Marvel Studios Confirms They Have The Film Rights To Daredevil

Daredevil_HulkTV

Daredevil in ‘The Trial of The Incredible Hulk’

Yesterday, while speaking to Newsarama at the Iron Man 3 press junket, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the films rights to the character Daredevil have indeed reverted from Fox to Marvel Studios.

As was widely reported last year, 20th Century Fox had until October of 2012 to begin production on their next Daredevil film or they would lost the rights to the character (this is why there are so many sequels and reboots) and that didn’t happen. There was also talk of Marvel Studios making a deal with Fox to extend the latter’s option on Daredevil in exchange for giving Marvel the use of Galactus and the Silver Surfer (Fox also owns the movie rights to the Fantastic Four family of characters) but nothing came of that either. It was assumed by many that Marvel Studios gained back the rights to Daredevil but no official word was given… until now.

So now that Marvel Studios has the rights to Daredevil, the question is what to do with him? A solo film? A TV show? A supporting role in an Avengers film? A role in an ensemble piece featuring Marvel’s street-level characters?

Exciting!

 


Comments

  1. I definitely want to see a tv show. Hell he could be the lawyer for S.H.I.E.L.D agents in the upcoming tv show or defending someone else and then spin-off. Hopefully what comes out in the future will be good.

    • I also vote for the tv show, but keep him away from SHIELD. He can guest star but that be all I could take. I want him to have a great, faithful, series (Not Smallville, Not Arrow). Something either like the classic Bendis run (dark, gritty) or Waid’s (fun, exciting). If budget is a problem, do it animated (BUT FOR GAN’s SAKES, DONT MAKE IT LIKE USM!!!!!).

  2. i’d love to see a movie, although i wouldn’t be opposed to a TV show kinda like Arrow. The Hell’s Kitchen angle might be a bit tough to deal with right? Its kinda fancy nowadays isn’t it?

  3. Excellent. Find someone who works well with Scarlet and set up a Black Widow / Daredevil movie. Then he gets a solo flick after that.

  4. Marvel Studios Phase 3 will most likely be Sequels to Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy and new films like Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, Daredevil and probably Punisher or Black Panther.

  5. To go off the teaser, while it would be nice for Marvel to get the rights back to the OTHER guy swinging around in red tights, in some ways it’s been good that they haven’t as that has forced them to deepen the bench. Without Spider-Man and the X-Men and their regular cast of friends and foes to depend on, the MU is a much bigger place.

    As for Daredevil, I’d use him as the go-to cameo character. Give Murdoch a walk on in the SHIELD TV show, have him knock someone out of the way of falling debris in Thor 2, or have him pop up in Winter Soldier as a lawyer for the defense. With other actors tied up making movies up to Avengers 2, Daredevil becomes not only a way to link Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, but drive ratings during sweeps.

  6. It’ll probably never go down this way but a Daredevil movie set in the 70’s staring anyone but Ben Affleck would be amazing to see……
    Maybe Josh Hartnett even to star (based on Lucky Number Slevin). I think he could pull it off.

    • oh i agree…70s would be awesome. Giant LIncoln’s and Caddys driving around, and lots of street toughs and what not.

    • Does anybody know if it would cost more to base the movies in the 70s versus in the present? I mean there’s costumes and recreating the cars, but would it still be more expensive otherwise?

    • I agree but I think a Daredevil film set in the 1970s DIRECTED by Ben Affleck could be great. I’d love to see Marvel do a whole film series in a period (like the first Captain America film) that way it can be completely separate from the rest of their universe.
      Maybe I’m weird but right now I’d be more excited to see a Marvel film that doesn’t reference or acknowledge the larger universe AT ALL than one that does.

  7. Introduce him in the SHIELD tv series and do a series of tv movies or a spinoff show. This also allows him to randomly appear in the movies too.

    Oh and get James Franco to play Matt

  8. I want to see a movie that features DD and Foggy in college for at least a third of the film.

  9. This is nice to see 😉

    I can understand the concerns about crowding the bench, but honestly with the unbelievable level of world-building that Marvel Studios has already proved they’re capable of achieving, I say the more the merrier. The ol’ hornhead deserves a palatable solo movie, and with Waid knocking it out of the park month after month, now’s the time to get it off the ground.

    Now if only we could get Spidey and the mutants under the same roof, I’ll be a happy guy. Let’s bring our fictional troops home!!

  10. That was actually The TRIAL of the Incredible Hulk.

    I would love to see Guy Pearce as Matt, introduced in the Avengers then spun off into his own movie.

    • Can’t do that now since Pearce is already playing Aldrich Killian in IM3

    • Also, Guy Pearce is 45 years old. I like him as an actor, and I like the idea of a Daredevil reboot featuring an experienced Matt Murdock (like others have suggested). And I even recognize the RDJ as Tony Stark precedent, but… Guy Pearce is just too old to believably headline a ninja/noir super-hero movie.

      I mean, he’d probably be 50 by the time this thing hits theatres.

      That said, a chain-smoking, coffee-swilling Ben Urich portrayed by Guy Pearce? I like the sound of that.

  11. Look! It’s Red Batman!

  12. So long as Ben Aflek stays the heck away from Daredevil, I’ll be happy.

  13. TV Show – Now that Southland’s over you can put Ben McKenzie on it

  14. I’d love to see it – but I don’t want to sit through another 20 minute origin story and 2 hour “first adventure.”

    Give me a seasoned super hero. I’m sick of origin stories.

  15. Daredevil, Black Widow, Moonknight, Cloak, Dagger, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage… Marvel Knights I’d go see that

    • yeah i could tooootally be down with this. I like the idea of a Marvel Knights Universe. And y’know we’d get the Kingpin and Elektra…and maybe some other baddies. You could even go for the Hobgoblin since it was in the comics. Could be fun.

    • I think the Movie Marvel U is ripe for some Heroes for Hire-type shenanigans, especially after the big splash the Avengers made at the end of their movie. Iron Fist and Cage plus Cloak and Dagger, with Matt Murdock around as their lawyer, even if Daredevil himself doesn’t approve of their style. Could be really cool, and a great way to inject some, ahem, color, into the movies.

    • I’d like to see 2 Marvel Universes; The Cinematic Universe, and the MK Universe. The MK could contain all the characters that will probably never interact with the Avengers (Ghost Rider, Punisher, DD, the Zombie, Man-Thing, etc). I’d add Moon Knight to that list but I want to see him and Cap and IronMan argue about his extreme tactics and/or mental
      Instability.

    • Moon Knight- an A lister according to Patton Oswalt’s Parks and Rec rant last week. Haha.

    • @Srh1son, that was all Moon Knight needed to be A-list. He’s hit the big time now thanks to Patton Oswalt!

    • @srh1son – moon knight is no one’s a-lister. that was patton oswalt showing his cred.

      boom. gauntlet thrown.

  16. I vote foe a TV Drama starring Neil Patrick Harris as Matt. Physically, he might not be a good fit but when I think of Matt I see a little Barney. CGI the action for all I care. Courtroom, private life, law practice drama would reel me in.

  17. I think Joe Carnanhan’s sizzle reel for a 1970’s based Daredevil film has ruined me on the idea of a modern Daredevil movie.

    I think for now it’s be best just to have Matt Murdock Attorney at Law be a character in the Marvel movies.

  18. I was actually talking about this in my LCS last week, and we all had trouble casting Matt. He’s a lot harder to cast, and I think that an unknown might be the best way to go, because I can’t think of any actors I’d like to see play him.

    This is great news however, and I trust the folks at Marvel studios. DD is a fantastic character, and I think if done by the right people, it could be a real hit. For now I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

    • It’s too bad Fassbender is already Magneto, because with some red hair he’d make a fantastic Matt Murdock/DD. It’d be too hard for him to pull off a Chris Evans because of the success of X-Men First Class.

  19. I hope Marvel Studios get Joe Carnanhan to direct a DD movie in the MCU as I think that could be cool and we could finally get a good DD movie and if we can get Bradley Cooper, Summer Glau and Tom Sizemore as Daredevil, Elektra and Kingpin respectively it could be a great movie.

    • Why do people keep casting Bradley Cooper for comic characters, did you learn nothing from Ryan Reynolds?!

    • @natethegreat: LOVE your casting ideas! Not sure about Carnanhan though. Not a big fan of his films. He’s a little too action centric and I’d love to see a brooding character study kind of DD film. If he ever wanted to jump to the Hollywood mainstream Jeff Nichols could make a really interesting DD film.

      @ithosapein: Don’t recall Reynolds being nominated for an Oscar…

    • @USPUNX: Thank you

      @IthoSapien: Ryan Reynolds was the wrong choice to play Hal Jordan in the first place it should have been Nathan Fillion

      I wouldn’t mind seeing a brooding Daredevil but if I was directing a Daredevil film trilogy.

      The Origin would be recapped in the opening credits like the Incredible Hulk film.

      The first film would be the Kingpin sending Elektra to kill Matt Murdock because Murdock is getting close to discovering who the Kingpin is. So Daredevil would have to protect himself with Elektra becoming an ally and helping Daredevil confirm his suspicions that Wilson Fisk is the Kingpin. The tone would be serious while portraying Daredevil as he is in Mark Waid’s current run. The post-credits scene would be Kingpin telling a person hidden in the shadow that he wants him to kill Daredevil and bring him his head the guy steps out of the shadows revealing Bullseye (Michael C. Hall) who says it won’t be a problem. This film would also introduce Foggy Nelson (Zach Galifanakis), Karen Page (Reese Witherspoon) and Ben Urich (Michael Ironside).

      The second film would be Bullseye hunting Daredevil and trying to kill him while Matt will be collecting evidence against Wilson Fisk so he can indite him and so Ben Urich can expose Wilson Fisk in the press. After Daredevil is nearly killed by Bullseye. Matt reveals his identity to Karen and Foggy. The news is too much for Karen who becomes addicted to drugs while Foggy takes it in his stride but is secretly terrified his friend will die. Elektra comes back into Daredevil’s life and they fall in love and Elektra and Daredevil take on Bullseye which ends with Elektra’s death. The post-credits scene would be Karen selling Daredevil’s secret identity of Matt Murdock to the Kingpin for drugs. The tone in this film would be darker and Daredevil would become more brooding and becoming depressed as his life begins to fall apart.

      The third film would be an adaptation of the Born Again and Out storylines and would see Matt’s identity revealed to the world by a newspaper owned by Wilson Fisk and Matt trying to keep his sanity as his life falls apart around him. His license to practise law is revoked, his apartment is blown up, he is violently attacked by a street gang and the police arrest him on false murder charges thanks to the Kingpin. Matt escapes from prison and goes on the run when he is denied bail where he encounters Karen doing porn to pay for her drug addiction and Karen reveals she sold his identity for drugs. Matt helps her get clean then goes after Kingpin at Fisk Tower where a violent and brutal confrontation ensues which involves Matt nearly falling to his death. After Matt defeats Kingpin and he proves his innocence and exposes Wilson Fisk as the Kingpin. Matt returns to being Lawyer and the final scene is Matt meeting and reconnecting with Foggy and Karen. The post-credits scene will be in the Himalayas and the Hand resurrecting Elektra. The tone of this film would be dark and Matt would be the brooding figure from Miller, Bendis and Brubaker’s runs.

      If the film series went on beyond this I would bring Matt/Daredevil’s personality to the swashbuckling funny version currently seen in Mark Waid’s run and he tone would probably be more light hearted and I would introduce more of DD’s rogues gallery i.e. Owl, Purple Man, Stilt-Man etc. and I would also introduce supporting cast members that have appeared in the comics over the years.

    • Also in each film Matt and Foggy would have a case or two to show off the lawyer side of Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson’s lives

    • Oh man, if we’re talking about new DD movie plots can we be more creative than Kingpin, Bullseye, and Elektra again? All of three of them were in the first movie. Imagine if the Incredible Hulk had used the Absorbing Man as the villian just like Ang Lee’s Hulk. My DD knowledge isn’t very vast, but what about Mr.Fear? It’s something new. I love the thought of Micheal C Hall as Bullseye but hate the idea of Galifanakis as Foggy, I think of Foggy as a dry-humor character. I’m worried Galifanakis would play him too bafoonish. And Cooper has either Flash or DD, I just don’t see it. You want the guy from the Hangover trilogy and All About Steve to play a blind, lawyer/swashbuckling or noirish crimefighter? I’ll give you “Silver Linings Playbook” (which I haven’t seen but heard very good things) but it just seems like a more appealing Ryan Reynolds. I don’t have alot of other suggestions for who should play Matt Murdock next but i’ll give the first one that comes to mind; Aaron Eckhart. He’s charming, he can act, he’s done action movies (I think, what was “Battle Los Angles” again?), dye his hair red and give him some white contacts and he’d probably look like Matt in real life. That’s just my suggestion, I’d take anyone else than the current pretty-boy funnyman shopping around to do comic book movies.

    • The reason Bradley Cooper could be a good Daredevil/Matt Murdock is because with the Silver Linings Playbook he proved he can act and is not just a comedic actor or a pretty face who can’t act at all.

    • @ithosapien: I really suggest you see Silver Linings Playbook, Limitless, and The Place Beyond the Pines. Cooper proves in all three of those movies that he’s much more than “the guy from Hangover.” I know it’s hard to see beyond a role like that but in the past two years he has really proven he is a phenomenal actor. I think he looks enough like Murdok and could definitely provide the gravitas necessary for the role.

    • @Uspunx, out of those three movies “Limitless” was the only one I saw and I was not impressed. The reason I don’t care for him as either Flash or DD is he seems to play the same guy in all his movies that Ive seen; sarcastic, swarmy I think, and that just reminds me of Reynolds who does that too (playing the same guy in his movies, doesn’t matter how well). Some actors can get away with that like RDJ, but he’s not the same guy in all his movies (self-absorbed, cocky, wordy) and I’ve seen him prove that a few times (“Back to School”, “Zodiac”, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”). I don’t want to watch DD and see Cooper just play it like all his other movies, I want to see something different from him (Again, I’m going to see SLP). If Reynolds hadn’t played Hal Jordon and made him like every single other role he’s played then maybe I wouldn’t be so set against Cooper, but GL happened and I’m gonna keep that in mind when talking about new comic movies like this. And I actually like Cooper alittle, he’s not fantastic or anything but he’s a few steps up from Reynolds in his movies.

    • @ithosapien: I totally agree about Reynolds, he is the same in every movie. In a basic, played for laughs comedy that character can work but he was a bad choice for Hal Jordan. I think you’ll change your mind about Cooper after you see SLP and Place Beyond the Pines. He plays the smarmy, cocky guy in a lot of his early roles because that’s what the roles called for but I think he’s really shown over the past couple years he’s capable of a lot more than that. He strikes me as similar to someone like Ryan Gosling or Heath Ledger, they seem type cast early in their careers but it turns out they are wonderful actors.

  20. I do like the idea of starting out with him simply being an attorney about town. This way the audience might be left guessing just when the costumed Daredevil might appear. I could see him being used well in SHEILD. I also have always liked the idea of a street level crime film/series with him, Luke Cage, et al. Alternatively a team up with Hawkeye might have potential . . .

    As good as this news is, what I still really want is a reversion of the Fantastic Four, so that Marvel can have a complete cast of cosmic characters at their disposal. Speaking of which, does anyone know which property the Kree go with? I know the Skrulls are stuck with the FF, but could The Avengers use the Kree and/or Captain Marvel?

  21. Honestly I don’t know if Daredevil can work in a movie. He might be better off being on TV cause in the long run I don’t see how he can be used in the same universe as Avengers. Not even Bendis could make Murdock relevant with the ‘NEW’ Avengers when he put him on the team.

    I’d kill for a Daredevil show, especially in the same tone as Mark Waid’s run. Maybe mix him up in the new SHIELD show? That’s as far as I could see him work in the new, Avengers-verse.

  22. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0283945/?ref_=tt_cl_t1

    My fan cast Foggy Nelson. (He even said he would love to do it on a recent Reddit AMA)

    As far as Matt goes, no one jumps directly to mind but I could maybe see Dave Franco in the spandex.

  23. Avatar photo MadCowDzz (@DarylFritz) says:

    I’m more curious which other characters are included as a part of this deal. I assume Kingpin, Bullseye, Elektra; but which characters were Fox holding onto for potential sequels?

    Technically Elektra was 2 years later, so are those characters still held by Fox?

  24. Marvel Knights: Hell’s Kitchen.

    DD, Webhead, Frank, Black Cat, Silver Sable, Black Widow, Hawkeye.

    Possible appearances by Black Panther, Hulk, Cap, Wolverine, Elektra, Moon Knight, Dr. Strange, Power Woman, Iron Fist, Nick Fury, Shang-Chi and Luke Cage.

    Animated or live action TV show, followed by possible movie.

    Street-level murder mysteries and megacrime conspiracies intertwine, with Matt Murdock in the middle of all the chaos.

    With a Bendis/Brubaker/Waid/Rucka vision of the character. Tortured, some might say obsessed, yet essentially a hero.

  25. In the author’s possible 2 choices to pull a screen shot and depict a live action version of Daredevil, I believe they made the better choice.

  26. TV series or movie, I’ll be happy to see any high quality DD project. 🙂