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Sunday, January 4, 2015

8 Reasons to be Excited for Marvel/Netflix's Daredevil


Marvel and Netflix have teamed together to do something extraordinary. They are releasing 4 separate but interconnected TV shows, Daredevil, AKA Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist and then they will tie them together in an unprecedented 5th series titled the Defenders! Now if you google the Defenders you’ll actually find that none of those characters were apart of the Defenders.

That's just fucking awesome!

It would probably make more sense to call the series the New Avengers. Because you know . . . that’s the teams they were on.

 There they are! Except for Jessica . . . But you get the idea

I guess calling it the Defenders is a way to capitalize on more Marvel brands. In any event, of the four heroes being introduced, Daredevil is the most well known. He’s also the only one without true super powers. Yeah, he’s got the enhanced senses but that’s hardly in the same vain as super strength or flight. I was lucky enough to be among the people at New York Comic Con to see footage from the new series. I gotta tell ya, it looks great! But little bits of footage, pictures, and interviews are hardly enough to sell the series. Eventually the show will have to sell itself. However, I don’t think that will be a problem. Here are my 8 Reasons Why I'm Excited for Daredevil:



LONG FORM STORYTELLING:
I recently watched a documentary called America in Primetime. It was about different forms of television like the sitcom, drama, mini-series, etc spanning the past 50 some odd years. There were interviews with actors, producers, writers, and directors. They all agreed that television was a better medium than film because they could tell a longer story and really dig into the characters. Think of some of the best TV shows of the past few years like 30 Rock, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, Weeds, the list goes on. What all these shows have in common is that they lasted a long time and, for the most part, remained strong during their runs. They were able to tell long arcs digging into character motivations, emotions, histories, and in some cases their futures. Comic books are the same way and it's a little shocking that only now is there a sudden influx of comic books being adapted for television. Netflix has the advantage here, but we'll get to that later.

Some people aren't a fan of how long TV shows are on the air. Some shows like Friends last 10 years or Law and Order: SVU which is in it's 300th season seem like they overstay their welcome. However, if done right, the shows can tell a complete story over several years and keep the story and characters fresh and interesting. Comic books have to do this on a monthly, and sometimes weekly, basis. I'm a big fan of long form storytelling and I expect the Marvel/Netflix series to take full advantage of this. And Netflix is the best place to do this because . . .


NETFLIX PRODUCES QUALITY PROGRAMMING:
House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Bojack Horseman, season 4 of Arrested Development. All of these and more are Netflix original series. Several Netflix shows have been nominated and won awards like the Golden Globe or an Emmy. Netflix has a proven track record when it comes to producing quality TV shows. It's no surprise that Marvel worked out a deal with them to produce their ambitious new project. One of the key advantages to a Netflix series is that there is no need to have the "Previously on . . ." at the beginning of an episode of network television. Viewers are able to watch multiple episodes either in one sitting or the whole season during a weekend binge watch. The shows are treated as a 13 hour movie instead of a 22 episodic season. There are disadvantages to this form of story telling but as I said, comic books do it all the time. Given the popularity of the aforementioned Netflix series, it seems people are fond of this type of storytelling. Marvel characters are a perfect fit for this model, considering that they were literally all created to be characters in a lasting comic book series.


WE CAN WATCH IT ANYWHERE:
Layover at the airport? Waiting room at the doctor office? Break time at work? Pull out your phone, tablet, or laptop and watch Daredevil! How cool is technology? You can watch it in your living room or at a party that's really boring but you don't have a ride home so you have to stay but luckily you have your phone so you can watch Netflix instead of mingling with people you hate. I've umm . . . done that before . . . The point is that you can watch Netflix just about anywhere these days!

Although this is probably a bad time

It's a cool way to watch TV and you don't even have to sit through the commercials! You can just pull it up and watch your show. Daredevil will likely be something fun and engaging to watch whenever you can spare some time in your busy schedule. Or just lay in bed and watch it on your day off!


IT WILL BE SEMI-REMOVED FROM THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE:
Due to its street level nature, Daredevil will probably not be teaming up with Iron Man or Captain America any time soon.

They're busy anyway

Daredevil and the rest of the Defenders will be in their own continuity, removed from the rest of the MCU. Kevin Feige and Jeph Loeb will tell you that "it's all connected." Other than a minor reference here and there I think that the grim and gritty nature of Daredevil wouldn't look right with the current films or Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Daredevil will kick things off and set the tone for the other series. They may all exist in the same universe but for the most part the show will stand apart similar to how Guardians of the Galaxy was separated from the Avengers films. However . . . 


THERE IS STILL CROSSOVER POTENTIAL:
Like I said, "It's all connected." There will probably be the obligatory Avengers reference in the first episode. For all we know Charlie Cox will cameo in an upcoming episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Clark Gregg could cameo on Daredevil. Since it's all connected this is a definite possibility. It's also not out of the realm of possibility that the Defenders could take part in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. As I stated in a previous post, crossovers can be big business, especially on TV or in this case Netflix. It would probably be easier for the Defenders to come to the movies rather than have the Avengers come to television (not to mention less expensive). As a fan of the comics, especially the New Avengers comics that featured Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, I would welcome the crossover with open arms. It probably won't happen for a while but let's face it there is no better way to "keep it connected" than having the characters interact and beat the crap out of each other.


NEW TERRITORY FOR MARVEL:
Up until now Marvel has been pretty consistent with keeping a strong continuity within their live action films. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done a much better job of being in the same continuity as the films this season than the previous season. The key is making sure that the properties can stand on their own without having to remind everyone that the Avengers are out there.

Hey there they are! Almost forgot about them for a second

In my opinion, one of the most improved things about the new season of AoS is that they are telling stories that only they can tell and we're not hoping for Iron Man or Thor to show up and save the day. Daredevil will need to be it's own show and not spend every episode reminding the audience about the latest Stark invention or an Ultron attack. A casual reference here and there is fine but the show doesn't need to be a preview for the next (or existing) MCU films. I'm sure Marvel knows this since this was a common complaint not only with AoS but with Iron Man 2. Daredevil is a great character and can definitely anchor a solid TV series. Having the show premiere on Netflix gives it a way to purposefully stay away from the Marvel films and establish its own identity. And if it works, then we'll be seeing a lot more characters jump on the Netflix band wagon!

The other aspect of this new territory is that Matt Murdock is a man. He's not a rich scientist, or a soldier, or a spy, or a god, and he's definitely not an enormous, green rage monster (I think). He's a regular guy with a regular job and that's something that the MCU has been lacking so far. I know you're reading this and realizing it as I'm saying it. It's true though! This gives Marvel a way to tell a different type of story. Kind of like Law and Order: Defenders! Hey, speaking of Law and Order . . . 


VINCENT D'ONOFRIO AS WILSON FISK / THE KINGPIN:
Daredevil is meant to be a grim and gritty, street level drama. A lot of his best stories have come from Frank Miller and Brian Michael Bendis. Their stories were grounded and kept somewhat apart from the more fantastic (pun intended) Marvel characters. To do aid in this storytelling they gave Daredevil human villains to fight. If you're like me, you remember the Kingpin from the Spider-Man animated series. I never thought of him as a Daredevil villain until I read those comics and, dare I say, when I saw Michael Clarke Duncan's performance in the Daredevil film (he was actually really good in that film). He's a great character and he needs to have a commanding presence. However,  I don't think we'll be seeing this right away. I think D'Onofrio is going to show us Wilson Fisk BECOMING the Kingpin throughout the first season. At New York Comic Con when asked about Fisk D'Onofrio only offered a cryptic tease. He said, "Wilson is a child. He's a monster. He's a flawed man." It's a strange way to describe one of the most popular Marvel villains but it was followed by a clip from the show. In it, we see Fisk staring at a painting in a gallery. His future wife Vanessa, played by Ayelet Zurer, asks him if he's an interested buyer or just an admirer. Fisk replied that he's interested. The two discuss the painting and what they think it means. It was a great scene and showcased the two wonderful actors. However, it doesn't quite sound like the Kingpin does it? I think that's what's most exciting. We will see how this man rose through the ranks of the criminal underworld to become the most feared and respected crime lord in New York City. 

Hey remember that time he was Thor?

D'Onofrio is a fantastic actor and I have no doubt that he will bring a lot of depth to the Kingpin and make him a villain that we will all love to hate. Or maybe hate to love. Or maybe he'll just be forgettable like most of the MCU villains so far.

Who are you again?

But I'm sure we won't have to worry about that. Like I said, Marvel is pretty good at learning from their mistakes.


Hey I didn't say they perfected it? Ok??? Jeez . . . Let's just get to the #1 reason I'm excited for Daredevil.


MATT MURDOCK IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN DAREDEVIL:
The most successful comic book franchises all have one major thing in common - it's not the costume that's interesting, it's the person wearing it. Robert Downey Jr is the perfect example of this. He's given Tony Stark a personality that was not previously seen in the comics and his performance influenced the way writers and artists approached Tony/Iron Man in subsequent stories. In Charlie Cox's case, he lucked out with Matt Murdock. Matt, more so than any previous MCU character, is totally human. I'm not talking about super powers or physical appearance. I mean Murdock is flawed, makes mistakes, loses fights, trusts the wrong people, and most importantly struggles with his morals and his faith. Tony has battled alcoholism, Steve was bullied, Thor has daddy issues, and Banner has anger problems. For the most part, we can all relate to the Avengers in some way, shape or form but none of them hold a candle to Matt Murdock. Matt has his best friend Foggy and some allies, but for the most part he deals with his problems on his own. And when he does, often he fails. That to me is very realistic and compelling storytelling. I know I'm guilty of dealing with my stress and anxieties on my own, even though I have a supporting family and caring friends that would reach out to me in a heartbeat. I relate to Matt's struggle and his want to deal with his issues on his own. As much as we love to see the hero triumph over evil, often it is much more interesting, and make for better drama, when the hero fails in some way. Matt has failed a lot but the best part about him is that he never gives up. He might need to rest and lick his wounds, but he always comes back, ready for another fight. And he learned it from his daddy! 

Daredevil is a great character and, truth be told, I only recently got into the character. I never disliked Daredevil, I just didn't read the comics until Mark Waid's current run on Daredevil. Now I'm interested in reading more about him and the previous iterations. I'm excited to see this new series and I have no doubt that Marvel will do it justice. I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this series soon! Till next time!



JJ - The Comic Junkie

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