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When the Netflix Marvel shows moved to Disney+, fans hoped they might see some familiar faces incorporated into the MCU’s world. Although there were many good iterations of Marvel characters in the Netflix shows, one hero that fans particularly hoped would return for a solo show or movie was Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Happily, Marvel Studios didn’t make us wait very long. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the studio announced that Daredevil would receive a new MCU series on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again. Since that announcement, the series had some ups and downs, including an overhaul of its creative team. Here’s everything we know about Daredevil: Born Again.
Title
The title of the MCU Daredevil series will be Daredevil: Born Again. This is also the title of one of Daredevil‘s famous comic arcs.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s Plot
We don’t yet know much about the exact plot of Daredevil: Born Again. But in the comics, Born Again is a very dark tale for Daredevil. In it, the man without fear faces down Kingpin, who manipulates Matt Murdock’s feelings for a struggling Karen Page in his attempts to destroy the hero. Whether this storyline will find its way into the MCU, we can’t say for sure. What we do know is that Daredevil: Born Again will have eighteen episodes, leaving a lot of room to explore the MCU version of the hero.
According to a report by Variety, Marvel is planning to overhaul the direction of Daredevil: Born Again. The publication shares that “Marvel Studios has recently parted ways with head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman and is currently seeking new writers to revamp the show. Ord and Corman will still be credited as executive producers.” Additionally, Marvel has released the directors for the series episodes that have not yet already been filmed. Variety reveals that less than half of Daredevil‘s 18 episodes were filmed before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. And that “Some elements of the already shot material will be used going forward, but Marvel is looking to take the show in a new creative direction.”
Behind the Scenes
Originally Daredevil: Born Again was written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. According to Deadline, Clark Johnson was meant to direct two episodes. However, Variety recently reported that Corman and Ord were released from the show and Marvel is seeking new writers and directors for the series.
The Hollywood Reporter shared the superhero crime series has added Dario Scardapane as its showrunner. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will direct the rest of the episodes for the first season. Scardapane has experience with The Punisher, while Benson and Moorhead directed episodes of Loki season two.
While Marvel will apparently retain some episodes and other material that was already filmed, Scardapane will add new episodes and new scenes. It’s unknown how many episodes season one will have.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s Cast
So far, Charlie Cox, who, of course, returns as Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio, who will play Kingpin, have signed onto the new series. In addition, reports indicate that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Punisher in the MCU series. No other actors from the original Daredevil show have been confirmed to return.
Also joining Cox and D’Onofrio are Nikki M. James, Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, and Sandrine Holt. Their roles remain unknown. In addition, the publication recently cited Carnival Row‘s Arty Froushan as part of the cast. Clark Johnson, in addition to directing, reportedly has a recurring role in the series.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s Release Date
Daredevil: Born Again does not yet have a release date.
Originally published January 5, 2023.
The post DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Gets Its New Creative Team appeared first on Nerdist.
When the Netflix Marvel shows moved to Disney+, fans hoped they might see some familiar faces incorporated into the MCU’s world. Although there were many good iterations of Marvel characters in the Netflix shows, one hero that fans particularly hoped would return for a solo show or movie was Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Happily, Marvel Studios didn’t make us wait very long. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the studio announced that Daredevil would receive a new MCU series on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again. Since that announcement, the series had some ups and downs, including an overhaul of its creative team. Here’s everything we know about Daredevil: Born Again.
Title
The title of the MCU Daredevil series will be Daredevil: Born Again. This is also the title of one of Daredevil‘s famous comic arcs.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s Plot
We don’t yet know much about the exact plot of Daredevil: Born Again. But in the comics, Born Again is a very dark tale for Daredevil. In it, the man without fear faces down Kingpin, who manipulates Matt Murdock’s feelings for a struggling Karen Page in his attempts to destroy the hero. Whether this storyline will find its way into the MCU, we can’t say for sure. What we do know is that Daredevil: Born Again will have eighteen episodes, leaving a lot of room to explore the MCU version of the hero.
According to a report by Variety, Marvel is planning to overhaul the direction of Daredevil: Born Again. The publication shares that “Marvel Studios has recently parted ways with head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman and is currently seeking new writers to revamp the show. Ord and Corman will still be credited as executive producers.” Additionally, Marvel has released the directors for the series episodes that have not yet already been filmed. Variety reveals that less than half of Daredevil‘s 18 episodes were filmed before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. And that “Some elements of the already shot material will be used going forward, but Marvel is looking to take the show in a new creative direction.”
Behind the Scenes
Originally Daredevil: Born Again was written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. According to Deadline, Clark Johnson was meant to direct two episodes. However, Variety recently reported that Corman and Ord were released from the show and Marvel is seeking new writers and directors for the series.
The Hollywood Reporter shared the superhero crime series has added Dario Scardapane as its showrunner. Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will direct the rest of the episodes for the first season. Scardapane has experience with The Punisher, while Benson and Moorhead directed episodes of Loki season two.
While Marvel will apparently retain some episodes and other material that was already filmed, Scardapane will add new episodes and new scenes. It’s unknown how many episodes season one will have.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s Cast
So far, Charlie Cox, who, of course, returns as Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio, who will play Kingpin, have signed onto the new series. In addition, reports indicate that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Punisher in the MCU series. No other actors from the original Daredevil show have been confirmed to return.
Also joining Cox and D’Onofrio are Nikki M. James, Michael Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva, and Sandrine Holt. Their roles remain unknown. In addition, the publication recently cited Carnival Row‘s Arty Froushan as part of the cast. Clark Johnson, in addition to directing, reportedly has a recurring role in the series.
Daredevil: Born Again‘s Release Date
Daredevil: Born Again does not yet have a release date.
Originally published January 5, 2023.
The post DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Gets Its New Creative Team appeared first on Nerdist.
Sometimes it’s fun to be the bad guy. It’s a statement that can come off as a little irresponsible, but it’s not as if many of us haven’t wanted to step into the dark side. Well, that’s where the focus of this piece is. We’re taking the time to give flowers to the Black villains of the silver screen that both sent shivers down our spine and had us cheering them on.
Dr. Kananga aka Mr. Big: Live and Let Die
Say hello to the first black Bond villain. Portrayed by American actor Yaphet Kotto, Mr. Big was a businessman through and through. Between his restaurant chain in New York, being the head of one of the most vicious gangs in Harlem, and being the de facto dictator of a Caribbean island, you’d think this man would have more than his hands full. But no, he’s a master plate spinner and a criminal mastermind. He also has one of the most disturbing endings in the franchise, and as they say: if you’re going to leave, leave in style. You can see Mr. Big in Live and Let Die on MGM+.
Erik Killmonger: Black Panther
What’s better than a pure evil villain — a villain whose descent into evil was marked by an event completely out of their control. Erik does some heinous things over the course of Black Panther, but the scary thing is as an audience member it’s not that hard to understand why he is the way he is, especially so when we’re given a proper backstory for his intense anger at T’Challa. It doesn’t make all of the atrocities he’s committed acceptable, but on a certain level, fans can at the least see where Erik is coming from. You can see Black Panther on Disney+.
Candyman: Candyman (1992)
This is a villain so frightening, so sinister, that it’s dangerous just to speak his name aloud. So let’s keep utterances of his formal title to a minimum. He who must not be named is a horror movie icon, and the title is well earned. The one whose name must never be spoken is a vengeful spirit that thrives off of the legend of his existence and the faith of those who would deny his power. Being haunted and destroyed by a ghoul that gets more powerful when you speak his name is a ghoul worth his salt, or more fittingly, his honey. Yes, Daniel Robitaille uses powers such as hivemind and mind control to have others do his bidding. So not only will he take you out, but he just might use you as his own personal puppet to perform violent acts on his behalf. You can shiver in fright while watching Candyman on Peacock.
The Prowler: Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse
No one is prepared to learn that one of the people they love most in the world is a supervillain. It’s no surprise that it came as a world-shaking shock to Miles that his Uncle Aaron is not only a villain but the henchman to Kingpin. Aaron starts the movie as Miles’s uncle and mentor, but later on we learn that Aaron has always been the more rebellious between him and his brother. It was this rebellious streak and Jefferson’s decision to join law enforcement that drove a wedge between the brothers. Getting to see the contrast between Aaron as the supportive uncle and Prowler the villain is something that gave Into the Spiderverse it’s emotional core. The loss of Aaron is the driving point that inspires Miles to continue his role as Spiderman and keep working to be better not just for the city but for Miles himself. You can see Aaron’s story unfold in full on Hulu or Sling TV.
Akasha: The Queen of the Damned
Hot take? The Queen of the Damned is not as bad as people make it out to be. Yes, it has it’s sticking points that are plain to see while watching the movie, but it’s not an outright disaster as many reviewers have tried to paint it out to be over the years. Aaliyah was able to perfectly capture the sultry and sensual aura of the ancient vampire with ease, mainly as that was a facet of Aaliyah herself that she tapped into with her music and her videos. The Great Mother is herself the first vampire in existence; all vampires we meet in The Vampire Chronicles are her descendants. What makes Akasha such an iconic villain? She’s not in it for the thrill or the desire to cause chaos. She just needs to sustain herself, nothing personal about it. There’s something interesting about seeing someone exist solely for themselves, unattached from morality and empathy. Akasha is described as the one true monster because she doesn’t acknowledge or see herself as a monster. It’s not personal, it’s just a need to feed and create more fledglings. You can watch The Queen of the Damned on Hulu.
Popular video game franchises adapted into feature films or TV shows can either be a hit or a miss. One notable example of a hit is the HBO series The Last of Us, which came with critical acclaim after its season premiere. And one striking miss is the feature film Uncharted that was panned by both critics and fans of the video game.
If you’re looking for a hit with Five Nights at Freddy’s, sadly you’re not going to get that here. There’s not much of a hit happening with this snoozefest adapted from the horror-fiction video game of the same name. The potential to make this movie as engaging and compelling as its video game predecessor was missed by a lackluster plot. The film’s protagonist Mike (Josh Hutcherson) is dealing with post-traumatic stress and anxiety around his brother Garrett’s (Lucas Grant) disappearance. When Mike was a child, he saw his younger brother abducted in broad daylight during a family outing. Garrett was never seen nor heard from again. Sadly this tragedy is still haunting Mike as an adult and he has recurring dreams about that fateful day. He takes sleep medication which ironically provides clarity to his dreams and he’s able to capture more details. His ultimate goal is to find the man who took his brother and find out what happened.
While the overall story structure of Five Nights at Freddy’s is centered around this theme of Mike’s loss and endless search for his brother’s abductor, the heart and soul of what makes the video game franchise successful is missing from the film. The eponymous animatronic bear — mascot of the pizza establishment Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza — is more of a footnote in this story than a substantial part of the plot. While we do get to see the terrifying robots in action, their presence throughout the film is minimal. And that’s where it falls flat as a riveting horror flick. Due to the direction of this movie being focused more on Mike’s conflict, it impacted the pacing so much so that it was hard to stay awake through some scenes.
There is a key part of Mike’s story as it relates to his younger sister Abby (Piper Rubio). She’s a bit withdrawn and doodles images in her room while talking to imaginary characters. Her personality as well as her quirky way of communicating is what inevitably ties her to the animatronic puppets. The puppets — inspired from Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza in their heyday — perform musically in robotic motion inside of a dilapidated pizzeria set in late 80s/early 90s Nebraska.
And while the truncated performances of the cyborg-like animals leave the script more two-dimensional and stale than it intended, the appearance of Matthew Lillard as Steve, is also bland. No disrespect to Lillard’s performance, which I think was decent, his character lacked nuance and substance. Steve Ragland is a career counselor who helps Mike get a job position at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. This comes off the heels of Mike losing his last job after physically assaulting a man who he thought was kidnapping a child. At first the reaction to punching the daylights out of the man seems pretty extreme, but as you learn Mike’s backstory and childhood trauma, the knee-jerk reaction of being so violent to the poor innocent guy makes sense. It’s after this that Steve is assigned to assist Mike in finding work. Steve’s character however, was incredibly predictable and left no room for the imagination.
And then there’s Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), a local police officer, who lacks any instinct a person in law enforcement should have, helps Mike in his new security guard role at the pizza establishment. She’s oddly friendly to this strange man, and the sight of blood on Mike when she first meets him doesn’t raise any red flags. Like I said, her instincts are poor for someone with a job aided to serve and protect.
If you are a fan of the video game, which I’ve never played myself, you may be disappointed as you would likely expect more action and horror from these demonic androids. There are a few jump scares here and there, but not enough for me to actually jump in my chair. I will say that I did like the creepy look of these animatronic creatures. The slow turning of their heads and the menacing look they deliver as they slowly close their eyelids was pretty frightening to watch. I just wish they had more screen time, which would have added another dose of horror to an already terrifying story.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is a slow-paced horror film that offers a bunch of monotonous storytelling, and little to no chills and thrills that a film of this genre is supposed to deliver.
The film is directed by Emma Tammi. Written by Scott Cawthon, Emma Tammi, Seth Cuddeback. The film is produced by Blumhouse and Universal Pictures.
Five Nights at Freddy’s is currently playing in theaters and available to stream on Peacock.