After Daredevil: Born Again's First 4 Episodes, I'm Confused By The Showrunner's Criticism Of The Netflix Series's Talking Scenes, Especially With How Good The Marvel Show Has Been Without Any Action

By Ross Tanenbaum

Published Mar 22, 2025

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Marvel decided to continue from where the Netflix series ended. Netflix's Daredevil was an incredible show and deserved an extension after its abrupt cancelation once the rights returned to Disney.

Daredevil has dynamic fight scenes, notably its one-take sequences in a hallway, stairwell, and prison. While those moments are entertaining, Daredevil succeeded due to its excellent characters and intriguing moral conflicts. It's easier to emotionally invest in the action scenes when the drama is compelling and the characters are interesting. Before Born Again premiered, showrunner Dario Scardapane said the new series would differ from the Netflix one, favoring action over dialogue. However, I'm confused why he made these comments given how the first four episodes felt similar to the original show.

Daredevil: Born Again's Showrunner Thought The Original Series Had Too Much "Navel-Gazing"

Scardapane Wanted Shorter Conversations For The Disney+ Series

Scardapane has previous experience with Marvel before operating as the showrunner for Born Again. He was a producer and writer on Netflix's The Punisher, the spinoff series featuring Jon Bernthal in the titular role. While he was a part of the creative team behind the Defender's universe, he believes it had some problems that Born Again would fix. In an interview with SFX Magazine (via Gamesradar), Scardapane said the original Netflix show had too much "navel-gazing" and he didn't want to hear characters "grousing about their lot in life."

"There is more fun in the moments with these characters and a lot less navel-gazing than before. The earlier show, at its best, was fantastic. At its worst, it was two characters in a room talking about what a hero is. I felt that had been done. I'm not taking swipes. I just didn't want to hear characters grousing about their lot in life. I wanted to see them doing things.”

He also spoke about his experience with The Punisher, saying they had an "edict" to create longer dialogue scenes to fill in the gaps between the action scenes. Born Again, in comparison, has shorter conversations, allowing the action to happen at a better pace.

"One of our edicts was longer scenes. You had these long five-page scenes of characters hashing it out in order to make space between these massive action sequences. The way stuff has evolved since then, we're able to do big action sequences at a lot more pace."

Born Again's First 4 Episodes Have Been Excellent, Despite Being Mostly Talking And Less Action

Born Again Is Still Great, Even Without Much Action

I'm surprised by Born Again's lack of action in the first four episodes. Besides the opening fight between Bullseye and Daredevil, the series has only had one other fight. However, this hasn't been a negative thanks to excellent writing, captivating performances, and compelling drama. The first four episodes establish this show as one of Marvel's best, continuing what worked in Netflix's Daredevil while taking the characters in new directions. The diner conversation between Matt and Wilson in the first episode didn't have any punches but was just as gripping as any other fight scene.

White Tiger's trial and Matt's chat with Frank Castle are fascinating, but they make Scardapane's comments more confusing. Both moments feature no action and include conversations about what it means to be a hero, something Scardapane said he wanted to avoid. However, I'm thankful the showrunner contradicted himself because the series is much better thanks to these moments. While the judicial system freed Hector Ayala, Matt still sees that corruption exists after Hector's death. Additionally, Frank's chat showed Matt that he hadn't forgiven himself for Foggy's death, even after Bullseye's conviction.

The Final 5 Episodes Should Have A Lot More Action

Born Again Is Setting The Stage For More Vigilante Showdowns

Episode four of Born Again sets the stage for the final five episodes. Matt is gathering his Daredevil equipment, preparing for his return as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Fisk is reverting to his old ways, with Adam, Vanessa's former lover, trapped in a cage. The episode also introduces Muse, an artistic serial killer who's terrorizing New York City. Muse could be the show's new main villain, setting up conflicts with Daredevil and Kingpin, whose main goal as mayor could be stopping him at any cost.

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Jon Bernthal as the Punisher and Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin in Daredevil Born Again

Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4 Ending Explained

Daredevil: Born Again, episode 4, "Sic Semper Systema" has some big implications for the future of the series, but what does it all mean?

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Since Matt is returning to his role as Daredevil, we will likely see more fights as he tries to clean New York outside the legal system. Fisk could also get his hands dirty as he steps outside the bureaucracy to get things done his way. There's plenty of potential for excellent action in Daredevil: Born Again's next five episodes, delivering on what the showrunner promised.