The forthcoming Daredevil series almost missed out on bringing back fan-favorite characters Karen and Foggy, but Born Again’s showrunner was adamant about including them.
Back in 2023, Daredevil underwent a significant creative revamp, partly due to Marvel’s new approach to handling TV shows and partly because the original direction wasn’t hitting the mark. Enter Dario Scardapane, who previously contributed as a writer and executive producer for Netflix’s Punisher series. He played a crucial role in steering Born Again back on course by reintroducing Matt Murdock’s closest allies, Karen and Foggy. “That was one of the first things I mentioned to the higher-ups,” Scardapane revealed in an interview with Empire.
“You can’t do this show without Karen and Foggy. They’re the core of Matt’s world, his family. Removing them without a solid explanation would fall flat, and if the reason isn’t convincing, it’s better not to remove them at all.” Their inclusion aims to somewhat maintain continuity with the Netflix series, rather than presenting a brand-new Daredevil. “It was less about the familiar world we knew and more about carving a new path, but in that pursuit, some vital elements of the story’s heart were overlooked.”
In fact, Scardapane wouldn’t have signed on if the duo weren’t allowed to return, particularly since the Netflix series concluded with their vision of changing Nelson & Murdock into Nelson, Murdock & Page. “I was prepared to let this job go over it. Season 3 of the Netflix show ended on a hopeful note, with their names on that napkin. If you don’t honor that vision, you’re missing the narrative’s core. You can’t just brush that aside.”
Whether Scardapane manages to recreate the magic that captivated audiences years ago won’t be clear until the show airs (though you can likely expect plenty of intense action). Fortunately, you won’t be waiting much longer, as Daredevil is set to premiere on Disney Plus on March 5.
