Charlie Cox hit the superhero scene in a big way back in 2015 when Daredevil became the show that proved Netflix subscribers were happy to binge-watch some Marvel superhero action, and Daredevil went on to run for three seasons before being unexpectedly cancelled. Fans still hold out hope for Cox to reprise his role as Matt Murdock, to the point of scouring the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home for potential clues. Cox, however, has moved on to a new AMC+ TV show, and the premiere of Kin resulted in the actor reflecting on his former superhero series.
AMC+'s Kin is Charlie Cox's first major TV role since Daredevil's third season back in 2018. While the streaming show about a Dublin crime family is a pretty far cry from the series that centered on the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, Cox weighed in to TV Insider about what he thinks Daredevil fans will love about Kin, and it involved the revelation of what he remains proud of when it comes to the superhero series. Cox said:
The thing that I’m proud of in terms of the Daredevil show was that I feel like we made a show that didn’t rely on the superhero element in order to draw fans and to draw audiences. But the superhero element of course is important. That’s the reason for making the show, but we want it to present real people and real-life scenarios and have the relationships be the foundation of the show so that it was compelling viewing for anybody. One of the things I talked about with the creators of that show before we started was that you did not have to be a fan of the superhero genre in order to enjoy it. That there’ll be enough for everyone.
While Daredevil was of course based on a character created for Marvel Comics and beloved already by plenty of comics fans, not all the fans who grew to love the TV show were drawn in because of a preexisting affinity for superheroes. There was a lot going on in the show beyond Matt Murdock dressing up and delivering a beatdown with his unique abilities, even if those scenes were obviously very cool. Daredevil worked whether or not you were already familiar with the character and the world of Marvel, which was evidently a goal of Cox's from the start.
And according to Charlie Cox, the fact that his Kin character doesn't dress up in a cool costume to deliver vigilante justice on the streets of New York doesn't mean that Daredevil fans can't enjoy it. The actor continued, saying of similarities between his new show and Daredevil:
I would just say that this show in some ways is no different, it just doesn’t have the superhero element. So it’s still about people dealing with their insecurities, the problematic relationships within their family, and trying to live a life that makes them comfortable. What’s complicated about the show is that those people are criminals. Therefore I think you’re pulled in two directions because on the one hand, you like them and you relate to them and you’re drawn into their life and their desires and their pain. But every now and again, you’re reminded that they are... They’re not good people in many ways. Hopefully what draws people in is the fact that it’s good drama. It’s good storytelling.
In Kin, the former Daredevil star plays Michael Kinsella, a fresh-out-of-prison man who wants a better future, but is torn due to loyalty to his family. And unfortunately for a man who just got out of prison, the Kinsellas are a crime family in Dublin. The series premiered on Thursday, September 9 on AMC+, with new episodes releasing weekly on AMC+ Thursdays at 12:01 a.m. PT.
As for whether Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock... well, Cox has attempted to debunk fans who think they spotted him in the recent trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, but I'm guessing that there are plenty of fans who won't believe it one way or the other until they see the movie. Whether or not he's ever back as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, you can find all three seasons of Daredevil streaming on Netflix now.
