Charlie Cox has seemingly revealed Daredevil: Born Again won't be fully R-rated when it launches on Disney Plus.
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar to promote Treason, his new Netflix show, Cox admitted that the Marvel Phase 5 production won't be as gory or mature as the character's Netflix series was.
That's sure to be disappointing news for Marvel fans, who had hoped that Daredevil's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Disney Plus show would be as violent and grim as his three-season run on Netflix. However, Cox also suggested Born Again won't be a completely family-friendly offering. Instead, The Man Without Fear's standalone MCU series will fall somewhere between being TV-14 (that's 12A in the UK) and R-rated (18 age rating).
Asked if he could confirm whether Daredevil: Born Again would be strictly R-rated or not, Cox said: "I have no idea. My instinct tells me it'll be somewhere in between what we did before and what is currently on Disney Plus. Tonally, I imagine it'll remain sinister, dark, and painful – you know, geared towards a more mature audience. But it probably won't be as gruesome."
Given Marvel Studios wants its movies and TV shows to reach as wide an audience as possible, it makes sense for Daredevil: Born Again to shy away from a TV-MA rating. However, with Marvel starting to create superhero movies and shows with a mature slant, such as Werewolf by Night, Marvel Zombies, and Deadpool 3, it begs the question: why can't Born Again be fully R-rated?
Industry insiders, including DanielRPK and Grace Randolph (thanks to Reddit for the finds) have claimed Born Again will be R-rated, but haven't confirmed if it'll be 100% TV-MA or not. We'll wait for confirmation from Marvel before jumping to any conclusions.
It shouldn't be too long before we find out, though. With Daredevil: Born Again set to hit our screens sometime in 2024, principal photography will have to get underway sooner rather than later. Thankfully, Cox was on hand to confirm when filming will begin on Daredevil's next small screen adventure.
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"I haven't read any scripts," Cox replied when TechRadar asked how much he knew about the show. "But I know we start filming next year. Early next year, to be more precise."
According to Discussing Film's Jacob Fisher, Born Again is rumored to enter full production in February, which aligns with what Cox told TechRadar. With numerous cast announcements being made in recent weeks, including the addition of Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Margarita Levieva (The Deuce), and Sandrine Holt (American Gigolo), too, it seems Marvel is gearing up for production to begin.
For now, we officially know Cox and fellow Netflix Marvel TV show alumnus Vincent D'Onofrio are back as Daredevil/Matt Murdock and Kingpin/Wilson Fisk respectively. Additionally, Born Again will comprise 18 episodes and principal photography is slated to take place in New York, rather than Marvel's usual filming location of Atlanta.
For more MCU-based content, read up on how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, get the lowdown on Marvel Phase 5 projects coming in 2023, including Loki season 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Secret Invasion.
As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.
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