After teasing fans yesterday with a trailer teaser (yes, apparently these are sticking around), Marvel unveiled the first trailer for the Netflix series Daredevil earlier today. At one minute and 30 seconds, the preview gave the audience a taste of what is to come without giving too much away. Starring Charlie Cox as the titular protagonist, Daredevil will follow blind lawyer Matt Murdock as he fights crime in Hell’s Kitchen to dish out justice that the legal system can’t.
The trailer can be best defined by Matt’s statement to the priest: “I’m not seeking forgiveness for what I’ve done. I’m asking forgiveness for what I’m about to do.” As Matt narrates the struggles he’s going through, we catch different shots of his life, like his special abilities, people who are important to him (whether they’re good or bad) and most importantly, him fighting crime dressed like a ninja. There was a lot to take in from this Daredevil preview, and here are the five most important moments the trailer gave us, from character introductions to one of Matt’s first nights out on the town.
5. A Glimpse Of Daredevil’s Powers
Daredevil’s powers may not be as flashy as what the other Marvel heroes have, but they help him get the job done in Hell’s Kitchen. Blinded as a boy, Matt Murdock’s remaining four senses were heightened to superhuman levels. In addition, he also gained a ‘radar’ sense to compensate for his lost sight, which in many ways works much better than his eyes ever did. The specific sense we see in action during this trailer is Matt’s enhanced hearing, which he uses to pinpoint specific voices. While on the job (crime-fighting, not being a lawyer), these are usually cries of distress or threats being made. We’ll see the other senses in action when the series debuts, and it will be especially interesting to see how the radar sense is visually represented compared to the 2003 movie.
4. Matt’s Mentor Stick
Matt may have gotten his powers on his own, but someone still needed to train him in honing those skills, not to mention teaching him martial arts. That’s where Stick comes in, who will be played by Scott Glenn. He’s only seen for a second, but like Matt, we see (sorry, poor choice of words) that he is also blind. In the comics, Stick’s powers are similar, but not quite the same, as Matt’s, and he’s had years of experience fighting evil as the leader of the Chaste. Whether this organization, as well as their sworn enemies the Hand, will be in the series hasn’t been revealed, but as Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb stated, “Stick is one of the most important figures in Matt Murdock's life.” He’ll leave an important mark on the titular protagonist one way or another.
3. Karen Page And Foggy Nelson
When not fighting crime, Matt Murdock spends his days as a lawyer, and that’s where his two most trusted allies come in. Foggy Nelson, played by Elden Henson, is Matt’s best friend from college, and the two of them have opened up the practice Nelson & Murdock in Hell’s Kitchen. Karen Page, played by Deborah Ann Woll, has been described as an “enigmatic woman” who will enter their lives at the beginning of the series. From what little we saw of them in the trailer, it looks like Karen and Foggy are in the middle of an intense interview. It’s only a matter of time before they get involved in Matt’s “other” life, but as in the comics, they are two of the most important people to Matt.
2. A Sneak Peek At The Kingpin
We only saw his back, but there’s no mistaking that shiny bald head. This trailer gave us a few quick looks at Vincent D’Onofrio as Daredevil’s main antagonist Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. The Kingpin. We don’t see much of him, but apparently the businessman/criminal mogul likes fancy cufflinks and abstract art. A man has to have interests other than pummeling enemies with his bare hands. Fisk was described by showrunner Steve DeKnight as being just as important to the series as Daredevil, and while he will be clashing with ol’ Hornhead, don’t expect him to be a cut-and-dry, pure evil villain. In fact, during his battle of Hell’s Kitchen, we will also follow his love story unfold with art gallery employee Vanessa Marianna, played by Ayelet Zurer.
1. Matt Begins His Mission, But Stumbles
Just because you have powers and skills doesn’t mean your first attempts at crimefighting are going to go well. In Matt’s case, while we did catch glimpses of him beating criminals to a pulp, he also gets injured during one of his night forays. He may be able to detect someone from behind him or hear a punch heading his way, but he isn’t invincible. Superhero work has a learning curve, and once Matt gets the hang of keeping himself safe, his crusade in Hell’s Kitchen should start to go more smoothly…well, until he has to tussle with Kingpin at least. Also, I may be looking too much into this, but could the blood dripping from Matt’s mouth foreshadow what’s to come, i.e. his crimson costume?
You can catch all 13 episodes of Daredevil when they premiere on Netflix on April 10.
