So the new Netflix original series "Daredevil" premiered yesterday and I know I'm not the only one who was excited. I think fan are just as excited for what it could lead to with "The Defenders" series as much as they are about the show itself; I know I am. But in order for it all to play out well, Netflix needs to hit on this series which is the implied flagship. It may be easier seeing as how Daredevil is the oldest and most popular of the characters, but that can also make it harder. I have never read a Daredevil comic; I have only seen the Ben Affleck, and I didn't like it. With a lot of diehard fans, it will not be easy to win them over. The casual ones, like myself, are much easier to sway, and I have been swayed.
My first impression after seeing the pilot was: nice. It was interesting. I liked the characters and the actors playing them. Tobey Leonard Moore does a great job as the bad guy Wesley. I was really happy to see Bob Gunton in it. He is an actor I think is great and not just because of how villainously he played the warden in Shawshank. It seems like it is going to be a mash-up of detective type work and superhero action which is something I enjoy. They set a lot of good groundwork that can make the show a real treat moving forward.
One question I had coming in was: What universe would this take place in. I know it is Marvel, but they have had a lot of squabbling over character film rights I wasn't sure if it would be the Avengers or X-men or even its own universe. Some would say that because it deals with the New Avengers it should be in the Avengers universe, but so many X-men have also been Avengers and there is no mash-up there yet. However, it would make sense to have the Heroes for Hire have their own world. Ultimately, it leaves us to assume that it takes place in the Avengers universe, because there are allusions made to the attack on Manhattan which occurred at the end of the first film.
The other question was: How graphic will the show be? Netflix has a history of shows with a lot of bad language and nudity strewn throughout. This show is rated TV-MA, but Marvel has a problem with R rated movies. very few of the adaptations of their comics receive R ratings, mostly just the ones that can't avoid it such as the Punisher. Part of what has held up the Deadpool movie so long is that the script is R rated but producers don't want to make an R rated movie. I wasn't sure if they were going to be willing to put nudity, bad language, and graphic violence into a tv show, and it seems like they weren't. There was no nudity, even though Deborah Ann Woll was topless, it didn't show anything. The only bad word I heard was when, in confession, Matt used the lord's name in vain. It wouldn't have even registered with me if the priest hadn't said something. And the violence? A lot of butt kicking but little gore. It seems even though it is rated TV-MA it still has the PG-13 roots of most Marvel films. Which means it okay for the younger ones.
Now on to the negatives thoughts I had about the pilot. There weren't many, and they were minor. First off, his dad doesn't look like a boxer to me. David Keith, who played Jack Murdoch in the film,
looks much more the part. But, Jack Murdoch wasn't supposed to be a good boxer so I guess it's ok that John Patrick Hayden doesn't look like much of a boxer. My other problem is his suit. It isn't one really, and I get it because it is an origin story of sorts, but he kind of looks more like Iron Fist than Daredevil, at least with the mask he does. At the end of the opening credits they show the actual suit, so I want to know when he is going to wear that. Like I said minor complaints.
More thoughts from watching more episodes
Seeing Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin is another actor I'm going to enjoy. Superheroes tend to be limited by their villains and this show seems to have some good villains.
Later episodes have had more swearing and more gruesome fight scenes. I like it when films show gore to portray the brutality of the situation, and I hate when they are gory just to be gory. This show does it for brutalities sake. It had become a little less kid-friendly, but still no nudity.
Although the show alludes to the fact that it takes place in the Avengers universe, it still has yet to come out and say it. Also, it hasn't even referred to a single Avenger by name. My initial hope of possibly incorporating this show into the movies or even "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." has dwindled.
This show does a lot with a little, and it is definitely worth checking out, even if you aren't a fan of comics.
