Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: born again, daredevil, disney plus, Marvel Studios, mcu, preview

Daredevil: Michael Gandolfini "Giddy" About "Born Again," Joining MCU

Disney+ & Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again star Michael Gandolfini on how he feels about starting filming and joining the MCU.

When it comes to Matt Corman & Chris Ord's (Covert Affairs) Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil) & Vincent D'Onofrio (Wilson Fisk/Kingpin)-starring Daredevil: Born Again, we've been getting better intel than we were expecting for a show that's in this early stage of production. This time around, we're hearing from Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints Of Newark), who was announced as joining the cast in a "key role" back in December 2022. Joined by Diane Lane for an interview with ET Canada in support of their Apple TV+ series Extrapolations, Gandolfini shared his excitement about joining the MCU while also revealing that, at the time of the interview, he was "counting the days" until he starts filming. "I'm very giddy about it and very excited. I'm counting the days till we start, and I'm honored to be a part of it," Gandolfini shared. "We get to shoot in New York. People are gonna be really happy to see these characters that we previously saw in the Netflix series in the MCU."

Targeted to premiere in Spring 2024 and with production underway, the 18-episode series cast includes Cox, D'Onofrio, Gandolfini, Margarita Levieva (The Deuce), Sandrine Holt (American Gigolo) as reportedly Vanessa Fisk, Nikki M. James (Severance), Michael Gaston (Mayor of Kingstown), and Jon Bernthal reprising his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher. Michael Cuesta (Dexter, Homeland pilot director) is set to helm the first episode.

Charlie Cox Discusses Daredevil: Born Again

Speaking with NME towards the end of the year, Cox shared that filming would start early in 2023 and was expected to take up most of 2023 ("I start shooting in February and finish in December"). Following that, Cox addressed why he prefers a version of Matt Murdock that's "geared towards a slightly more mature audience," why "Born Again" needs to move beyond the Netflix series, and why he's taking a realistic approach to expectations.

Cox Prefers More "Mature" Matt Murdock: "My opinion is this character works best when he's geared towards a slightly more mature audience. My instinct is that on Disney+, it will be dark, but it probably won't be as gory."

On Needing to Move Beyond Netflix's Marvel Universe: "I would say to those people [wanting to continue the Netflix series], we've done that. Let's take the things that really worked, but can we broaden? Can we appeal to a slightly younger audience without losing what we've learned about what works?"

With 18 Episodes, Cox Hopes Matt Sees Some Serious Courtroom Time: "I'm fascinated to discover why they've chosen to do 18. I'm imagining there's going to be an element to it that is like the old-school procedural show. Not necessarily case-of-the-week, but something where we go really deep into Matt Murdock the lawyer, and get to see what his life is like. If that's done right and he really gets his hands dirty with that world… I think there's something quite interesting about that, to spend a lot of time in a superhero's day-to-day life, and you really earn the moments when he suits up."

Cox on Not Seeing "Daredevil: Born Again" Success as a Given: "You [Interviewer] said earlier that I could be busy for years, and I thought, 'Yeah, maybe. Hopefully. But if this show next year doesn't hit the spot, then that might be it. Then it's back to…" And even if the show is a success, Cox knows the importance of appreciating it in the now because it won't last forever. "I'm incredibly grateful Daredevil's coming back. I love playing this character. How much longer, at my age, can I play the lead in a superhero film or TV show? Not very long, probably."

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