Rosario Dawson is no stranger to the world of comic book movies, having roles in both Sin City films and voicing Artemis in 2009's animated Wonder Woman, but now it seems she's ready to take it to the next level with a role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel Studios has officially announced that Dawson has joined the cast of Daredevil, the upcoming 13-episode series that will be airing on Netflix. The actress joins a cast that already includes Boardwalk Empire star Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil, and Vincent D'onofrio as Wilson Fisk, the crime boss villain known to comic readers as The Kingpin.
Dawson's role is described as being a "key guest-star," meaning that she's not likely going to be in every episode of show. While the character's name is being withheld (damn you, Marvel!), the official press release describes her as "a dedicated young woman whose quest to heal the wounds of Hell’s Kitchen brings Matt Murdock unexpectedly crashing into her life, while her own journey forever alters the course of his battle against the injustices of this broken city."
In an official statement, Marvel's Head of Television said,
“Rosario Dawson is one the most charismatic, talented and powerful actresses in Hollywood, so she was always at the top of our list for Marvel’s Daredevil. Her role in the series is absolutely critical to Matt Murdock’s journey to become the hero we know as Daredevil.”
In the comics, Matt Murdock is a young man who has been blind since he was a young boy, but also has superhero-level other senses. During the day he works as a lawyer protecting the world from injustice, but at night he puts on a costume, grabs his custom billy club and fights crime, vigilante-style in the streets of Hell's Kitchen in New York City. Steven S. DeKnight (Buffy The Vampire Slayer,Angel) is serving as showrunner on the Daredevil series, and the first two episodes were written by Drew Goddard (The Cabin In The Woods).
Obviously there is going to be a lot of speculation about the character that Rosario Dawson will be playing, but the first name that certainly springs to mind is Elektra. It's entirely possible that's she's not actually playing a superhero character, but at the same time I hope she is because casting her as Elektra would be a fantastic choice.
Daredevil is going into production this summer, though Marvel Studios has not yet announced when the show will be coming on the air (the safe money is on sometime next year). Like most other Netflix shows, all 13 episodes will be available at once, so all of you superhero fans should be sure to get a full night's sleep the night before it premieres. In addition to Daredevil, Marvel Studios is also working with Netflix on Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist shows that will eventually come together for a Defenders miniseries.
