Comic readers aside, it’s fair to say most peoples’ knowledge of Marvel’s Daredevil franchise starts and ends with the critically-panned 2003 film adaptation starring Ben Affleck. That movie didn’t entirely deserve the smackdown it got, but it certainly wasn’t the ideal portrayal of Matt Murdock, the New Yorker whose chance encounter with radioactive substance robs his sight but massively heightens his other senses.
Now we have the trailer for Netflix’s take on the character. The tone, like most Marvel adaptations of late, is dark. But that’s appropriate: Daredevil is a curiously gritty character, a superhero who isn’t quite superhuman. Despite his sensory abilities and martial arts know-how, he never exudes the invincibility that defines Marvel’s other caped crusaders. Murdock is mortal, flawed, and fragile, and this trailer—with its emphasis on redemption and “questions of morality”—suggests a show with a strong, stripped-down, and clear-eyed grasp on the character. Daredevil will premiere on April 10.
