She-Hulk may not address the MCU’s biggest Daredevil problem
Marvel’s Matt Murdock mystery continues…
The series hasn’t even premiered yet on Disney+, but She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is already shaping up to be one of the most cameo-filled titles in Marvel Cinematic Universe history. Previous trailers for the series have been filled with appearances from both established MCU characters and obscure comic book vigilantes. As a result, Marvel fans already know that they can expect to see everyone from Wong (Benedict Wong) to Frog-Man appear in She-Hulk.
That said, there is no Marvel character that comic book fans are more looking forward to seeing in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law than Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). The beloved hero’s rumored role in She-Hulk was confirmed just a few weeks ago by Marvel, which makes the upcoming Disney+ series the first post-Spider-Man: No Way Home MCU project that Cox will appear in.
However, while MCU fans can expect Daredevil to have a noteworthy role in She-Hulk, it doesn’t sound like the Disney+ series is actually going to clear away any of the confusion that still surrounds Cox’s Marvel hero.
Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
A Comedy Vacation — In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, She-Hulk director Kat Coiro and writer Jessica Gao were asked whether or not the version of Matt Murdock who appears in the upcoming Disney+ series is the same one that Cox portrayed in Daredevil, the beloved Netflix superhero show that only lasted three seasons. Unsurprisingly, both Coiro and Gao went out of their way to avoid actually answering the question.
"I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about it, but it's very conscious and it's very much planned. That's all I can say,” Coiro told the outlet. Gao, meanwhile, said, “We were like, 'This is our version,' and it's true for any character. Like every character that we've used that existed in the MCU, it gets to be a little bit different on our show.” The She-Hulk writer additionally teased that Murdock and the rest of the show’s Marvel heroes all get to “take a little bit of a comedy vacation” in the series.
In other words, while Gao did confirm that Matt Murdock will be presented in a more comedic light than fans are used to in She-Hulk, it’s still unclear whether or not he’s actually the same version of the characters viewers came to know and love in Netflix’s Daredevil.
Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock will don a new Daredevil costume in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Daredevil’s MCU Past — Marvel fans have been wondering about the canonical status of the studio’s Netflix shows ever since rumors first began swirling that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio were being brought back as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, respectively. However, coming off the latter’s divisive appearance in Hawkeye last year, questions about the Disney+ versions of Cox and D’Onofrio’s Daredevil characters have only become more heated among fans.
In recent months, some rumors have suggested that Marvel has decided to retroactively set Daredevil and the rest of its Netflix shows in an alternate universe within the MCU. Conversely, other Marvel insiders have claimed that the studio simply intends to softly reboot Murdock, Fisk, and its other Netflix characters without actually retconning the events of their previous shows.
Strangely, Marvel hasn’t come out and confirmed which of those leaks is closest to its actual plans for the MCU’s pre-Disney+ TV shows. The studio’s reluctance to do so has added an extra layer of uncertainty to the online discussions surrounding shows like Daredevil: Born Again and Echo. And it sounds like Matt Murdock’s role in She-Hulk won’t do much to clear away that uncertainty.
Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki Ramos and Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
The Inverse Analysis — Sooner or later, Marvel Studios is going to have to officially (and clearly) confirm whether or not shows like Daredevil, The Punisher, Jessica Jones, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are still considered canon in the MCU. When they were originally made, those shows were all loosely set within the MCU, with that last example having some particularly tangible connections early in its series run. However, several of Marvel’s Disney+ originals have included Easter eggs and/or references that have suggested that may no longer be the case.
Unfortunately, those who were hoping that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law would finally solve this ongoing mystery may want to lower their expectations. Charlie Cox may have a role in the series as Matt Murdock, but that doesn’t mean She-Hulk is going to have much to say when it comes to his overall place within the MCU.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premieres Thursday, August 18 on Disney+.
