Marvel is about to make the leap into Netflix with an original series starring Daredevil. Matt Murdock (his alter ego) is one of Marvel’s most enduring and gripping characters with a huge history and even a movie in his past but it’s an all-new start for The Man Without Fear.
Here’s what you need to know about the crusading attorney by day and masked vigilante by night to be ready for the Netflix series when it’s ready for download on April 10th:
Matt Murdock was raised by single father in Hell’s Kitchen of New York City. “Battling” Jack Murdock was a boxer who pushed his son to focus on education, a life of non-violence and to be a better man. Matt was bullied a school, called “Daredevil” as a joke but trained in secret to learn to defend himself.
When Matt saved an elderly man from a speeding truck, he was exposed to radioactive chemicals which blinded him but gave him a radar and enhanced his other senses. Matt continued to train in martial arts, excelled in school and eventually graduated from Columbia Law School. Matt’s father was murdered for not taking a dive in fight. This inspired Matt to become a masked vigilante known as Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.
Wilson Fisk is the Kingpin of Crime, a powerful crime lord who may appear to be obese but it’s massive muscle. Fisk is not just a physically intimidating bully and martial arts master, he’s a genius, master manipulator and strategist.
The Kingpin is one of Marvel’s greatest villains and mortal enemy of Daredevil, Punisher and Spider-Man. Fisk offer calls himself a “simple importer of spices” and he actually has several legitimate businesses including spices and donated to several charities. Fisk often clashes with Hydra, the major enemies seen in Captain America films and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
If Fisk has a weakness…it’s Vanessa, this is a character to watch in the development of Fisk.
Leland Owsley is the Owl of Wall Street. When the successful financier’s illegal dealings were exposed he became a rising crime lord who laundered mob money and became obsessed with superhuman enhancements to this body. No official word on if we’ll see the financial wiz, mobster or full-on monster the Owl is now in comics.
Karen Page is the secretary for Murdock’s law firm. While modern comics and movie fans may think of Elektra, Karen is Matt’s longest running love interest in the comics. We can’t say more without spoilers but Karen’s romance with Matt is major plot that goes on after she exits the book. Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood) is playing Karen.
Foggy Nelson is Murdock’s best friend and partner in their law firm. In the comics, Nelson and Matt are rivals for Karen and often conflict on cases. Later Foggy would become a source of comic relief to counter the dark grittiness of the book.
Ben Urich is a tough investigative reporter for The Daily Bugle (the newspaper Peter Parker works for) and becomes involved with Kingpin’s plans for revenge against Daredevil.
Stick is a mysterious sensei who trains young Murdock because he has radar and hypersenses. In comics he leads The Chaste, a secret cabal of martial arts experts, sworn to battle The Hand, a sinister cult of ninjas led by a demon.
The one to watch:
Claire Temple is a trained nurse and dated Luke Cage (soon to star in his own Netflix series). Speculation is Temple will be based on a character called the Night Nurse, a trained caregiver who takes care of superheroes in secret.
This is a character to watch – she could be the tie-in characters on all five Marvel Netflix(Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, The Defenders) series like Nick Fury is in the Avengers movies.
Daredevil is available for download on Netflix on April 10th.
By Editor