She-Hulk: Matt Murdock and Daredevil, explained
Disney+Yes, Charlie Cox finally returns as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, in She-Hulk Episode 8 – let’s break down who he is, how he differs from the Netflix show, and his relationship with the titular hero.
Ever since the beginning of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the newest MCU show on Disney+, Marvel fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of a certain super-powered character.
Is it Mr Immortal? No. Is it The Wrecking Crew? Definitely not. Is it Ghost Rider? Perhaps, but the show dealt with that in its opening episodes.
It’s Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox. He’s finally back, so we’re going to break down who he is and what happens between him and She-Hulk.
She-Hulk: Who is Daredevil?
Daredevil is the superhero name used by Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with heightened senses that allow him to run around, traverse buildings, and fight goons with ease.
He was blinded as a young boy when a radioactive substance got into his eyes from a crashed vehicle. However, after losing his sight, he was trained by Stick to become a capable fighter; honing his senses and learning advanced combat.
While fighting crime by night, he works as a lawyer alongside his best friend Foggy Nelson at Nelson and Murdock in Hell’s Kitchen. However, both sides of his life put him on a collision course with Kingpin, thereafter being known as Daredevil.
Charlie Cox first played Daredevil in the Netflix series, once part of the MCU under the past Defenders initiative. However, with those shows no longer canon, he was reintroduced to the franchise in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and this marks the first time we’ve seen him in the suit.
She-Hulk: Is Charlie Cox playing the same Daredevil from the Netflix show?
Yes and no – while Charlie Cox is technically playing the same Matt Murdock and Daredevil, it will be a fresh, lighter iteration of the character compared to the Netflix series.
As per IGN, Cox spoke about the connection ahead of Daredevil Born Again, explaining: “I don’t think it means we’re going to tell the Frank Miller story of Born Again in the comics.
“I don’t think it means that. I think it’s – you know we made the [Netflix] show, it ended, years passed, and we’re making another show. It’s a perfect title.”
As She-Hulk notes in the episode, his suit is a mixture of “mustard and ketchup”, a nod to the yellow and black suit Daredevil wears early in his career in the comics.
However, the show does have two incredible references to the Netflix show: firstly, they’re using the same theme, which gave fans chills today; and they even gave him a hallway fight.
She-Hulk: What happens between Daredevil and She-Hulk?
Episode 8 follows She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) as she represents Leap-Frog, a wannabe superhero whose suit malfunctions. He decides to sue its manufacturer: Luke Jacobson, She-Hulk’s personal designer.
When they go to court, Jacobson reveals his lawyer: Matt Murdock, who flew in all the way from New York to cover the case. Within minutes, he wins the case, leaving She-Hulk stunned.
Later, She-Hulk returns to her Jennifer Walters form and goes to a bar, where she has a drink with Matt Murdock. They flirt, and just as she offers to buy him another drink, he apologizes and leaves rather hastily.
Soon after, Jen receives a panicked call from Leap-Frog, who says he’s being attacked. She comes to his aid and finds he’s being pursued by Daredevil. A brief fight ensues, but She-Hulk gets the better of him with her thunderclap. She manages to pick him up and unmasks him, realizing who he is, and he explains that Leap-Frog kidnapped Jacobson and he’s been trying to stop him.
The pair then team up to fight Leap-Frog’s “goons” at the Lilypad, where Daredevil gets his own hallway fight, She-Hulk smashes through the roof, and they stop the bad guy.
It doesn’t end there. Afterwards, they meet on the rooftop of the Lilypad and flirt some more – but Jen says they should just skip all that, so they head back to her home and… well, you know. We last see Daredevil walking home in his bare feet the next morning – carrying his shoes, of course.
She-Hulk Episode 9 will be available to stream next week. You can sign up to Disney+ here.