has become as synonymous with the role of Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil as Robert Downey Jr. Is with Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man and Chris Evans is with Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America. But the actor was initially asked to audition for a very different role in the MCU…that of Murdock’s best friend and colleague, Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. Ultimately played in the Netflix Daredevil series (and due to return in the Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again) by Elden Henson, the idea of Cox as Foggy rather than Murdock seems laughable now, and the actor felt similarly, demanding to read for the lead role instead.
In a new interview with GQ, Cox revealed that the producers behind Netflix’s Daredevil, which lasted three seasons before being canceled in 2018 along with all the Marvel shows on the streamer, liked him, but not for the lead role. Thankfully, Cox had a moment of empowerment, and pushed for the role of Matt Murdock. He revealed:
“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.’”
Charlie Cox Thought His Time as Daredevil Was Over After Netflix Cancellation
Charlie Cox has now cemented himself as the quintessential live-action Daredevil, with the actor having now appeared in the MCU in the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home and the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. However, when the Netflix series was canceled, Cox assumed his time as the character was over. The actor reflected on the unceremonious cancellation, saying…
“I got a call late at night, and my boss at Marvel television at the time said, ‘they’ve pulled all the shows. All five of them.’ There was some… I don’t know, it was a conversation about the politics behind it all, some feud between Netflix and Disney. My bosses at Netflix and Marvel all called and were very nice, and very polite, but it was done.”
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The Punisher Officially Returns in Action-Packed ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Teaser
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ has unveiled a teaser that includes brand-new footage from the upcoming season.
Following the response from fans to the Netflix series and its core cast, Disney and Marvel Studios will bring back Cox for the sequel series, Daredevil: Born Again. But bringing The Man Without Fear back for more was not without its problems. Initially displeased with what had been created, Born Again underwent a major retooling, with Cox saying “in a bizarre twist of fate, the strikes that were so terrible for so many people in the industry ended up being the best thing that happened for our particular show.”
Daredevil: Born Again finds Wilson Fisk running for mayor…and Matt Murdock working for him. The series stars Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, AKA Daredevil alongside Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, AKA The Kingpin, with the rest of the cast including Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson, and Wilson Bethel as Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, AKA Bullseye, as well as Margarita Levieva, Michael Gandolfini, and Genneya Walton. Daredevil: Born Again is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on March 4, 2025, as part of Phase Five of the MCU.
Daredevil: Born Again
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Franchise(s)
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Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
