Upcoming Marvel show Daredevil: Born Again may not strictly be adapting the story of the legendary Frank Miller comic run, but it is certainly drawing heavy inspiration from its visuals.
The new series follows returning characters Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox) as they are set on a collision course as the former sets his sights on becoming mayor of New York.
Not only are audiences in for a treat being reunited with these beloved characters from Netflix's original Daredevil show, but certain scenes bring to life iconic panels from the Marvel comics.
Referencing the works of comic book legends including Charles Soule, Frank Miller, Ron Garney, Brian Bendis, and Ed Brubaker, Daredevil: Born Again is certainly a show that wants to pay homage to these incredible writers and artists. And as producer Sana Amanat told press at a recent conference GamesRadar+ attended, the creative team even went as far as directly recreating images from the comics.
As Amanat revealed, the first time you see Daredevil in the show is a reference to how he appears on the legendary Born Again comic: "It's super fun also to see ways in which we can match the comic images. You know, this is like, a big one for us, just having little references, like the first shot of Daredevil with the backdrop was a reference to Born Again the cover."
For director Justin Benson, who helms the show with his filmmaking partner Aaron Moorhead, it was all about "taking key frames" from the comic books, bringing those to the screen. And not just that, as Moorhead says they focused on smaller details too: "Sana was always talking about the Fisk lighting, how Frank Miller lights him. So we were like, alright, let's do this."
In fact, one of the coolest scenes from the show does directly adapt an iconic Fisk moment from Miller's Born Again comic, one which star D'Onofrio says he has up in his office. That was the idea of Head of Marvel TV Brad Winderbaum, who detailed why it was important to him to include this moment.
He revealed: "It was a moment that he [Miller] described in a documentary, about transitioning Kingpin from a Spider-Man character to a Daredevil character. And you can see him do it on the page itself. There's three panels where he kinda looks like Spider-Man Kingpin, and then the light shifts between the panels. And by the last panel, you get that stark Frank Miller lighting, where he lights the match."
We think it is this panel below, which is from issue #170:
Given that the show draws heavy inspiration from Miller's work, the comic book legend did visit the set on their last day of shooting. It's a moment that clearly means a lot to showrunner Dario Scardapane, who shared: "Him sitting at the monitor while we had kind of what I would say is the holy trinity of the show was there, it was one of the most amazing experiences in my creative life.
"That stuff was such an influence on me. You're always trying to live up to it, and sometimes arrogantly trying to beat it just a little bit. And I don't know, I'm not the one who can say if we beat it, but I'm always trying to live up to it as a writer."
Daredevil: Born Again premieres on Disney Plus on March 4 in the US, arriving the following day on March 5 in the UK. Never miss an episode with our Daredevil: Born Again release schedule.
Before it starts, don't forget to check out our guide to the Marvel shows and movies to watch before Daredevil: Born Again.
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