The way the Marvel Cinematic Universe is structured is constantly changing. What started off as a simple set of interconnected films leading up to a crossover event has now expanded exponentially, into spin-offs and television shows and a potential multiverse full of new possibilities, the most ambitious continuous film project in Hollywood history. The MCU is always evolving, creating new aspects of itself and its inhabitants for fans to enjoy.
But where there are additions, there are also losses as the universe’s format changes, whether that be in-universe or with the evolution of new filmmaking techniques. One of those losses came with the advent of Disney+, the popular streaming service featuring a whole new onslaught of Marvel programming: the company’s Netflix-exclusive shows, affectionately called the Netflix Marvel Universe, or the NMCU, which includes Charlie Cox's Daredevil.
When Disney+ became the home for Marvel’s television ventures, each of the streaming giant’s six series — including Daredevil, The Punisher, and Jessica Jones, along others — were unceremoniously cancelled in 2018, leaving fans questioning whether the shows counted as part of the MCU or not. The series, Daredevil in particular, had fared well on the platform, and viewers were devastated to see so many characters’ stories left with loose ends.
However, with the introduction of the multiverse to the MCU, fans have been hoping to see the return of their favorite Netflix heroes, even if it means they return changed in some way. And their actors, too, have expressed a certain amount of positivity about the idea, though tinged with a bit of hesitance.
During an interview with The Pop Culture Spotlight on SiriusXM, Cox admitted that the “purely speculative” idea of returning to the character of Matt Murdock was an appealing thought, but that there are more complications to reviving the character than many fans might think. While it may look easy to bring certain characters back into the MCU, there is also a large margin of error, something Cox was well aware of considering the success of the original series:
“If there was an opportunity for me to come back as Daredevil, whatever that would look like, I imagine it would be a reimagining of the character and the show. If they choose me to do it, there are going to be some elements that are of course the same. Or they might choose someone else and reboot it all over again...You’ve got to be careful what you wish for. You come back and it’s not as good or it doesn’t quite work or it’s too much time has passed. It doesn’t quite come together in the same way. You don’t want to taint what you’ve already got. If we never come back, you’ve got these three great seasons and our third season was our best reviewed. So, the trajectory was up. I am tremendously proud and grateful for what we have.”
While it would admittedly be amusing to watch the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen go up against someone as powerful as Doctor Strange or Captain Marvel, the possibility of a return or a reimagining of characters like Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, or Frank Castle is a sharp double-edged sword, a difficult balancing act to please fans and tell a satisfying story. But with nothing confirmed, the idea of the NMCU’s return is purely conjecture, and all fans can do is wait, and hope for some kind of multiverse miracle.
For now, if fans want to revisit Cox’s work as Matt Murdock, or the adventures of his Hell’s Kitchen cohorts, they can stream the entirety of Daredevil and its companion shows on Netflix now. Check out the full interview below: