It’s been a decade since the original Daredevil series premiered on Netflix and we met Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock. Now, he’s back as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen with Daredevil: Born Again, which just started its run on the 2025 TV schedule. With so much anticipation surrounding this series, the bar was high as this show premiered. Overall, reviews for Born Again have been good, and surprisingly, critics and audiences agree on the show based on Rotten Tomatoes scores. However, I’m not excited about how it compares to the OG series’ numbers.
How Critics And Audiences Have Responded To Daredevil: Born Again
Incredibly, the Rotten Tomatoes scores for Daredevil: Born Again match. As of March 8, the Tomatoemeter – which is the critic's score – sits at 85%. Meanwhile, the Popcornmeter – AKA the audience’s score – is also at 85%. According to the site, 112 critics have scored the new chapter of Daredevil, and over 1,000 fans have logged their opinions, and miraculously, they have similar feelings.
On the whole, 85% is impressive. It means the show is certified fresh, and the majority of people watching the series are enjoying it. However, some don’t think as highly of it. Here is the difference between a fresh and a rotten review:
- FRESH: “Fans of the original Daredevil series should enjoy Daredevil: Born Again, because it continues the original series’ story and its dark tone, with a story that’s feels like it’s going to build to an exciting climax.” -Joel Keller from Decider
- ROTTEN: “Regrettably, despite Cox’s excellent returning performance, Daredevil: Born Again is a massive step down from the previous version and not enough of a good show to stand on its own.” -Andres Cabrera from Geeks of Color
Meanwhile, like the critics, the audiences’ scores skew toward the positive with a handful of negative takes. Here are two polar opposite reactions from fans alongside their star ratings:
- 5 Star Review: “The first two episodes are a great start to what I hope to be a great season. It has a lot, if not all of the elements that made the original Netflix version a hit for Marvel TV.” -Steve T
- 1.5 Star Review: “I feel like the rug has been pulled right out from under me when you kill a beloved Character in the first 5mins. Feels like a slap in the face to the original show.” -Tierra T
Now, a common denominator here is that many are understandably comparing this new MCU series to its predecessor. That Netflix show that began in 2015 set a very high bar for Born Again, and it’s considered one of Marvel's best shows. I think it’s part of the reason why this new series’ Rotten Tomatoes scores are lower than the OG’s numbers.
How Daredevil: Born Again’s Rotten Tomatoes Scores Compare To The OG Series
Notably, Born Again is right on par with its MCU counterparts. Like this project, Agatha All Along’s scores were similar, with an 84% from critics and a 83% from the audiences. Loki was in the same boat, with critics at 87% and audiences at 86%. So, these numbers are nothing to fret. However, when compared to its predecessor, I start to feel a bit sad.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the original Daredevil has a 92% on the Tomatometer, and the Popcornmeter is at 89%. While 85% isn’t that far off from 92% or 89%, if you input letter grades here, the OG series has an A- or B+ ranking, while the new show sits at a solid B.
As someone who is thoroughly enjoying Born Again, I do wish that the score was higher. However, I understand it to an extent. The original series is remarkable. When you mix that with the very bold choice this new project makes and the Marvel fatigue that has been relevant for the last few years, I see why the score is lower.
However, maybe it will rise again as Daredevil: Born Again continues to drop new episodes every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET for those with a Disney+ subscription.
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