Since Daredevil: Born Again is currently a hit on Disney+, it's an opportunity to take a closer look at this cult character. An iconic Marvel superhero, here are 10 things you might not know about the character:
10) His nickname: The Man Without Fear
Daredevil has several nicknames. In fact, he has a bunch of them. In Marvel’s Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again, the Punisher nicknames Daredevil with this simple nickname: Red. In the comics, the character also calls himself the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen in reference to his horned costume. Another of his cult nicknames is The Man Without Fear. But did you know that to find out the origin of this nickname, you have to go back to the character’s creation? Indeed, in 1964, when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby imagined the character, the two artists did not yet have a name for Daredevil. They then decided to nickname him The Man Without Fear on their worksheets. A nickname that has remained ever since. Luckily, because the other idea they had was The Sightless Swashbuckler.
9) Matt Murdock is a believer
It's rarely mentioned in the series Marvel's Daredevil and even less in Daredevil: Born Again, but Matt Murdock is a practicing Catholic. He's one of the few Marvel superheroes to be openly religious and to speak so freely about his faith. In the comics, but also in Marvel’s Daredevil, the young Matt Murdock is raised by sisters when his boxer father dies in the ring. They then instill in him their beliefs, which Matt Murdock takes up as he grows up. And this is also why, symbolically, Daredevil often fights inside or on the roofs of churches, as in the 2003 film Daredevil.
8) A yellow and black costume
Before wearing his famous dark red costume, in his first appearances, Daredevil wears a yellow and black costume. A costume that references his father's boxing outfit and his yellow and black robe. We'll have to wait until episode 7 of the first Daredevil comic book series to see his famous red costume.
7) Ben Affleck was actually blind
Ben Affleck is a huge comic book fan. After all, he was also the face of Batman in the DCEU. To get into character for the 2003 Daredevil film, Ben Affleck underwent drastic training in learning certain fighting methods. Affleck also worked with a blind actor: Tom Sullivan. The two actors worked hand in hand to make Ben Affleck as believable as possible as a blind person. Better still, during certain sequences, especially those where Ben Affleck wears contact lenses, the actor was almost blind. These contact lenses were so heavy to wear that Ben Affleck could hardly see anything.
6) His radar sense is inspired by bats
While Daredevil doesn't have any powers per se, he does have very keen senses. When he loses his sight, Matt Murdock manages to develop his senses to a superhuman level. Today, the character has a radar sense worthy of science fiction and extremely effective. Well, this radar sense is inspired by that of bats. These small flying animals use a biological phenomenon called echolocation. Echolocation is a system of perception through sound. Bats emit ultrasounds through their mouths or noses, then listen for the echo of these sounds bouncing off objects around them. In a way, they see with their ears. A bit like Daredevil then.
5) Thank you Frank Miller
In the 1980s, the great screenwriter Frank Miller revolutionized the character of Daredevil. Through iconic comics in the series soberly titled Daredevil, Frank Miller gave a much darker and more violent tone to the character. He addressed the corruption of Hell’s Kitchen, the violence of the Kingpin, and Matt Murdock’s loss of moral compass. It is thanks to him that Daredevil is such a dark character today. No surprise coming from the author of Batman: Year One, Sin City and 300.
4) The Kingpin is a Spider-Man villain
Originally, The Kingpin is a character from the Spider-Man universe. He was created in 1967 by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr in Amazing Spider-Man #50. This gangster at the head of a sprawling criminal organization was later redefined by Frank Miller in the pages of Daredevil. Inspired by the codes of film noir and thrillers, he gives a much darker, more violent and manipulative dimension to the character of Wilson Fisk. Even if he will continue to be a one-off villain in the Spider-Man and Punisher series, he obviously becomes the Nemesis of Daredevil.
3) Daredevil is an Avengers
And yes, it's quite hard to believe, but Daredevil was a member of the Avengers. He joined Captain America and Iron Man's team just after the events of Civil War in 2006. In some comics and alternate universes, he even led the famous team.
2) Vin Diesel almost played Bullseye
We're talking here about the Mark Steven Johnson film released in 2003. While Colin Farrell is the one who opposes Ben Affleck, the role of Bullseye almost ended up in other hands, including that of Vin Diesel. Other potential actors included Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and Guy Pearce.
1) He is a member of the Heroes for Hire
In the Netflix series, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Daredevil are called the Defenders. Except that in the comics, their team name is The Heroes for Hire. The Defenders also exist in the comics, but they are a team made up of completely different and much more powerful characters, such as Dr. Strange, Hulk, Namor, and the Silver Surfer. Yes, yes, we are very far from the urban heroes of Marvel’s Defenders. In the comics, the team composed of Marvel’s Netflix characters call themselves the Heroes for Hire. This team, often led by Luke Cage, works for the poorest and most vulnerable of Hell’s Kitchen at knockdown prices. In addition to the Netflix characters, other well-known superheroes from the Marvel universe have been members of the Heroes for Hire such as Colleen Wing, Misty Knight, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Shang-Chi and even Wolverine. At the end of Daredevil: Born Again, when Matt Murdock talks about building an army against Wilson Fisk, we inevitably think of the Heroes for Hire!
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