Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and on the streets of New York as the masked vigilante Daredevil. Jennifer Garner plays his love interest Elektra Natchios; Colin Farrell plays the merciless assassin Bullseye; David Keith plays Jack "The Devil" Murdock, a washed up fighter and Matt's father; and Michael Clarke Duncan plays Wilson Fisk, also known as the crime lord Kingpin.
Plot[]
Matt Murdock is a blind lawyer who lives in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, where he runs a firm with best friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson. As a child, Matt was blinded by a toxic waste spill. The accident enhanced Matt's other senses and gave him sonar to "see" via sonic vibrations. Matt's father, boxer Jack "The Devil", was killed after refusing to turn in a fixed fight for the mobster who had employed him earlier. After his father's death, Matt promised to stop all crime that controlled Hell's Kitchen as the vigilante crime-fighter "Daredevil".
Matt meets Elektra Natchios, daughter of Nikolas Natchios, a businessman who has dealings with Wilson Fisk, a rich executive who is also the criminal leader known as the Kingpin, the same mobster who employed Matt's father. When Nikolas tries to end his relationship with Fisk, the mobster hires the Irish hitman Bullseye, who has preternatural aim, to kill him. Matt tries to stop Bullseye, but Bullseye ultimately succeeds in killing Nikolas and framing Matt's alter-ego in the process. Elektra vows to exact revenge, while reporter Ben Urich discovers his secret identity. Believing Matt to have done good things for Hell's Kitchen, Urich tells Matt that Bullseye is going after Elektra next.
Matt tracks Bullseye, but is attacked by Elektra, who plans to use her own training in martial arts to avenge her father's death. She defeats and injures Matt; when she manages to remove his mask, she discovers Matt's secret identity and innocence. Forced to fight Bullseye alone, Elektra is overpowered and killed by the hitman. A wounded Matt makes his way to a church, where he is looked after by his confidante, Father Everett, who knows his secret identity. After recovering slightly, Matt fights Bullseye, who had followed him to the church. Bullseye discovers that loud noise is Matt's weakness and prepares to kill him with a spiked piece of wood after incapacitating him. Matt blocks the attack and hears an FBI sniper stationed on the neighboring building preparing to fire. As the bullet is fired, Matt moves out of the bullet's path and pulls Bullseye's hands into it. When Bullseye pleads for mercy, Matt throws him from the church's steeple. Bullseye lands on the hood of Urich's car, severely injured but alive.
Upon discovering that Fisk is the Kingpin and Bullseye's employer, Matt makes his way to Fisk's office. There, Matt and Fisk begin a fierce fight; however, Fisk proves to be a surprisingly powerful combatant due to his size and brute strength, and he dominates Matt for most of the fight. Lying on the floor, Matt questions Fisk as to why he killed the people Murdock loved, including Jack Murdock years before: Fisk replies it was just business, for he had worked under Fallon at the time he killed Jack, and Elektra was "in the wrong family at the wrong time". Angered, Matt regains his strength and breaks Fisk's legs, but refrains from killing him, instead allowing him to be arrested by the police, who have discovered his criminal connections. Before being taken away, Fisk—who had also discovered Matt's secret identity after overpowering him—swears revenge on Matt, who points out that Fisk cannot reveal Matt's secret identity because the humiliation of having been beaten by a blind man will cause him to be perceived as weak by other prison inmates. Having gained closure over his father's murder, Matt returns to his day-to-day routine, and meets Urich one last time, in which Urich assures him he will not publish his article about Matt's true identity.
In a mid-credits scene, Bullseye, having been moved to a prison hospital and severely bandaged after his confrontation with Matt, is shown to still have his perfect aim after he impales a fly with a syringe needle and says "Bullseye."
Cast[]
- Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock/Daredevil
- Scott Terra as Young Matt Murdock
- Jennifer Garner as Elektra Nathios
- Colin Farrell as Bullseye
- Michael Clarke Duncan as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin
- Jon Favreau as Foggy Nelson
- Joe Pantoliano as Ben Urich
- David Keith as Jack Murdock
- Leland Orser as Wesley Owen Welch
- Erick Avari as Nikolas Natchios
- Ellen Pompeo as Karen Page
- Derrick O'Connor as Everett
- Kevin Smith as Jack Kirby
- Frank Miller as Man with Pen in Head
- Lennie Loftin as Nick Manolis
Director's Cut[]
Main article: Daredevil (Director's Cut)
A director's cut of the film was announced for a spring 2004 DVD release. This version contained new additions like previously unseen footage and a removed subplot, and was to be a bit darker with an R rating. The film, released in 2.35:1 widescreen format, was released with DTS and Dolby Digital sound. The new version of the film has newly recorded commentary to accompany it, featuring Mark Steven Johnson and Avi Arad. A "Making of Director's Cut" featurette also accompanied the film. The release date of the DVD was later pushed back to November 30, 2004.[74][75] On September 30, 2008, the director's cut was released on Blu-ray.[76] The DVD release of the director's cut removed the bonus material included on the theatrical cut's DVD release, but that content was restored for the Blu-ray release (although the Blu-ray release only contains the director's cut).
One of the biggest changes to the film was the addition of a subplot involving a drug addict played by Coolio. While this subplot was missing from the theatrical version of the film, it is present in the novelization by Greg Cox, published in 2003.
Spin-Off[]
Daredevil was followed by a spin-off: Elektra (2005).
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Michael Clarke Duncan is the first African-American to play Kingpin.
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| Daredevil (2003), Elektra (2005) |