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Interview: Head of Marvel Television and Executive Producer Brad Winderbaum Talks ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and the Comic Book Influences Behind the New Disney+ Series

February 24, 2025Ben MK




Known to millions of comic book fans as the Man without Fear, Daredevil is a character that has, up until recently, existed at the periphery of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From Ben Affleck's portrayal of him in 2003's Daredevil to Charlie Cox's grittier take on the famed vigilante in the 2015-2018 Netflix television series, Daredevil's first foray into the MCU came with a cameo in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, followed by supporting turns in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo. Now, with Daredevil: Born Again, Cox is once again reprising his role for an all-new series that promises to be a return to form for the superhero that made his comic book debut over 60 years ago. But just what can viewers expect from Daredevil's triumphant revival? And where does Born Again take the iconic character that the original show did not?

I caught up with Marvel TV Head Brad Winderbaum to chat about Daredevil: Born Again, and to find out what lies in store for Matt Murdock, as well as whether fans can expect any surprises along the way.

The original Daredevil series ran for three seasons, but Charlie Cox's take on the character lived on in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk and Echo. Where did the idea to revive the show for another go around come from, and how have these characters evolved since we last saw them?

Winderbaum: I was a big fan of the original show, and was able to watch it as a fan cuz I was a film producer at Marvel Studios at the time. So it was very exciting to me when Kevin [Feige] started talking about bringing Matt back in Spider-Man, and then eventually in She-Hulk. What's fun about his appearance in She-Hulk is that it's just like the Marvel Comics, where we kind of re-lens the character based on the genre and tone of the piece that he's in. And now we can lens him back into that intense, grounded mode that's more like the original show.

It's the most exciting thing in the world to be able to officially bring [these characters] into the MCU. A lot of time has passed between seasons. [Matt]'s grown, he has a law practice with Foggy and Karen; he's seemingly found a balance between lawyer and street-based superhero. And Wilson Fisk has also gone through a journey of his own; he feels a calling beyond being the head of an organized crime syndicate. He's now thinking about his legacy; he wants something that will outlast him, so he's running for the Mayor of New York.

During the first ten minutes of the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again, there's something that happens that's bound to shock longtime fans of the original series. Can you talk about the decision to kick off Born Again with this turn of events, and how that sets the tone for the rest of the season?

Winderbaum: It was a decision that led to many, many sleepless nights — certainly not something that we took lightly. We looked at the source material quite a bit and were fans of the comics and knew that, often times in Matt Murdock's life, it took a devastating tragedy or something that was a cost to being a superhero. It was something that, Matt being Daredevil, comes at a price sometimes; and that price is often very significant. And in some circumstances, at the hands of Bullseye himself. Some of the pinnacle tragedies in Matt's life were perpetrated by Bullseye — by [Benjamin] Poindexter. And we needed to find an in-point for Matt that proclaimed this part of his journey as a character to be something new, and warranted a multi-season arc for him.

We already know that the Punisher is set to appear, and Kingpin even mentions Spider-Man in one scene. Not to name names, but can fans expect to see any other special appearances this season?

Winderbaum: There are surprises, but really this is about the grounded story that exists within this version of Marvel New York City. So even though it's in the shared universe, we're not trying to bring in supernatural cameos or anything. It'll feel like the comics, where when you pick up a Daredevil comic, you don't expect Iron Man to show up. It's just gonna be a Daredevil comic, which is what I really like about this.

Last but not least, when can viewers expect Daredevil again after this season of Born Again?

Winderbaum: We start shooting season two next week. That'll come out about a year from now. So hopefully we'll be able to expect a new Daredevil season annually.
Daredevil: Born Again streams exclusively on Disney Plus, beginning March 4th.




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