Daredevilhas been toiling in the minor leagues of streaming since his introduction in 2015. Don’t get us wrong, the Netflix seriesDaredevilis peak Marvel, and any Daredevil content is welcome with the four-year limbo of the character. There were questions about whether we’d ever see Charlie Cox’s take on the titular hero again.
Those fears were assuaged with his cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home and a guest spot onShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Marvel Studios also announced an upcoming Disney+ seriesDaredevil: Born Again, which will be a loose continuation of the original series. It’s great to have Daredevil officially enter the MCU, but the Man Without Fear deserves to be called up to the big team; that’s right, Daredevil needs to join theAvengers.
Update August 22: This article has been updated with more information regarding the future of Daredevil in the MCU.
The Avengers are in a state of uncertainty at this point. Key members of the team are gone. Steve Rogers, Iron Man, and Black Widow have all exited the MCU. There are still some great heavy-hitter characters left to fill out the ranks, as well as newcomers to the franchise. But the team is running thin on marquee Marvel characters, heroes who have been with the brand for generations. Daredevil has been terrorizing thugs in alleyways and kingpins in high rises since 1964. He is asenior fixture in Marvel, even though his series wasn’t officially under the Marvel/Disney umbrella. Here’s why Daredevil deserves a slot in the Avengers.
Daredevil’s Team-Up Experience
Daredevil typically operates as a lone wolf for most of his time on Netflix. Sure, he has his allies, but generally, he goes it alone. That all changed when he teamed up with Elektra in season 2 ofDaredeviland, of course, when he headed upthe Defenders. The Netflix take onthe Avengersformula brought together Daredevil and other solo series stars Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Daredevil was the unofficial leader of the group as they took on hordes of ninjas and undead enemies to, yet again, save New York City and the world.
Related:MCU’s Wolverine: How Should He Be Introduced to the Franchise?
Daredevil would be a valuable addition to the Avengers and a solid replacement for the “do what’s right for the group” style of the departed Steve Rogers. Rogers’ moral compass was at the heart of the original Avengers lineup, and Daredevil’s entire struggle is with his own moral code. Bringing in a flawed, darker version of the original Captain America would bring a dynamic to the Avengers that we haven’t seen in their previous four outings.
Cap didn’t have the back-and-forth pull between the darkness and the light to contend with. He was the consummate boy scout, always doing the right thing without question or hesitancy. Daredevil is constantly walking a very thin line between right and wrong.
No Superpowers Needed
We know what you’re screaming at your screen; Daredevil has powers! He does, but they don’t really fall into the superpowers category. He’s an elite hand-to-hand fighter and has heightened senses, but in the end, powers-wise, he’s a slight upgradefrom Hawkeye, who, to quote the man himself, “I have a bow and arrow.”
High percentile fighting ability and a set of Billy Clubs are more than enough to meet the Hawkeye standard. Daredevil’s acute senses of hearing, smell, and touch make him a tick higher than your average powerless Avengers extra. The complete package makes him more than a worthy addition to a team full of super strength, fliers, and spiderlings. Probably Daredevil’s best and most important ability is his power of will. He fights through anything and everything, a much-needed trait when it comes to avenging.
The Comic Precedent
Just as the MCUis taking a break to find its new footing, we can discuss why Daredevil should be an Avenger. As stated, the guy has a conscience-driven by his Catholic uprising, a great sense of morals, and devotion to law unparalleled to no one. Daredevil is no stranger to team-ups in the comics. While he originally denied joining The New Avengers in 2004, the character eventually accepted a position later on. The New Avengers were mainly a team of street-level heroes facing the kind of menaces the big hitters couldn’t tackle. Daredevil held his own in a group that included powerhouses such as Dr. Strange, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird. Daredevil also led an unofficial team of street-level heroes called The Marvel Knights, so he has been a team player before.
Related:Why Daredevil: Born Again Will be Different From the Original Series
Can we have that in the current MCU? Indeed. There’s currently an influx of street-level heroes entering the stage in the MCU, telling more grounded stories. We have characters like Shang Chi, Echo, Sam Wilson, and Hawkeye still around, loaded and ready to fight any menace that affects the ordinary citizen. There’s no telling who else will come along onceDaredevil: Born Againpremieres in the near future. It is already confirmed The Punisher will return, and itcertainly would be nice to see Luke Cage and Jessica Jones make their return; even better if the MCU dared to introduce the family dynamic between these two characters.
The Avengers Need Some Grit
The Avengers are mostly casually superhuman. They don’t need to dig deep or show a dark side because they can effortlessly throw boulders, stop runaway buses with their bare hands, and fly through the air. Their powers don’t require as much effort and determination as someone like Daredevil. A little bit of grit on the Avengers will go a long way and bring a characterto the rosterthat can easily stand out from the rest.
Sure, Daredevil has the heightened senses and the agility of an Olympic gymnast. He can hear you coming a mile away and pick your scent out of a crowd of hundreds. Not anything to sneeze at. But when it comes down to a melee, he relies on sheer force of will to fight through the hordes ofenemies the Avengersinevitably face.
Daredevil would have fit perfectly in the chaos of the Chitauri invasion ofthe Avengers,the robot onslaught ofAge of Ultron,and the Outrider brawls ofInfinity WarandEndgame.He would have had his work cut out for him, but he would have prevailed thanks to skills and will.
He Is A Big Name
The Avengers are typically seen as Marvel’s answer to DC’s Justice League. Both are teams of superheroes from various other titles who come together to fight the greatest threats. Yet, for a long time in the comics, The Avengers was a team book for characters the company did not know what to do with. You had mainstays like Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, but until recently, these were not the biggest names of Marvel. With 2005’sNew Avengers, Marvel looked to beef up the roster with some of Marvel’s biggest names likeSpider-Man and Wolverine.
Now thanks to the MCU and the newfound popularity of the characters, The Avengers are the team of Marvel’s biggest and best names. In the MCU, while there are still some big names, characters like Doctor Strange and Captain Marvel are dealing with other threats to the universe. The Avengers as a brand is still a big deal, but one way to captivate viewers and show this is a different team is to bring in new faces.She-Hulk, Shang-Chi, and Moon Knight certainly would be big additions. Yet, with how long Daredevil has been around in comics and in the public eye, his being part of The Avengers would show this is the team for the biggest names in Marvel.
We are years off from knowing who will comprise the next iteration of the Avengers. Between the intervening new series and movies, there will be plenty to choose from to fill out the team. We would pencil in Daredevil as an Avenger without hesitation.
