Daredevil: Born Again is the latest Marvel streaming series to debut on Disney+. The first two episodes are officially out, but I have seen all 9 episodes to give you a full review on the entire season. It is the 13th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and serves as a revival and continuation of the Netflix series, Daredevil. I was heartbroken over the original series’ cancellation. With as much as I have seen, I am used to it. Sometimes, there’s so much out of your control and life goes on. Other times, you get series revivals like this one that come back and completely blow your expectations away.

Even though I still find myself a supporter of Marvel, my hype for them has certainly changed. Outside of the MCU, I grew up on the films from the 2000’s. Most notably, I recall 2003’s Daredevil being not only one of the first films I saw in theaters, but one of the first movies my entire family went to go see. Needless to say, my admiration for the Daredevil character spilled into the Netflix series – a series that completely redefined what a superhero TV show could be. Going into this, I was excited by the fact that I would see the entire series. What I didn’t expect was something extraordinary.

The plot finds Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) & Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) on a collision course when their past identities begin to merge. The series wastes no time throwing you right back into the madness of this world. It upholds the same grittiness of the original show while changing a bit of the cinematography, structure, and characterization to make it its own thing. Within the first episode’s 15 minutes, I had chills. I was transported back to the 2015-2018 era of the original show. It brings in a popular technique the show has been known for that I won’t spoil. I won’t spoil it, because I didn’t know about it and my jaw was on the floor. You will be floored by how incredible the opening scene is, but it also comes with dire consequences that set the tone perfectly.

After an incredible opening scene, it can be hard to maintain the same momentum going forward. What this show gets right is leaning into the drama that made the original show captivating. We get a lot of time with these characters. There’s a lot of intriguing dialogue that will keep your interest. It’s all very familiar and a nice way to not only reintroduce the fans, but also gain new ones.

Charlie Cox fits right back into the role like he never left. He was literally born to play the role of Matt Murdock. Alongside Cox is Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin. These guys clearly love their roles, but I think they love the fans even more, because they always deliver on what the fans want. After multiple prior seasons, there is still more stories to tell with these two. You’d think you would grow tired of the villain after a while. That’s not the case here.

We find Kingpin now elected as New York’s mayor. There is symbolism within this new arc for the character that puts him in a spotlight. He truly believes he’s doing the right thing, and sometimes, his performance will gaslight you into believing that. What this show gets right is how it edits in between what Matt Murdock is doing in one scene while it cuts to what Kingpin is doing. It’s a brilliant way to capture the contrast between these two characters and what they stand for.

After the show’s intense & brutal opening scene, it skips forward in time. While the show makes up for it in its storytelling, there is a missed opportunity to dig deep into Murdock’s mind unlike anything before. Still, the show places Murdock in a new setting that requires him to become Daredevil again. His reason for hanging up the suit makes perfect sense and it allows the show to dig in deep in the characters and their dialogue. As the series progresses, we get a natural arc that will make fans cheer & newcomers locked in.

One of the most compelling storylines of the new show is Murdock’s new love interest. I didn’t think it would amount to much, but Margarita Levieva’s performance as Heather Glenn makes her a perfect match for the character. She is never a character in distress either. There seems to be a perfect balance for the two characters. I also have to credit Michael Gandolfini in his supporting role. There is some resemblance with his father’s performance from The Sopranos that will keep viewers engaged. Fans of Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) will rejoice with what he has to offer as well.

Viewers may be wondering the most if this show leans into the mature rating. I can confidently say that it 100% does. Not for a single moment did I ever feel like the show was trying to tone itself down. It is fully committed to what the fans want. Now that it is officially in the MCU, it still finds a way to stay grounded. It never tries to fit an overarching narrative. Yet, Daredevil could fit with other characters if needed. At 9 episodes, every episode has its own story that will make you strongly identify each one. I was worried with this short season, yet I felt relief and excitement for how it ended and for what’s to come. The show also remains faithful to its score with a new intro that still feels the same.

My only other complaint that I have with the overall show is how much it uses flashbacks. In particular, it reuses the same scene quite a bit throughout. It’s an important point in Murdock’s story, but it becomes redundant. Since most of the show is releasing its episodes weekly, it’d be interesting to see if viewers don’t mind it. I personally can see it working that way. Since I had to binge it due to how much of a short window I had to watch it, I did feel like it was a bit much at times. At the same time, it did make me wonder if the show could have worked if they cut those flashbacks out and release the entire show at once like the original seasons.

Overall, Daredevil: Born Again will give fans more of what they want, plus more that will even satisfy newcomers. It’s approach to its grounded nature will shock you. The dialogue is electrifying. This is far and above the best MCU show. If you were worried, I think you will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. We’re in good hands. I don’t typically rewatch everything again after I have seen the screeners, but I will be watching this as it comes out on a weekly basis. I can’t wait to see what others think about it. I think this could be the way the MCU comes back out on top.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 (Amazing)