Since its launch in 2019, Disney+ has ushered in a new era of streaming for company-owned franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars. While Netflix handled its Marvel shows fairly well all things considered, the jump to this new platform had the potential to introduce more Marvel characters to audiences familiar and new. It also said, "Hey, remember Daredevil? What if we just sort of brought him back for you?"
I was a huge fan of the original Netflix series, and couldn't wait to dive headfirst into this one. I may have made one small error in doing so, however -- and while it didn't completely ruin my watching experience, I do have some regrets.
To be clear, the act of watching the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again were not the mistake I'm referring to. Though I had to break up the premiere-watching experience into two days because staying up late these days is a chore, I had some of the most fun I've had watching an MCU show probably since watching the original Daredevil series on Netflix.
My mistake, it turns out, was twofold: Not only did I not rewatch the original series before this new one, but I also watched the premiere with someone who hadn't seen the original series at all. And I'm pretty sure that was not how we should have gone about this.
To be fair, the series is designed to fill in enough backstory to give you a good enough refresher or idea of some of the bigger events that happened previously. And aside from the opening sequence, you technically don't have to know too much about the original series to appreciate this new one. It's a fine jumping-in point, and my watching companion had a good experience despite the circumstances.
But I was absolutely heartbroken after the prologue, and I'm quite aware that if you hadn't seen the original show, you probably wouldn't have fully grasped the significance of the major death (I won't spoil it here). It might not mean anything to you. It's emotional, sure, but you have no rapport with this character. You've spent a few minutes with them at most.
And even I, not having seen the original series since it streamed on Netflix, felt myself slightly removed from the whole thing. Once you get past this, it's mostly smooth sailing -- you don't have to know about Matt and Fisk's history to know it exists. But Matt's life is completely different because of the events of the prologue, and it just doesn't hit the same for fans who are just tuning in.
I'm not going to tell you not to watch the show if you haven't seen the Netflix original, or that you won't enjoy it if it's been a while since you saw it. But take this as a warning. At the very least, maybe go back and relive the magic while you wait for episode 3. I just might myself.
Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2 are available to stream now on Disney+.