner Dario Scardapane and directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

Changes would be costly, but doing right by Cox, D'Onofrio, and the original "Daredevil" fans was more important. Even better, it sounds like "Born Again" Season 2 is doubling-down on that promise. In a report on Marvel's television overhaul by The Hollywood Reporter, the brand's head of streaming, television, and animation, Brad Winderbaum, noted that the goal was to mix the interconnectedness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with larger television feel.

"We're trying to marry the Marvel culture with the traditional television culture," he explained. "It comes down to, 'How can we tell stories in television that honor what's so great about the source material?'" Cox and D'Onofrio didn't know it, but they ignited an entire change of perspective for the studio that has reached far beyond "Daredevil: Born Again" — which has been renewed for a third season on Disney+.