Daredevil is a Netflix exclusive television series set in the Earth-11584 continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the second such show, following 2014's Luke Cage, and is the second iteration of the comic book character of the same name (following the 2003 movie starring Ben Affleck.) The series stars Charlie Cox as the title character, with Vincent D'Onofrio portraying his arch rival the Kingpin. Unlike other characters in the MCU, there have been only a few references to Daredevil existing in this continuity.
Synopsis
In his own hometown of Hell's Kitchen, a neighborhood in Manhattan, blind lawyer Matt Murdock is attempting to make his own way both as an attorney for hire, and as a masked vigilante at night, all in an attempt to bring down the so-called Kingpin of crime, who has taken over the various underworld factions and is consolidating his power. Together with the aides of his civilian partners Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, Murdock's attempts to balance the devils and angels in all of us will dangerously make him walk the line between hero, and villain.
Episode List
Episode 1. Opening Bell
We open at night near the docks in lower Manhattan, where a ship is unloading women off and into transports on the street. The women are barely clothed, obviously cold, and frightened, forced into the transports by gunpoint. We see several armed thugs herding them around like cattle, each speaking of moving the women for someone named Nobu. Suddenly there is a commotion near the ship, and two of the guards go to check it out. They are quickly taken out by a shadowy figure dressed in black. The other guards hurry the remainder of the women onto the trucks and check out where their compatriots are, only to be taken out as well. The hooded figure approaches the last crook, who drops his gun in fear and tries to run away, only to be taken out by a billy club thrown right at his head. The man opens the doors to the trucks and speaks to the women in Mandarin, saying that they should get to a nearby halfway house that can get them in contact with their embassy in New York, before disappearing back into the night as the Daredevil title sequence plays.
We see a flashback sequence with a young Matt Murdock, watching his father fight on tape delay on television, holding a bag of ice over his busted lip. Jack Murdock comes up behind him and turns off the TV just as he is knocked down. Jack tells Matt this is why he shouldn't be fighting, Murdocks always take a punch but can't always fight back. Matt says he just wants to be like his Dad, but Jack replies that Matt should want to be better than him, smarter than him, with a better career than him. He asks Matt what started the fight, and the younger Murdock says it was the rumor that some kids were insulting him and the fact that his family is divorced. Jack says not to let the world get him down, it's been tough for them, but things are going to turn around soon. We cut back to present day, where Matt Murdock wakes up in his bed, his eyes glazed over as opposed to the youthful gaze he once had. He slowly starts his day with a cup of coffee and a newspaper, wincing at his injured ribs which were hurt in the fight the night before. He eventually leaves the apartment, meeting up at a small office that reads Murdock and Nelson. There, we meet Matt's law partner, Foggy Nelson, and the two go over their lack of cases since setting up shop just a few weeks prior. Matt insists they can make a difference in this down and out neighborhood, but Nelson is more skeptical, saying optimism doesn't ever pay the bills.
In a nearby high-rise, we see Karen Page walking in a hurried fashion to her desk, a folder of paperwork in her hands. She walks around a corner and accidentally bumps into an older gentleman from behind. She at first apologizes profusely, before seeing that she bumped into the boss of the firm, Leland Owlsley. She then apologizes even more, much to Owlsley's amusement, before he helps pick up her papers and sends her on her way. As she walks away, his smile turns to a scowl and he turns back to the Japanese man he was talking to just outside his office. He tells him he'll meet with the group later that evening at the worksite, and not to darken his doorstep in his legitimate business again. We follow Leland into his office, where he picks up a phone and speaks with a man named Fisk, requiring his presence at a meeting that evening. In her own office, we see Karen look through the paperwork she had in her hands, going over some plans for a building nearby. She looks at a business card that reads Ben Urich on the outside, and then slams both the folder and the card into her purse before leaving.
At a local bar in Hell's Kitchen, Matt and Foggy are sharing a drink together, talking about their time in law school together. Foggy mentions his family, having grown up in an affluent area of New York City. He tells Matt that he often doesn't speak of his father, which Matt responds by saying his father died when he was a kid, nothing more than that. Matt takes a drink of his beer and the camera cuts back to a gym where a young Matt is watching his father train. He is approached by a woman who identifies herself as his mother, and Matt virtually ignores her, intent on watching Jack Murdock in the ring. Jack sees this and comes over, getting into an argument with the woman. She says that Matt doesn't need to be seeing Jack get his brains beat in all the time, which Jack says he has to train to make ends meat. She threatens to have the courts take Matt away from him altogether, which causes Jack to relent a bit and allow her to take Matt away. The scene cuts back to Matt in the bar, a look of daydreaming clear on his face. Foggy sees a woman walk into the bar and goes over to talk to her, and we see it was Karen Page from before. She doesn't show much interest in the drunken Nelson, but does finally accept their business card as a way to chase them off. Matt seems to notice something wrong with her, but says nothing.
In an empty building front high above Hell's Kitchen, Leland Owlsley appears with a couple of goons as protection. They are approached by a Japanese man named Nobu, as well as an elderly Chinese woman whom they address as Gao. They converse amongst themselves as best they can, Owlsley complaining about the cold and the fact that nobody else there speaks English. They are suddenly greeted by a man named Wesley, who apologizes for Mr. Fisk not being able to attend. Owlsley is incensed, annoyed by Fisk'd duplicity, but Wesley insists that Mr. Fisk had other pressing matters to attend to. They discuss their current operations, centered around gaining control of the drug trade throughout New York and continuing to muscle the old Manfredi crime family out of place. Nobu, through an interpreter, mentions that one of his trafficking shipments was hit by some masked vigilante, which gets Gao's attention briefly, but they quickly dismiss it as a one time thing. Wesley asks if Owlsley has found any information concerning where the leaks of their organization is coming from, and Owlsley says that he has a few possible candidates that will be tied up soon.
Meanwhile, Matt is patrolling the rooftops of the city, near some apartments. He hears a commotion in one of them and he rushes inside to find three men attempting to attack Karen Page. He beats them down, nearly throwing one out of a window, and they escape before they can Matt can interrogate any of them. Karen thanks him for his efforts and asks him not to leave, but Matt says he has other places to be and other people to protect. He tells her to call a friendly lawyer if she needs one, and Matt leaves just as quickly as he came in. Karen looks into her purse and finds the business card of Nelson and Murdock, staring at it as the episode ends.
Episode 2. Feeling Out
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 3. Stick and Move
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 4. Caught Cold
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 5. Neutral Corner
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 6. Standing Eight Count
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 7. Tale of the Tape
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Episode 8. Pull Your Punches
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 9. Flash Knockdown
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 10. Cut Man
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 11. Carrying the Opposition
Synopsis Coming Soon
Episode 12. Going the Distance
Synopsis Coming Soon
Cast List
- Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil- A blind lawyer by day who uses superhuman senses gained from a childhood accident to fight crime in Hell's Kitchen at night.
- Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page- The secretary and receptionist for Murdock and Nelson, who finds herself victimized by white collar crime.
- Elden Henson as Franklin "Foggy" Nelson- The best friend and law partner of Matt Murdock who is looking to make his name on the legal profession.
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk- A wealthy citizen of Hell's Kitchen who is also the alleged Kingpin of Crime, seeking to consolidate power of the New York underworld under his rule.
- Peter Shinkoda as Kagenobu Yoshioka- A leader of a mysterious group known as The Hand, which acts as mercenaries for the equally mysterious Madame Gao.
- Joe Pantoliano as Ben Urich- A reporter for the Daily Bugle, who is looking to expose the story of the Kingpin of crime. Pantoliano reprises his role from the 2003 Daredevil film, but the two characters are unrelated in universe.
- Scott Glenn as Stick- A mysterious warrior who trains Matt as a young man in ninjitsu fighting styles.
- Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple- A nurse living in Harlem who Matt comes across one night, seeking help for his wounds.
- Bob Gunton as Leland Owlsey- A wealthy financeer who acts as the moneyman behind Fisk's criminal enterprise and a low level crime boss himself.
- Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk- The wife of Wilson Fisk, who is either complicit or ignorant of her husband's dealings.
- Wai Ching Ho as Madame Gao- The mysterious woman behind the heroin smuggling operation in Chinatown, among other nefarious dealings.
- Toby Leonard Moore as James Wesley- The loyal assistant and foot soldier of Wilson Fisk's criminal enterprise.
- Peter McRobbie as Father Lantom- A parish priest in Hell's Kitchen, to whom Matt confesses his sins regularly.
- Connor Trinneer as "Battlin" Jack Murdock- A local journeyman fighter and the father of Matt Murdock. Seen only in flashback.
Reception
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