Daredevil (film)

Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett. The film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and on the streets of New York as the masked vigilante Daredevil. Jennifer Garner plays his love interest Elektra Natchios; Colin Farrell plays the merciless assassin Bullseye; David Keith plays Jack "The Devil" Murdock, a washed up fighter and Matt's father; and Michael Clarke Duncan plays Wilson Fisk, the crime lord also known as the Kingpin.

Daredevil
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMark Steven Johnson
Screenplay byMark Steven Johnson
Based on
Daredevil
by
Produced by
  • Arnon Milchan
  • Gary Foster
  • Avi Arad
Starring
CinematographyEricson Core
Edited by
  • Dennis Virkler
  • Armen Minasian
Music byGraeme Revell
Production
companies
  • New Regency Enterprises
  • Marvel Enterprises
  • Horseshoe Bay Productions
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • February 14, 2003 (2003-02-14)
Running time
103 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$78 million[2]
Box office$179.2 million[2]

The film began development in 1997 at 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, before New Regency acquired the rights in 2000. Johnson shot the film primarily in Downtown Los Angeles despite the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan setting of the film and comics. Rhythm and Hues Studios were hired to handle the film's CGI. Graeme Revell composed the Daredevil score, which was released on CD in March 2003, whereas the various artists' soundtrack album, Daredevil: The Album, was released in February.

Daredevil was released on February 14, 2003. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, with praise aimed at the action sequences, acting performances, soundtrack, storyline, visual style and stunts, while criticism was aimed at Affleck's performance and its perceived lack of ambition. Nevertheless, the film became the second-biggest February release to that time and went on to a worldwide total gross of $179.2 million against a production budget of $78 million.

In 2004, an R-rated director's cut of Daredevil was released, reincorporating approximately 30 minutes of the film, and reviews were more positive than for the theatrical version. A spin-off film, Elektra, was released in 2005 to critical and commercial failure. Daredevil was rebooted as a Netflix television series from 2015–2018.

Plot

As a child, young Matt Murdock is accidentally blinded by toxic chemicals shortly after witnessing his father—washed-up prizefighter Jack "The Devil" Murdock—extorting money for local mobster Fallon. Despite losing his sight, Matt's remaining senses are dramatically enhanced, giving him superhuman agility and sonar-like hearing. Feeling responsible for his son's accident, Jack is inspired to give up his life of crime and recommit to his boxing career, leading to a dramatic comeback. Later, after Fallon reveals that he enabled Jack's comeback by bribing his previous opponents to let him win, he attempts to bribe Jack to throw his next match, and has him murdered when he refuses.

Years later, an adult Matt works as an attorney in Hell's Kitchen with his friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, providing legal representation pro bono to clients whom he believes are actually innocent. By night, Matt fights crime as the costumed vigilante "Daredevil". Ben Urich, a New York Post reporter who chronicles Daredevil's exploits, attracts attention for a series of articles on "The Kingpin", a shadowy underworld figure who allegedly controls all of New York's organized crime. Unbeknownst to Urich, the Kingpin is actually Wilson Fisk, a brutal mobster who poses as a legitimate businessman.

Matt falls in love with Elektra Natchios, a Greek-American woman skilled in martial arts, unaware that she's the daughter of Fisk's lieutenant Nikolas Natchios. Later, when Natchios attempts to end his relationship with Fisk, Fisk hires Bullseye—a hitman with preternatural aim—to kill him. When Daredevil unsuccessfully attempts to save Natchios from assassination, Bullseye manages to frame Daredevil for his murder by stealing Daredevil's distinctive baton and impaling Natchios with it. Afterward, Urich deduces that Matt is Daredevil after realizing that he disguises his baton as a white cane.

Believing Daredevil to be responsible for her father's murder, Elektra attempts to avenge her father by killing him. Meanwhile, Fisk assigns Bullseye to kill Elektra. Elektra tracks Daredevil down and challenges him to a fight, and incapacitates him by stabbing him through the shoulder. Daredevil protests that he didn't kill her father, but Elektra does not believe him until she forcibly unmasks him and realizes that he's Matt. Moments later, when Bullseye tracks Elektra down, Matt is forced to watch helplessly as Bullseye kills her.

Wounded, Matt takes refuge in a church, but is ambushed by Bullseye, who exploits his weakness to loud sound. When police swarm the church, Matt gains the upper hand and throws Bullseye from the bell tower after an NYPD sniper shoots him through both hands, depriving him of his powerful aim. During the fight, Bullseye reveals that he was hired by the Kingpin, and that the Kingpin is Fisk.

Determined to avenge Elektra, Matt ambushes Fisk in his office. In the ensuing fight, he is nearly overcome by Fisk's brute strength, but wins by taking advantage of his sonar hearing, which allows him to see Fisk after he's drenched by rain from a broken window. In the course of their confrontation, Fisk reveals that he was the hitman who killed Matt's father on Fallon's orders, making him responsible for the deaths of the two people whom Matt loved most. As the police arrive to arrest Fisk, he threatens to reveal Daredevil's identity to the world, but Matt points out that no one will ever believe that Daredevil is a blind man.

Some time after Elektra's death, Matt visits the spot where the two of them first kissed, and unexpectedly finds Elektra's necklace—which has her name engraved upon it in braille, hinting that Elektra might still be alive.

Urich prepares to publish an article revealing Daredevil's identity, but chooses not to publish it at the last minute, coming to believe that Daredevil's efforts have made the city better. Elsewhere, Bullseye wakes up at a hospital, and kills a fly with a syringe needle, implying he has not lost his perfect aim yet.

Cast
  • Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock / Daredevil:
    An attorney-at-law who was blinded as a youth in an accident with bio-waste that drastically heightened his remaining senses and gave him a "sonar-sense", which allowed him to perceive his surroundings, and makes a silent promise with his father to "stick up for the long shots". His father is killed not long after and at that moment, he vows to seek justice. At night, he becomes a devil-modeled vigilante who takes justice into his hands. Affleck was cast in October 2001. Vin Diesel was considered to portray Daredevil before him, but he opted to take a role in another film.[3] In a February 2011 interview, Guy Pearce said that he was offered the role but turned it down, stating that "comic-strip stuff isn't really my cup of tea, really."[4] Matt Damon also revealed that he was offered the role. He claimed that he and Ben "loved that comic book but I just didn't quite believe in the script or the director at the time."[5] Matthew Davis and Colin Farrell, (who would play Bullseye in the final product), were also considered until Affleck signed.[6][7] As a fan, Affleck made sure he had read every single issue of Daredevil, commenting that it was about taking what he knew as a fan and faithfully getting it on the screen. Joe Quesada considered it "serendipity in action" that Affleck is the lead role, as when he and Kevin Smith did the Guardian Devil series, they had modeled it on Affleck.[8] Affleck said Daredevil was his favorite comic book as a child,[9] and explained why he took the role by saying "Everybody has that one thing from childhood that they remember and that sticks with them. This story was that for me."[10] Additionally, he said, "I didn't want someone else to do it, because I was afraid that they would go out and do it different from the comic and screw it up."[11]
    • Scott Terra as Young Matt Murdock:
      As a youth, he has trouble with local bullies and a close bond with his father. This changes in different ways after the accident. Terra was officially announced as a part of the cast in March 2002.[12]
  • Jennifer Garner as Elektra Natchios:
    The daughter of billionaire Nikolas Natchios and the love interest of Matt Murdock. At a very young age, she witnessed the murder of her mother, and since then her father has had her become highly trained in martial arts. For the role of Elektra, many actresses were looked into with considerations including Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Natalie Portman, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, and Katie Holmes.[13][14] A short-list was eventually made, giving the choices of Jennifer Garner, Jolene Blalock, Mía Maestro and Rhona Mitra,[15] with Garner finally becoming the actress to land the role.[13] Garner said of the character, "I think she's strong and cool and beautiful and smart. She'd be a good role model."[16] Garner noted the costume would be different, as Elektra in comics often wears red satin but in the film wears black leather. Garner explained, "[T]he red would never have worked for hiding a harness, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but you have to protect your skin a little bit. They throw me around so much on the rooftop [that] I got cut through the leather, so imagine if I hadn't had anything."[11] Garner would reprise her role in the 2005 film Elektra.
  • Michael Clarke Duncan as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin:
    By appearance, he is an overweight corporate head that takes the name Wilson Fisk, but in fact he is the sole person running organized crime, under the moniker of Kingpin. Kingpin is the murderer of Matt's father, and the man responsible for the hiring of Bullseye, with the intention of having the Natchios family murdered. Michael Clarke Duncan signed on for the role in January 2002, though he had been attached far earlier.[17] When Duncan was cast, he weighed 290 pounds. He was asked to gain 40 pounds for the role in order to fit the physique of Kingpin. In order to do this, he would lift weights for 30 minutes a day, and power-lifted with one or two reps a day, as well as eating whatever he wanted. Duncan's biggest concern was that he was black, while Kingpin has always been portrayed as white. Also, Duncan provided the voice for Kingpin in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.[18] He spoke on the fan's loyalty to the source material by saying "they watch movies to say, 'Hey, that's not like the comic book.' But I want them to get past that and just see the movie for what it is and see me for what I am—an actor."[11]
  • Colin Farrell as Bullseye:
    An assassin with perfect accuracy and deep-rooted pride of it who is hired by Kingpin to kill Nikolas and Elektra Natchios, but when Daredevil gets involved and causes him to miss his target, he makes it his own personal vendetta to take Daredevil down. Farrell was attached to the role in December 2001.[6] Mark Steven Johnson credits Joe Quesada with talking him out of using the traditional Bullseye costume for the film,[8] and Farrell was encouraged to keep his Irish accent as this version of Bullseye is from Ireland.[11] Farrell had to read Frank Miller's Daredevil comics to understand Bullseye "because the expression on the character's faces in the comic books, and just the way they move sometimes, and the exaggerations of the character I'm playing [...] he's so over-the-top that you do draw from that. But it's not exactly a character you can do method acting for ... you know, running around New York killing people with paper clips."[19]
  • Jon Favreau as Franklin "Foggy" Nelson:
    Matt Murdock's legal partner and best friend, he is also used as a form of comic relief. Favreau joined the cast in February 2002.[20] Favreau would later go on to direct the Marvel-produced Iron Man and its sequel, Iron Man 2 while also appearing as Happy Hogan.
  • Joe Pantoliano as Ben Urich:
    An investigative journalist whose articles notably relate to Daredevil, and the Kingpin. During the film, he goes on to uncover a lot of information about the two. Pantoliano was cast in March 2002.[21] Urich works for the New York Post, rather than the Daily Bugle as in the comics, because the film rights to the Bugle were held by Sony Pictures at that time.[22]
  • David Keith as Jack Murdock:
    Father of Matt Murdock and a boxer, he is murdered by the Kingpin when he does not take a fall for a fight. Keith was officially announced as a part of the cast in March 2002.[12]
  • Leland Orser as Wesley Owen Welch:
    The number two of Wilson Fisk, but he does not like to be involved in the activities of the Kingpin. Orser previously co-starred with Jon Favreau in 1998 in Very Bad Things.
  • Lennie Loftin as Detective Nick Manolis:
    A NYPD cop who considers Daredevil an urban legend. Loftin would later appear as a minor villain in Logan.
  • Erick Avari as Nikolas Natchios:
    The father of Elektra, who is murdered by Bullseye on behalf of the Kingpin.
  • Ellen Pompeo as Karen Page:
    The secretary at Matt Murdock and Franklin Nelson's law firm.
  • Derrick O'Connor as Father Everett:
    A priest of Matt Murdock's local church, where he sometimes goes to find solace.

Stan Lee, Frank Miller, and Kevin Smith, each notable for their work on the Daredevil comics, also have cameo roles throughout the film with the latter playing a forensics assistant named "Jack Kirby".[11] Paul Ben-Victor portrays Jose Quesada, a criminal Daredevil hunts who is named after Joe Quesada. Mark Margolis has an uncredited role as Eddie Fallon, a mobster who once employed Fisk as a hitman. Claudine Farrell, Colin Farrell's sister and personal assistant on the film, has an uncredited vocal cameo as Heather Glenn on Matt Murdock's answering machine and cameos in the pub scene.[23] Josie DiVincenzo portrays Josie, a character from the comics who is the owner of Josie's Bar, a regular hangout in Hell's Kitchen. The director's cut version also features Coolio as Dante Jackson and features Jude Ciccolella in a sub-plot removed from the theatrical version. Tanoai Reed appears uncredited as a thug in Josie's Bar.

Production

Development

In 1997, 20th Century Fox optioned the rights from Marvel Enterprises, and Chris Columbus was chosen to direct the film. In 1998, Marvel was facing bankruptcy. During this time 20th Century Fox allowed the option to expire, so Disney, who later went to purchase Marvel's rights to all of its property in 2012, began negotiations in order to acquire the rights. In 1999, the negotiations failed to work out so Marvel set the project up with Columbia Pictures.[24] During this time, Chris Columbus and Carlo Carlei co-wrote a script together,[25] before Mark Steven Johnson got signed to write the screenplay. By 2000, Sony decided to cancel the project,[24] as the two companies reportedly could not come to an agreement over Internet rights.[26]

New Regency entered negotiations with a more satisfying offer, attaining the character rights from Marvel in 2000 to produce the film, with 20th Century Fox handling the distribution.[27] Mark Steven Johnson was rehired and his script was turned in during 2001, which was praised by Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles.[24][28] Prior to shooting, producer Gary Foster said that in comparison to other comic book-based films before it, this film would be "more character-driven ... darker ... edgier,"[29] while Marvel Studios executive Kevin Feige felt the script was one of the strongest comic scripts Marvel had received.[30]

Filming

Filming began March 2002.[31] Fox wanted to start filming in Canada in order to save money. This plan was contended by Johnson, and the film's cinematographer, Ericson Core, after they found a preferred area for shooting around downtown Los Angeles' Arcade Building. Core noted that the appeal came from the "beautiful, old brick buildings and great rooftops," which they felt was perfect for a depiction of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, in comparison to the studio's choice where the filming would be done in Montreal or Vancouver. Due to their insistence, coupled with Ben Affleck's disinterest in filming in Canada (after having filmed there for his previous film, The Sum of All Fears) they were able to change the studio's mind.[32]

A side-by-side view of the scene from the Guardian Devil graphic novel, and the film. Several scenes were taken shot-for-shot of comic books.

When the look of the film was being decided, Mark Steven Johnson opted to use direct scenes from the Daredevil comics. Joe Quesada's artistic take in Guardian Devil (Daredevil vol. 2, #1–#8) was an influence on the film, with Johnson noting that they would "literally take out a scene from the comic book that Joe did [...] Here's Daredevil on the cross, you know, it's that scene from 'Guardian Devil'. You just shoot that."[8] Throughout the film, Ben Affleck had to wear "cataract milky-blue" contacts, which would effectively make him blind. This was considered great by Johnson, as it would aid his performance.[33]

The sound plays an integral part in the film, as the superhero relies on it in order to form his 'sonar sense'. Post-production sound was done by supervising sound editor John Larsen and sound designer Steve Boeddeker and is heard taking place immediately after Matt's optic nerve is seen mutating. The mutating of the nerve was done by Rhythm and Hues Studios, who also worked on the sonar-sense which became referred to as the "shadow world". Shadow world was made using just CGI except in a scene where Elektra and Matt Murdock are in the rain, which was done using CGI over film.[33]

Music

The soundtrack to the film, Daredevil: The Album, was released in February 2003.[34] The score to Daredevil was written by Graeme Revell, and released on March 4, 2003.[35] He was attracted to the focus of "human-ness" on Daredevil, torn emotionally and physically by his superhero status. Avi Arad asked Revell to concentrate more on the emotions of Daredevil and Elektra, while Mark Steven Johnson wanted to stay clear from any gothic and action movie clichés. Revell tried to avoid too much individual motifs but some characters would have an identifiable sound, like Bullseye would have guitar undertones, while Kingpin would have bass beats. Guitarist Mike Einziger of Incubus collaborated with Revell for any additional rock elements. Revell thoroughly enjoyed working with Johnson, describing the director as "positive" and "responsive" when it came to experimenting (as opposed to feeling "locked in a box of preconceptions") which he felt led to "cool stuff". Varèse Sarabande put together the score record.[36]

"Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence featuring Paul McCoy, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 46th Grammy Awards.[37][38][39] The song was nominated in the category for Best Rock Song at the same event but lost to "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes. "Bring Me to Life" won an award for Choice Music Rock Track at the Teen Choice Awards in 2004.[40] At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards the band was nominated in the category for Best New Artist for "Bring Me to Life".[41] The song was nominated at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Song.[42][43] At the 14th annual Billboard Music Awards, it won the award for Soundtrack Single of the Year.[44] The song ranked number 69 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s.[45]

Marketing

Aside from expected TV commercials during such TV hits as Friends and Law & Order, as well as one in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXXVII, there was also a tie-in with Kraft, an in-store promotion at Wal-Mart, a marketing campaign with Hamilton Watch Company, who designed the watch Matt wears in the film,[46] and a weeklong Daredevil segment on Entertainment Tonight.[47] As part of an online form of marketing, a viral e-mail drive was started, where participants would be entered in a contest where they could win prizes such as Daredevil T-shirts, Game Boy Advance games, and cufflinks. To enter the drawing, the user had to book tickets for the film online, then pass an e-mail on to someone else. The idea was to encourage online ticket booking, which at the time was seen as a growing trend.[48]

Video game

The Game Boy Advance Daredevil game was released on February 14, 2003, and was created by Encore, a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation.[49]

Release

Censorship

Due to the film's violent scenes, the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia banned Daredevil in that country. 20th Century Fox unsuccessfully appealed to Malaysia's censorship board to change its decision, hoping to release the film in Malaysia on February 27, 2003. The deputy prime minister told the press films were banned if containing what the board felt was "excessive violence and sexual material or elements which can create chaos in the community".[50]

Reception

Box office

The film opened theatrically on February 14, 2003, on 3,471 screens in North America[24] and took first place in its opening weekend, grossing $45,033,454. At the time, it became the second-biggest February release, behind Hannibal.[51] By the second weekend the film saw a 55.1% decline in takings but managed to maintain the number one spot, beating new release Old School by $639,093.[52] By the third weekend, Daredevil saw a further 38.5% drop in sales, and so fell to third place at the box office.[53] The film grossed $102.5 million in North America, and $76.6 million in the rest of the world, totalling the film's worldwide takings at just $179.2 million, grossing over double its budget of $78 million.[2] Avi Arad addressed the top spot success by saying "we are five for five with record-breaking box office successes [with Blade, X-Men, Blade II then Spider-Man] and have two more Marvel releases slated for this summer [which are X2: X-Men United and Hulk]. It's a testament to the broad appeal of these characters before mainstream audiences outside of the core comic fans. These super heroes have been successful within the Marvel pantheon for decades; it only makes sense that their translations to the big screen are just as fruitful."[54][55]

Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes 43% of critics gave the film positive feedback, based on 227 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The critical consensus reads, "While Ben Affleck fits the role and the story is sporadically interesting, Daredevil is ultimately a dull, brooding origin story that fails to bring anything new to the genre."[56] On the website Metacritic the film has an average score of 42 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[57] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[58]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four stars and called the film good, despite noting the almost-typical superhero background. Of the actors, he stated that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were suitable for their roles, while Michael Clarke Duncan's presence alone was menacing. He said, "I am getting a little worn out describing the origin stories and powers of superheroes [...] Some of their movies, like this one, are better than others."[59] The Houston Chronicle's Bruce Westbrook considered it "the best Marvel movie to date, it's as well-written and character-driven as some of today's Oscar contenders, and its story doesn't stall with hollow flamboyance."[60] The Austin Chronicle's Kimberly Jones praised the film, the actors, and felt that though an unproven director, "Johnson has just signed his meal ticket with this marriage of big brains, big brawn, and–most happily–big heart."[61]

Kim Newman of Empire magazine gave the film four out of five stars, and felt people "will like the characters more than the film," before adding that there are enough strong moments to guarantee a good viewing.[62] The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw stated that the film had "unconvincing touches" but was more enjoyable than Spider-Man and as dark as Tim Burton's Batman.[63] BBC film critic Nev Pierce believed the film had spectacular set-pieces, but felt there was no strong narrative arc to keep the viewer interested.[64] The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern considered the film to be neither original nor great but felt it maintained "many grace notes and interesting oddities."[65] The Globe and Mail's Rick Groen said the film was "not woeful, not wonderful, merely watchable."[66] The Philadelphia Inquirer's Steven Rea thought the film brought a variance of humor and violence, but felt it didn't work as well as it could have.[67] James Berardinelli felt it was merely a satisfactory superhero film.[68] TV Guide's Frank Lovece said Daredevil "makes clear that superhero films are the next evolutionary generation of action movies: Now that Schwarzenegger-styled heroes have upped the action ante as far as the human body can go and remain even marginally believable, it's up to superheroes ... to take it further." He also felt it was "a movie for grown-ups, not kids."[69]

Negative reviews included that of The New York Times' Elvis Mitchell, who said the film was "second-rate and ordinary,"[70] while Variety's Todd McCarthy considered it "a pretender in the realm of bona-fide superheroes."[71] Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman gave the film a "C−", criticizing the story as "sloppy" and "slipshod", saying, "Daredevil is the sort of half-assed, visually-lackadaisical potboiler that makes you rue the day that comic-book franchises ever took over Hollywood."[72] Time Out's Trevor Johnston praised Ben Affleck, feeling he "persuades us of the pain of sightlessness and supersensitive hearing," but also felt writer/director Johnson's construction fails all involved in the film.[73] Slate's David Edelstein wrote that the film was derivative of Batman, but concluded by saying "that's not so bad: The movie looks best when it looks like other, better movies."[74] The Chicago Tribune's Michael Wilmington thought the film grabs the attention, but felt it does not reward it.[75] The New York Post's Lou Lumenick panned the film, describing it as a "mind-numbing, would-be comic-book franchise, which often seems as blind as its hero—not to mention deaf and dumb."[76] Character co-creator Stan Lee himself said, "[T]hey just wrote the whole thing wrong. They made him too tragic."[77] Ben Affleck won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for his work in the movie, his third after Gigli and Paycheck.

Affleck himself disliked and disowned the film, and said that it inspired him to take on the role of Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. "That's the movie I want to do. I want to be a part of that [Batman v Superman]. Part of it was I wanted for once to get one of these movies and do it right—to do a good version. I hate Daredevil so much."[78][79]

Director's cut

A director's cut of the film was announced for a spring 2004 DVD release. This version contained new additions like previously unseen footage and a removed subplot, and was to be a bit darker with an R rating. The film, released in 2.35:1 widescreen format, was released with DTS and Dolby Digital sound. The new version of the film has newly recorded commentary to accompany it, featuring Mark Steven Johnson and Avi Arad. A "Making of Director's Cut" featurette also accompanied the film. The release date of the DVD was later pushed back to November 30, 2004.[80][81] On September 30, 2008, the director's cut was released on Blu-ray.[82] The DVD release of the director's cut removed the bonus material included on the theatrical cut's DVD release, but that content was restored for the Blu-ray release (although the Blu-ray release only contains the director's cut).

One of the biggest changes to the film was the addition of a subplot involving a drug addict played by Coolio. This subplot is missing from the theatrical version of the film, but is present in the novelization by Greg Cox, published in 2003.[83]

Executive producer Kevin Feige commented on this version of the film, believing "the people who had other opinions [of Daredevil] will be won over by this new version."[80] Reviewer Danny Graydon of Empire called it a "considerable improvement on the original version," notably preferring the more violent undertones, a lesser focus on the romance, and the equal focus of Daredevil and his lawyer alias Matt Murdock and the subplot involving Coolio. Some critics continued to feel Affleck was unsuitable as Daredevil and that Duncan portrayed the Kingpin in an over-the-top manner.[84] IGN's Jeff Otto and Andy Patrizio deemed this version an improvement over the original: They felt this version was more loyal to the Frank Miller feel of the Daredevil world, with more focus on themes such as Murdock's struggle with his Catholic upbringing. On the whole they felt the film would be far more pleasing to fans, and overall better than the theatrical release.[85] Comic-book enthusiasts have gauged the director's cut as one of the better recuts of a superhero film.[86][87]

Legacy

Cancelled sequel

During 2004, Ben Affleck shot a cameo role for the spin-off film, Elektra, at the request of Daredevil co-star Jennifer Garner, but the scene was ultimately cut from the film.[88] In October 2004, Affleck stated he would only return in the lead role if Fox would renegotiate to tell the darker stories of Daredevil, and showed interest in the Guardian Devil graphic novel, as well as the Born Again storyline.[89] In November 2006, Affleck stated that he would never reprise the role, having felt "by playing a superhero in Daredevil, I have inoculated myself from ever playing another superhero ... Wearing a costume was a source of humiliation for me and something I wouldn't want to do again soon."[90] Despite this, Affleck would later sign on to portray the DC superhero, Batman, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[91]

In July 2006, Michael Clarke Duncan showed interest in returning for the role of the Kingpin, but stated that he would not be willing to gain weight as he felt "comfortable" being down to 270 pounds. He jokingly showed willingness to change his mind if he was offered $20 million. Duncan suggested that the character is portrayed to have been training a lot in jail in order to become faster in combat against Daredevil, also working as a way to fit his weight loss into the story.[92] Duncan would later go on to reprise his role as the Kingpin in an episode of the animated series: Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. He has also moved on to appear in other comic book films like the 2005 crime film Sin City as Manute and the 2011 DC superhero film Green Lantern as Kilowog. Duncan died on September 3, 2012.[93][94]

Marvel Cinematic Universe
Main articles: Daredevil (TV series), Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Matt Murdock (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Feige had stated on potential future Daredevil films, "there are many more stories to be told with old Hornhead and we'd love to tell them someday."[80] Avi Arad has also said that a sequel will begin development once the rights go from 20th Century Fox to Marvel Studios.[95] Director Mark Steven Johnson showed interest in returning to direct with the Born Again storyline, as well as suggesting Mr. Fear as a possible villain.[96]

In July 2008, Jason Statham expressed interest in appearing as Daredevil in the future. Statham requested "just give me the chance, I would love to be Daredevil." Frank Miller commented in agreement, "I think he should be Daredevil too."[97] In October 2008, 20th Century Fox executive Tom Rothman said "a Daredevil reboot is something we are thinking very seriously about." Rothman added that "what it really needs is, it needs a visionary at the level that Chris Nolan was. It needs someone, it needs a director, honestly, who has a genuine vision."[98] By February 2010, 20th Century Fox and New Regency were looking to develop the reboot with News Corp., with Peter Chernin producing and David Scarpa writing the script.[99] On March 15, 2011, it was announced that filmmaker David Slade would be directing the reboot,[100] but he later had to drop out due to other obligations. Fringe writer and producer Brad Caleb Kane was hired to pen the Slade-directed film.[101]

Later, it was announced that in the event that a sequel or reboot had not started filming by October 10, 2012, the rights to the Daredevil franchise would revert from Fox back to Marvel. In early August 2012, Fox scrambled to find a replacement for David Slade. The studio briefly met with Joe Carnahan, but Carnahan said that his pitch, Daredevil as a hard-boiled '70s-style thriller, had gone up in smoke. Several sources commented that Fox had given up on the reboot, and were prepared to let the rights revert to Marvel and their parent company, The Walt Disney Company.[102] On April 23, 2013, Kevin Feige confirmed that the rights for Daredevil returned to Marvel Studios and Disney, opening the possibility of including the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[103] That speculation was confirmed with the announcement of an original Netflix Daredevil television series, which premiered on the streaming service in April 2015, with English actor Charlie Cox in the title role.[104]

References
  1. "DAREDEVIL (15)". British Board of Film Classification. February 5, 2003. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  2. "Daredevil". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  3. Swanson, Tim (October 3, 2001). "Affleck homes in on Daredevil role". Variety. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  4. Watkins, Gwynne (February 25, 2011). "Guy Pearce on Batman, Being Offered Daredevil, and Avoiding Terrible Scripts". New York. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  5. Reynolds, Simon (February 27, 2011). "Matt Damon: 'I almost played Daredevil'". The Times (London) via Digital Spy. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  6. Swanson, Tim (December 5, 2001). "Farrell targets Daredevil". Variety. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  7. "Davis, Affleck Daredevil Contenders". IGN.
  8. Worley, Rob (August 7, 2002). "Daredevil". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  9. Downey, Ryan J. (June 24, 2002). "Affleck, Garner Open Up About Daredevil". MTV. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  10. Gunn, John (June 20, 2002). "Daredevil Press Day!!". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  11. Downey, Ryan J. (February 6, 2003). "Ben Affleck Dares to Dream Daredevil". MTV. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  12. Stax (March 27, 2002). "More Daredevil Casting Tidbits". IGN. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  13. Stax (January 27, 2002). "Daredevil's Done Deals". IGN. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  14. Rob Worley (December 12, 2001). "Comics2Film DAREDEVIL, ELEKTRA". ComicBookResources.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2002. It's very important because we see her not only as the kick-ass female lead the Daredevil movie but we see her spinning off in her own movies
  15. Kit, Zorianna; Gardner, Chris (January 11, 2002). "Daredevil parade". The Hollywood Reporter via HighBeam. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2008. Jennifer Garner, Jolene Blalock, Mia Maestro and Rhona Mitra have emerged as top choices to play the coveted role of Electra in 20th Century Fox/Regency Enterprises' 'Daredevil' ...
  16. Downey, Ryan J. (June 3, 2002). "Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck Suit Up For Daredevil". MTV. Retrieved February 21, 2008.
  17. McNary, Dave (January 9, 2002). "Duncan takes on Daredevil". Variety. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  18. Epstein, Daniel Robert. "Michael Clarke Duncan Interview". UGO. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  19. "Colin Farrell Interview". UGO. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
  20. McNary, Dave (February 22, 2002). "Daredevil has partner in Favreau". Variety. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  21. McNary, Dave (March 17, 2002). "IGN FilmForce Exclusive: Which Matrix Star Has Been Cast in Daredevil?". IGN. Retrieved February 24, 2008.
  22. "Marvel's Movie Rights: Who Owns What". FilmBuff. August 9, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  23. Faublas, MJ (November 21, 2017). "Claudine Farrell: Everything To Know About The Irish Actress, Colin Farrell's Sibling". Panda Gossip. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  24. "Beyond Hell's Kitchen": Making Daredevil (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2003.
  25. Stax (April 26, 2001). "Daredevil: The Man Without Ed". IGN. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  26. KJB (July 12, 2000). "Daredevil Exits Columbia". IGN. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  27. Fleming, Michael (July 12, 2000). "Marvel's Daredevil on pic trail". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  28. Knowles, Harry (April 2, 2001). "Harry reviews Mark Steven Johnson's Perfect Daredevil script!!!". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  29. Stax (July 11, 2001). "Daredevil Ready for a Fall Start?". IGN. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  30. Stax (July 26, 2001). "Make Way for Daredevil". IGN. Retrieved March 6, 2008.
  31. "Daredevil gets Valentine's release". Guardian. May 28, 2002. Retrieved May 28, 2002.
  32. Calhoun, John (March 2003). "Man Without Fear". American Cinematographer. Retrieved May 23, 2008.
  33. Daredevil (DVD). 20th Century Fox. 2003.
  34. "For The Record: Quick News On Foo Fighters, Daredevil, Saliva, Glassjaw, Iron Maiden, Stone Sour & More". MTV News. January 3, 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2008.
  35. Head, Steve (February 6, 2003). "Incoming: Daredevil Score CD News". IGN. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  36. Mithra, Kuljit (February 2003). "Interview With Graeme Revell". ManWithoutFear.com. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  37. "Beyonce Shines At Grammys". CBS News. Associated Press. February 18, 2009. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  38. Sullivan, James (February 9, 2004). "Beyonce, OutKast Top Grammys". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 19, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  39. "Fallen – Evanescence >> Charts and Awards >> Grammy Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  40. Moss, Corey (August 4, 2003). "Ashton Kutcher Punks The Competition At Teen Choice Awards". MTV News. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  41. "MTV Video Music Awards 2003" (To see the nominations, click on the "winners" parameter). MTV. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  42. "Win Tickets to MTV Awards". Daily Mirror. October 1, 2003. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  43. Moss, Corey (September 23, 2003). "Justin, Christina, Stripes Lead MTV Europe Music Awards Nominees". MTV News. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  44. Wiederhorn, Jon (December 11, 2003). "Beyonce, R. Kelly Scoop Up Most Trophies At Billboard Music Awards". MTV News. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  45. "The 100 Greatest Songs of '00s – Complete List". VH1. September 29, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  46. Strandberg, Keith W. (January 31, 2003). "Hamilton Appears in New Daredevil Movie". AllBusiness.com. American Time. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  47. Grover, Ron (February 3, 2003). "For Fox, It's Daredevil vs. February". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on February 18, 2003. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  48. Billings, Claire (February 11, 2003). "Fox boosts email database with Daredevil promotion". Brand Republic. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
  49. "Daredevil for Nintendo Game Boy Advance Ships to Retailers". Business Wire. February 3, 2003. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2022 – via FindArticles.com.
  50. "Malaysia bans Affleck's Daredevil". BBC News. February 14, 2003. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  51. Gray, Brandon (February 17, 2003). "Daredevil Hits Box Office Bullseye". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 12, 2022. CinemaScore gave it a B—a lukewarm response by that firm's standards.
  52. "Weekend Box Office: February 21–23, 2003". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  53. "Daredevil Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  54. "Marvel Proves Heroic at the Box Office; Daredevil is Third Consecutive Marvel Studios Motion Picture Release to Capture Top Box Office Position". Business Wire (Press release). February 26, 2003. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2008 – via FindArticles.com.
  55. "Marvel Proves Heroic at the Box Office". Marvel Press Release (Press release). Los Angeles. February 27, 2003. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021 – via ComicBookMovie.com.
  56. "Daredevil". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  57. "Daredevil". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  58. McClintock, Pamela (August 9, 2015). "'Fantastic Four' Gets Worst CinemaScore Ever for Studio Superhero Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  59. Ebert, Roger (February 14, 2003). "Daredevil". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  60. Westbrook, Bruce (March 26, 2004). "Daredevil". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  61. Jones, Kimberly (February 14, 2003). "Daredevil". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  62. Newman, Kim. "Daredevil Review". Empire. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  63. Bradshaw, Peter (February 14, 2003). "Daredevil". The Guardian. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  64. Pierce, Nev (February 12, 2003). "Daredevil". BBC. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  65. Morgenstern, Joe (February 14, 2003). "Defiantly Slow 'All the Real Girls' Proves You Can't Hurry Love". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  66. "Daredevil". Archived from the original on February 28, 2003. Retrieved February 28, 2003.
  67. Steven Rea (February 14, 2003). "'Daredevil' suffers from superhero surfeit - philly-archives". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015.
  68. "Review: Daredevil". Archived from the original on February 16, 2003. Retrieved February 16, 2003.
  69. Lovece, Frank. "Daredevil". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 3, 2008. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  70. Mitchell, Elvis (February 14, 2003). "FILM REVIEW; Blind Lawyer as Hero in Red". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  71. McCarthy, Todd (February 14, 2003). "Daredevil". Variety. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  72. Gleiberman, Owen (February 14, 2003). "Review: 'Daredevil' is a dud". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via CNN.com.
  73. Johnston, Trevor (February 14, 2003). "Daredevil". Time Out. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  74. Edelstein, David (February 14, 2003). "Ben in Tights". Slate. Archived from the original on March 4, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  75. Wilmington, Michael (February 14, 2003). "ZAP! BANG! Fizzle". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  76. Lumenick, Lou (February 14, 2003). "'DEVIL' DOG". New York Post. Archived from the original on April 1, 2003. Retrieved April 1, 2003.
  77. Paur, Joey (August 25, 2012). "Stan Lee Reveals His Least Favorite Marvel Movies". GeekTyrant.com. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  78. McCluskey, Megan (December 16, 2016). "Ben Affleck Says He Decided to Play Batman Because He Hated Daredevil". Time. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  79. Keith Staskiewicz (July 1, 2015). "Ben Affleck: 'Batman is basically the American version of Hamlet'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 17, 2022. Daredevil didn’t work, at all. If I wanted to go viral I would be less polite
  80. "Daredevil Movie Update". ComicsContinuum. January 22, 2004. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  81. "Pre-Order the Daredevil Director's Cut!". Superhero Hype!. August 25, 2004. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  82. McCutcheon, David (August 8, 2008). "Daredevil Defies Blu-ray". IGN. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  83. Cox, Greg (January 7, 2003). Daredevil: A Novel (Paperback). Novelization of the film. Onyx. ISBN 0-451-41080-7.
  84. Graydon, Danny. "Daredevil: The Director's Cut (15)". Empire. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  85. Otto, Jeff; Patrizio, Andy (October 22, 2004). "Daredevil: Director's Cut". IGN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
  86. Gramuglia, Anthony (December 28, 2020). "Daredevil Directors Cut Is Better Than The Threatrical Version". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  87. Hodge, Karl (February 25, 2008). "Underappreciated movies: Daredevil – The Director's Cut". Den of Geek. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  88. "High in the sky Benny bares all". The Sydney Morning Herald. July 29, 2004. Retrieved December 23, 2008.
  89. Sanchez, Robert (October 15, 2004). "Ben Affleck on a Possible Daredevil Sequel". IESB. Archived from the original on October 20, 2004. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  90. Sciretta, Peter (November 2, 2006). "Ben Affleck says No to Daredevil sequel". UGO. Archived from the original on August 11, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  91. Frizell, Sam (May 21, 2014). "Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice Has Officially Begun Filming". Time. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  92. Chavez, Kellvin (July 6, 2006). "Duncan Not in Transformers But Talks Daredevil 2!". LatinoReview.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  93. "Statement on the death of Michael Clarke Duncan". BNO News. September 3, 2012. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  94. "Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54: 'Green Mile' actor dies nearly two months after suffering heart attack". Daily News. New York. Associated Press. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  95. Carroll, Larry (June 2005). "Future Shocks: What's Ahead for Avi Arad and His Marvel Empire". MTV. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
  96. Epstein, Daniel Robert. "Mark Steven Johnson, director of Daredevil (Fox)". UGO. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved February 18, 2008.
  97. Boucher, Geoff (July 31, 2008). "Jason Statham: "I want to be Daredevil."". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  98. Boucher, Geoff (October 2, 2008). "IESB Exclusive: FOX's Tom Rothman on a Daredevil Reboot". IESB. Archived from the original on December 29, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  99. Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 5, 2010). "Exclusive: Latest Marvel Hero To Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  100. Vary, Adam B. (March 15, 2011). "David Slade to direct 'Daredevil' quasi-sequel". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  101. Kit, Borys (June 7, 2011). "Fox's 'Daredevil' Relaunch Hires 'Fringe' Writer Brad Caleb Kane". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  102. Nguyen, John (October 12, 2012). "Welcome back, Daredevil, to the Marvel Studios family". Nerd Reactor. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  103. Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 23, 2013). "TOLDJA! 'Daredevil' Rights Revert From Fox To Disney". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  104. Greenwood, Carl (November 17, 2013). "Four new Netflix Marvel superhero shows include remake of Ben Affleck's Daredevil". Daily Mirror. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Daredevil (film).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.