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
We open in the newsroom of the New York Herald, seeing a man furiously typing away on his computer, a cigarette puffing in his mouth. The phone rings next to his desk, causing him to hit a button and answer "Urich." The voice on the other line, which we recognize as Wesley from before, speaks quickly about rescheduling a meeting between his client Mr. Fisk and Urich that was supposed to happen the next day. Urich complains that this is the third time Fisk has canceled on him, but Wesley insists that it's nothing personal, merely a reflection of Mr. Fisk's busy schedule. Urich tells him to get back with him with a proper date and hangs up. He gets another phone call almost immediately, and we hear it's Karen Page. Urich stops his typing and turns on a recorder, especially after she says that she is fearful for her life. She asks Ben if she should get legal representation, and Urich says that lawyers always complicate things, it's best to go on her own, but to do what she feels comfortable with. Page doesn't respond for a moment, before agreeing with Ben. Ben again presses her that it may be time to meet face to face, but Karen isn't so sure. She thinks that Owlsley might be on to her leaking to the press about shoddy construction and bad finance rackets in Hell's Kitchen, but Ben tells her to stay strong. He perks up again when she mentions something about a devil nearby, but just as quickly the interest passes.
The next morning in a church, Matt Murdock is confessing his sins with Father Lantom. Matt asks if the good man who goes to war can ever truly be saved. The Father replies that he has never seen himself as the purveyor of God's forgiveness, rather the shepherd that leads men towards salvation. He says the shepherd must be conscious of the whole flock, even the noblest sheep who sometimes goes astray. He can't and doesn't approve of Matt's methods, but says that sometimes even the angels need a sharp sword, and thus he can't sit in judgement either. As Murdock is leaving the church, he gets a call on his cellphone from Foggy, telling him that the girl from the previous night is in their office, and to hightail it over there as soon as possible. Murdock walks in on Page and Nelson, apologizing for his tardiness. Page explains that for the last three years she has worked for a financial company run by financeer Leland Owlsley. The name immediately perks up Murdock and Nelson, with each saying the Owlsley was rumored to be linked to Silvermane but it could never be proven. Page nods her head, saying that she's been trying to find a link herself after she saw something...something she couldn't quite explain. Matt tries to press her on it, but she says that she can't go into greater detail. She admits she's been feeding information to Ben Urich, and that she might finally have something that can bring Owlsley and his new partner down, if she can get it published soon. Urich is still tied up with this Kingpin nonsense, which Nelson dismisses as fantasy, the very notion of one guy controlling all the crime in New York. Karen agrees to go to work for them now, having quit her job with Owlsley and having all the data she needs, just waiting for the opportune time. She also agrees to take a job as their secretary, for the time being.
In their office, Matt and Foggy discuss her motives and what information she might have, Foggy saying that this could make their career not just as attorneys, but as a name to be reckoned with. Matt is far more interested in the "myths" of the Kingpin of crime she mentioned, wondering if Owlsley could have started working for him. Matt thinks back to his childhood, seeing his father work in a boxing ring through a window, having snuck away from his mother. He sees a group of men approaching his father, handing him some money and a note. Jack nods his head disappointingly. The following night, Matt is listening to his father's fight on a transistor radio, hearing his father doing well, right up until the fifth round, when he loses by knockout. Matt stares blankly at the wall, as we cut back to the present day and Matt staring blankly at the chair Foggy has vacated. Matt mutters to himself that everything can be connected, no matter how much you don't want to believe it.
In a upscale garden, Owlsley and Wesley are walking along until they meet Madame Gao. Leland apologizes for not speaking Chinese, but Gao responds in English, saying that she can speak it when she wants to. She explains that a new shipment of resources is coming into Manhattan, something that their mutual friend would find very interesting. Wesley makes note of it, while Owlsley simply asks why its worth the expense, to which Gao replies that life is always worth any expense, particularly, extending it. Wesley walks away and gets on his phone, calling his boss. We cut to an office building in Hell's Kitchen, overlooking much of the city, and the camera pans up to see Wilson Fisk smoking a cigar, speaking on speaker phone. He tells Wesley to make sure the shipment is well protected, as it is vital to their plans in the future. When Wesley asks if Leland needs to know, Fisk merely replies that all Owlsley is good for is keeping the money train rolling. He hangs up the phone and turns around, seeing his wife staring at him. She asks him what that was all about, to which Wilson replies, living forever.
Episode 3. Stick and Move
We open on a flashback of the young Matt Murdock, a few years beyond what we had seen before. The blinded youth is stumbling through a back alleyway, tears leaking from his eyes, glazed over from an accident months prior. Matt trips on a garbage can land and finds himself face down in the gutter, before another man helps him to his feet. He asks the youngster if he has any place to go, and Matt stubbornly shakes his head. The man repeats the question, telling Matt he'll have to speak an answer. Matt asks why that is and the man says it's because he's like him...blind. He calls himself Stick, and he invites Matt in out of the rain. We cut back to the modern day, where rain is falling outside Matt's apartment. He slowly stumbles in from the night, beaten up and bloodied. He removes the black hood protecting his identity and places the billy clubs in a lockbox underneath a table. He stops when he hears something on the other side of the room, and then laughs to himself. He calls out, "Hello old man." The camera cuts back and sees an aged Stick, standing on the other side of the room.
More to Come...
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
Synopsis Coming Soon
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
Coming Soon...