Disney Embraces Violent Side of Marvel After ‘Deadpool’ Triumph

Deadpool & Wolverine has set a precedent for Marvel-tinged violence and brutality.

Related: Ryan Reynolds’ Superhero Recast With Fellow ‘Deadpool’ Actor: Report

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is currently in Phase Five, which marks the second chapter of the post-Avengers: Endgame narrative, known as the Multiverse Saga. Marvel Studios, under The Walt Disney Company, has been expanding its storytelling by introducing various superhero groups beyond the core Avengers.

During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Kevin Feige announced that the MCU plans to introduce specialized teams designed to address different types of threats, ranging from cosmic to supernatural to street-level. Leading the charge in expanding Earth-based superhero stories are Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Charlie Cox‘s Matt Murdock/Daredevil, who have been positioned as the heads of the MCU’s street-level branch.

It’s no secret that the Marvel Studios of today has been struggling with several things. From Jonathan Majors (previously Kang the Conqueror) getting fired from his role as the Multiverse Saga’s big bad — effectively replaced by R0bert Downey Jr.’s return in the all-new role of Doctor Doom/Victor von Doom — to a movie lackluster box office takings and general audience fatigue.

Disney’s R-Rated Action Plan

Amid all this, Marvel has the responsibility of reintroducing the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to the current-day MCU audience, considering the character’s absence since the conclusion of the Netflix Marvel Daredevil series in 2015, based on Frank Miller’s comic book hero of the same name, abruptly canceled in 2018 after the inception of Disney+ (Disney Plus).

Previously, Marvel President Kevin Feige had promised fans that the Man Without Fear would be joining the MCU for an 18-episode run of a newly rebooted Daredevil: Born Again, meant to be more of a soft reboot of the Netflix show, serving as “Season One, not Season Four” of the abandoned series.

Initially, fans were disappointed with the direction of the R-rated show’s follow-up, particularly due to baffling recasting decisions, such as Sandrine Holt replacing Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk, and the absence of key characters like Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Matt Murdock’s close allies and law firm partners.

Amid growing fan concerns and the underwhelming response to recent Marvel Studios projects, Kevin Feige decided to scrap the entire half-season of an already-filmed Born Again, as it didn’t “align with the studio’s vision”. This led to the firing of all writers and creatives involved in the project, with plans to bring in an entirely new creative team to reboot the (soft) reboot.

Now, Marvel is pledging to re-engage with the original Netflix approach, and take the pre-Disney+ show to the darkest place Marvel has ever gone — and set the tone for the MCU post-Deadpool & Wolverine (2024).

Recently, Entertainment Weekly spoke with Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, television, and animation at Marvel Studios, who opened up about their new phase of Marvel Television.

With WandaVision (2021) spinoff Agatha All Along slated to debut throughout this Halloween season,

Regarding this Daredevil: Born Again will feature the most “brutal action” Marvel has “ever seen”.

I’ll tell you, some of the most brutal action we’ve ever brought to the screen is coming in Daredevil: Born Again, which isn’t a horror show, but really it packs a lot of power and there’s a lot of visceral action, to say the least.

Interestingly, Marvel’s past “brutality” would include (Daredevil spoilers/warning for violence and blood) Wilson Fisk/Kingpin slamming a man’s head open in a car door for a good while — so an even more “brutal” showing from the MCU is something worth paying attention to.

The upcoming Marvel TV show has been filmed in New York City, with directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (known for their work on Moon Knight and Loki) at the helm. Philip Silvera, the stunt coordinator behind the iconic “hallway fight” from the original series, has also returned, along with other familiar faces from the show.

These efforts are part of a broader attempt to reframe Born Again as a “Season 4” of the Netflix series, despite earlier promises. Whether this approach will satisfy fans eager to see Matt Murdock and his friends return remains to be seen — but one thing’s for certain — a more blatantly mature MCU is headed our way.

Are you excited to see Daredevil: Born Again and more R-rated material from Marvel Studios? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!