Daredevil’s Pre-Emptive “Mea Culpa”? (Trailer News)

February 4, 2015

The Man Without Fear is coming to Netflix, and Marvel has released his teaser trailer:

What do you think? I confess (ha, see what I did there?) that I’ve never been very interested in Daredevil; unfortunately, this trailer does nothing to pique my curiosity. It’s covered in too much of the post-Dark Knight obligatory “grim ‘n’ grit” (not to mention a fair amount of blood) for my current tastes.

Theologically, the trailer raises some interesting points. Kudos to Marvel Studios for keeping Matt Murdock’s Roman Catholic background in play; we don’t usually see superheroes’ religious affiliations acknowledged on-screen–for fear, I suppose, of alienating either viewers who share those affiliations and/or viewers who don’t–but many of these costumed characters do have them (especially, it seems, in the Marvel universe, which has historically hewed closer to our reality than has its Distinguished Competition).

Daredevil logoBut can we really ask or expect forgiveness “for what [we’re] about to do?” God is gracious, but God’s no sap. “Anyone,” warns the apostle James, “…who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin” (4.17, NSRV). Fans of the comics (or, for that matter, the Ben Affleck movie–it must have its adherents, right?) will have to tell me: Does Matt Murdock commit evil in the service of a greater good? Does God’s grace cover bad means committed in the name of a good end?

We’ll find out whether Daredevil is really presuming upon the grace of God, or if the scriptwriters just wanted to give us a memorable line, when all episodes hit Netflix on April 10.

Will you be watching?

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4 comments on “Daredevil’s Pre-Emptive “Mea Culpa”? (Trailer News)

  1. Ellery Feb 5, 2015

    First off: ‘Will I be watching?’
    I don’t have Netfilx…. so until it comes out on DVD the answer is ‘no’.

    It almost seems as though they’re taking the ‘Daredevil’s not really a good-guy’ approach.
    Something we saw a microcosm of in Affleck’s DD (remember the ‘I’m not the bad guy’ scene?).

    Anyway, even if they are planning a sort of ‘Breaking Bad’ of superhero franchises (with the church providing his moral compass), the trailer is rather unremarkable.

    • Michael Feb 5, 2015

      Thanks for reading and commenting, Ellery. I hadn’t considered that they really might take a “Breaking Bad” approach. Intriguing. Are you a fan of the character? What would you thik about such a move?

      Considering the trailer as trailer only, I agree with you – it doesn’t seem up to the level of recent Marvel Studios efforts.

  2. I was a fan, but never an avid fan, of Daredevil.
    My early years comic book budget was spent on Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Machine Man (the short lived Jack Kirby version) and Doctor Strange.

    What little I know of Daredevil comes from Marvel Team-Ups, Marvel history anthologies, skimming through issues at my neighborhood 7-11 and a friend who swore that Frank Miller’s Daredevil was the greatest superhero ever.

    But am I a fan now? Yeah. But only because he is a part of my childhood superhero consciousness.

    That said, I think taking the ‘Breaking Bad’ approach would be a good way to go.
    We see hints of this in the trailer:

    1) Murdock says he is confused about right and wrong/good and evil.

    We already know DD will be doing some things he’s knows are clearly wrong. But the question would be if we will see Kingpin doing some good for the community in donations, projects, family life, eliminating other bad guys, etc.
    Is that the conflict we will see? He see’s some righteousness in the wicked and whole lot of wickedness in the righteous (namely, himself)?

    2) Murdock is slowly becoming like ‘Them’

    Like Walter White, the deeper he gets into his new life, the more he needs to up his game.
    We see him not only beating people up, but apparently killing them as well (throwing the guy out the window, etc). Is he also framing the bad guys (the clip with the jewels)?
    And is also conflicted about his defense attorney work? Beating up bad guys at night but defending them from justice by day?

    3) Murdock’s justification of his actions.

    Like Walter White’s ‘I’m doing this for my family’, DD confesses ‘I just trying to make my city a better place’
    Maybe DD is doing what he’s doing because he’s not only good at it, but because he likes it.
    It’s a thrill to run around at night hurting people.
    In this sense, he IS the bad guy.
    What he does is not so much about justice, but a cathartic release of rage.
    But because of his pride – and fear – he cannot seem to admit he’s the bad guy – a sinner in need of grace!

    But will we really see this? Or will be subjected some tired, superhero driven version of ‘Law and Order’?

    I say let’s see a ‘hero’ who makes mistakes, is conflicted, lives with guilt, and whose actions are not always cheered by the audience.

    In other words, Daredevil should be all of us.

  3. Michael Feb 6, 2015

    This is awesome stuff, Ellery! Thanks so much for the conversation. Thou almost persuadest me to watch the series! 😉

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