As of today, we’re officially under a month away from the release of Daredevil season two on Netflix, and as we continue to get closer, Netflix and Marvel continue to ramp up promotion on the upcoming season. Earlier this week, they dropped the first of two trailers with a focus on new addition Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle a.k.a The Punisher, with a second trailer – possibly Elektra (Elodie Yung) focused? – on the 23rd. And just yesterday, they released a new teaser for season two, showcasing an image of Matt Murdock bound by chains, a scene that was seemingly pulled directly from the comics.
Marvel had a chance to speak with series star Charlie Cox about what his hopes were going into season two, what it was like to showcase more of Matt the lawyer this time around, and what it was like working with Bernthal. One of the most interesting bits revealed in the interview was that Cox actually sat with the writers prior to the start of season two – although, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they used his ideas. As for one of the things Cox was most excited to see in regards to his character this season, he explains that the world “happens” to Matt Murdock in season two.
I don’t know how to answer the question in so far as to what I wanted or not, but what ended up kind of happening, which is interesting and a great way to go is: Matt Murdock happened to the world. He was a rumor. And then people heard about it – “Oh, there’s this guy in the mask. The guy wearing black.” He took out the Russians, and the Chinese become aware of him and the Japanese and Wilson Fisk, and he’s a name and then he’s a voice and then they finally meet each other and so it’s like the audience is the world and Matt Murdock happens to the world.
In the second season, it feels like the world happens to Matt Murdock. He finally comes to grips with who he is and what he’s capable of and his role in society that’s self-appointed. And he’s found a happy peace, a happy medium and peace with it, and things seem to be going relatively well. Crime is down, things with Karen are blossoming, etc., etc. And then Frank Castle shows up. And then Elektra shows up. And it just becomes emotional and literal carnage for a while. And really, the question that is asked, I think, is what makes a hero? What is it that makes a hero?
Cox also revealed that there will be more lawyer scenes this season than with the first season, while also addressing the main differences between Matt Murdock, the lawyer, and Daredevil.
Charlie Cox: I think in Season 1 we toyed with this idea a little bit that when Matt Murdock puts on the mask, he’s not in complete control of himself. It’s like he puts on the mask and there are certain things that he can know, but there are also a lot of unknowns. I think when he makes the decision to go out and go after someone, he can’t guarantee what time he’s going to get home, he can’t guarantee how badly he’s going to hurt people, he can’t guarantee how badly he’s going to be hurt. And it’s almost like he just goes into an alcoholic blackout. He just is Daredevil. He’s just Daredeviling.
Matt Murdock has much more control over his actions and what he says and what he does. And Matt Murdock has to, at times, demonstrate a huge amount of restraint, because there are moments where violence erupts in Matt Murdock’s presence, and he cannot reveal himself to the people that he’s with. And so, there were lots of moments, and that was one of the things I enjoyed the most about playing with Matt Murdock, [where the question was] what would have to happen for Matt Murdock to suddenly abandon all of this pretense and reveal himself to be Daredevil? How badly hurt would someone have to get, or would Karen Page have to get, before he just gave up on this secret persona and kind of revealed all? That’s something that at times has to be very, very close, otherwise we can’t argue that he cares as much as he does about the people that he loves and also just innocence in general.
Along with the above interview released by Marvel yesterday, the official Daredevil Twitter account also released two new teasers for the upcoming second season today, this time focusing on both Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). Much like yesterday’s teaser, neither teaser video features any actual dialogue. Then again, given that these are considered “motion posters”, that’s not entirely surprising. You can check out both of them below.
Daredevil season two will hit Netflix on March 18th, 2016! Until then, you can binge watch the first season, as well as the first season of the equally excellent Jessica Jones, on the streaming service now!
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Sources: Marvel and the Daredevil Twitter Account.
