There are ‘what ifs’, and then there’s whatever went on with Netflix’s Daredevil series. Charlie Cox, who played lawyer-turned vigilante Matt Murdock across three seasons, reveals that producers initially wanted him to play the role of Matt’s friend Foggy – but he refused to even entertain the idea.
Speaking to British GQ, Cox recalled how he auditioned for the role of Matt Murdock and was then called over to Los Angeles for a screen test. The problem? They wanted him as Foggy, the role of Matt’s best friend that eventually went to Elden Henson. For Cox, it was time to be The Man Without Fear – in all senses of the word.
“And for whatever reason, having had this kind of empowering experience, I said, ‘I will come, but I’m only reading for Matt. I’m only reading for the lead,” Cox said.
From there, of course, the rest is history. Cox – and his supporting cast, including Henson – sparkled in Hell’s Kitchen as the Netflix series won critical acclaim and proved a hit with audiences.
Now, Cox is set to put the mask back on once more for Daredevil: Born Again. It’s been a slow road from the Netflix series but, after showing up in MCU projects She-Hulk, Echo, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s time for Marvel Studios to finally unleash the street-level hero in his own project.
Starring Charlie Cox, Margarita Levieva, and returning cast members Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, and Jon Bernthal, Daredevil: Born Again went through a major creative overhaul in 2023 with the departure of its directors and lead writers. Since then, Dario Scardapane has been brought in to steady the ship – and he’s been vocal about why things had to change.
“[The footage] had some really strong points, but it wasn’t feeling in line with what Daredevil had been established to be,” Scardapane told SFX magazine, while revealing in a separate interview with Empire that he was willing to “lose his job” over the fight to bring Foggy Nelson and Karen Page back into the Daredevil fold after they were going to be left on the sidelines in the original pitch for the Daredevil Disney Plus series.
Daredevil: Born Again hits Disney Plus on March 4. For more, check out our guides on how to watch the Marvel movies in order and the Marvel timeline.
