Like She-Hulk. Episode 8 defines Daredevil’s future in the MCU

She-Hulk received very mixed reviews during its run. However, the latest installment generated a lot of buzz online after it reintroduced a massive fan favorite for those who loved Netflix’s grittier Marvel series.

Charlie Cox has officially returned as Matt Murdock/Daredevil. This is of course not new information. The Blind Vigilante made his debut back in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Home as Peter Parker’s legal representative. However, his screen time was limited to a very short cameo, which you can watch below:

In the eighth episode of She-Hulk, “Ribbit and Rip It Up”, Matt returned to full strength. He had time to shine in court, matching Jennifer Walters head to toe and even using his heightened sense of smell to confuse her client. It also got equal time to fight crime – complete with a teaser for the iconic hallway action sequences.

Marvel hasn’t clarified whether this Matt Murdock is the same person from Netflix’s Daredevil or an entirely new variant. In any case, this performance is different from what fans of the earlier incarnation are familiar with.

It’s a much… wittier Matt than we’re used to, which is what I predicted after the appearance of the Kingpin in Hawkeye. Suddenly, I didn’t hate him. After all, She-Hulk is a comedy, and Matt’s endearing chemistry with Jennifer fits well into the more light-hearted MCU universe in Netflix’s own setting.

He generally feels happier and more comfortable with who he is, loosely referring to himself as “Daredevil” and responding with banter to Jen’s quick wits. Charlie Cox still feels right in the role, only this version is in a better position overall than the grim existence of Netflix’s Matt in Hell’s Kitchen.

The fights and stunts are also much more gymnastic, and some parts are (unfortunately) clearly CGI.

Disney has been heavily criticized for the poor performance of its animation department and made headlines for the poor visuals of the final She-Hulk. Daredevil’s acrobatic stunts aren’t the worst of the series, but they’re very different from the complex practical stunts we saw in the original series.

However, Charlie Cox is essentially a guest here, so you can understand why he might not want to go through months of grueling physical training for a few minutes of screen time. Also, he fights another computer character, so it makes sense that Disney chose this cinematic style.

However, I’m sure Kevin Feige and his henchmen are keeping a close eye on fan reactions and many will beg to keep the stunts running organically when Matt makes his next debut, which will be in the fifth phase of Echo, due out next year. . summer.

He will appear alongside Daredevil’s big villain, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. What She-Hulk didn’t tell us is if Daredevil and the Kingpin know each other at the moment, and that probably depends on whether the Netflix series is considered canon or not.

The Hawkeye series established that Wilson Fisk has a much more underground presence than the Netflix show. It could be because he fell out of favor at the end of Daredevil, or it could be a whole new story for the crime lord.

There are also similar questions related to Matt, who already has a custom-tailored suit, which means he has settled into his role as a crime-fighting vigilante well. He is also much more open about his personality, which made me raise an eyebrow. I couldn’t help but think that old Matt wouldn’t have been so open about his legal knowledge while in the form of his alter ego, but perhaps that’s a side effect of his more confident personality.

Matt also mentioned that he owns a law practice in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, so at least he stayed the same. He also used the plural “we” when talking about work. Does this mean we may see the return of Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson?

It could also hint that Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page is back, although Matt’s antics with Jen imply that she’s either just his friend (in keeping with the end of Daredevil) or she’s not in the picture at all (if Marvel goes on the path to reboot).

While Matt is not directly related to Daredevil, he has also revealed key information that can be referenced in future MCU properties. He discussed that the Sokovia Accords had been cancelled. If you need a reminder, this was the law that placed government sanctions on superheroes. This caused a rift between the Avengers, which eventually led to Captain America nearly crushing Iron Man’s head.

This news is likely more relevant to MCU stories closely tied to government agencies and agencies, where vigilantes can take advantage of this. So, I suspect we’ll see this again in the Thunderbolts movie. He could also be referenced in Captain America: The New Order, which would be appropriate as he would follow Civil War in a star superhero series.

Of course, the biggest takeaway from this episode was that it proved that Daredevil wasn’t going anywhere. Yes, he’s not the same person we knew on Netflix, but that’s not too bad. Charlie Cox has proven that there is room for a lighter, more confident, and generally more cheerful version of Matt Murdock.

The question is, will Matt still feel natural when he ends up coming face to face with the Kingpin, whose last appearance in the MCU was met with much more critical acclaim? I certainly keep my fingers crossed that this will be a success.

The final episode of She-Hulk airs next Thursday, and you can watch the rest of the series now on Disney+ for $7.99 per month.

What am I watching this week

Written by Black Mirror’s Charlie Brooker, “Kunk on Earth” follows “world-famous host” Philomena Kank as she explores world history through the ages. Kunk is a character played by Diane Morgan, just like Sasha Baron Cohen’s Ali G. However, the whole point of her is that she takes everything quite literally and thinks on a very linear and local level.

She is sent to interview famous scientific experts, many of whom do not realize that Philomena is not a real person and believe that this is a serious BBC documentary. She then asks them questions such as “Were these cave paintings ever made into a movie?” and “Is there a Great Roof of China?”. Awkward answers are something to look out for.

You can watch Cunk on Earth right now on BBC iPlayer. If you are overseas, there is a way to watch iPlayer outside of the UK.