Daredevil: Born Again stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio say it's 'easier' to hate each other now that they're better friends

The devil works hard but Matt Murdock works harder. Based on the popular Marvel comic book character, the original Daredevil TV show was about the aforementioned Murdock, a blind lawyer (played by Charlie Cox), who moonlights as a vigilante named Daredevil to protect New York. Opposing him is Vincent D'Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk – the head of a criminal empire who also goes by Kingpin.

The series ran from 2015 to 2018, after which it was cancelled by Netflix. Nonetheless, the show’s main characters lived on, making guest appearances in other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) titles such as 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home as well as the Disney+ series Hawkeye, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, and Echo.

Now, seven years after its initial cancellation, Daredevil has been “born again”. The revival series, aptly titled Daredevil: Born Again, will premiere on Disney+ on Mar 4. It will comprise nine episodes, with a second season set to air in 2026.

Speaking at a virtual press conference, Cox shared how his character has changed after experiencing “a trauma”.

“Some time has passed since [Netflix’s Daredevil Season 3]. Early on, Matt has suffered a trauma and that meant he’s had to kind rethink and re-find his identity in a way that is probably more profound than we’ve seen before,” he said.

According to Cox, Murdock ends up going down a path best described as “a Band-Aid that will have to be ripped off slowly and painfully”.

“For fans of the original show, it’s the same Matt Murdock essentially, just influenced by his experiences,” added Cox.

Similarly, D'Onofrio’s Fisk has been through a lot – following his appearances in Hawkeye and Echo – and is now “on a mission”.

“He’s the same guy he was in the Netflix show, but he’s got a new plan,” said D'Onofrio.

“First thing he’s gotta do is sort things out with his wife ‘cause he’s been gone for a while. That turns into something extremely exciting. And then there’s the other side, which is, he has a plan. His plan is to stretch his reach… how far he’s gonna go for control.”

Given Murdock's and Fisk's new paths, has this changed their contentious dynamic which has seen them beating each other to a pulp in the past?

“Well, he still bugs me,” quipped D'Onofrio.

“We’re trying to live in the daylight, the two of us," he continued. "We’re broken men. If you can think about the metaphor of vampires trying to live in the daylight, it’s a struggle that they’re going through. He’s got his thing and I’ve got my plan and, you know, you can’t put us together in the same scene a lot 'cause it’s not as powerful.”

Highlighting that he and Cox only shared “five or six” scenes together over the past 10 years, D'Onofrio elaborated: “It’s great for the story [when we share scenes] because it always means something… So, it’s intense. And that’s what it’s like now”.

Cox chimed in: “Bringing us together early on in this new season is something we haven’t done before. Putting [Matt] in a position where they are having to trust one another’s ability to stay true to who they say they are, it just lends itself to a slightly different dynamic for a scene”.

According to Cox, the friendship he developed with D'Onofrio over the past decade has helped with his performance.

“Obviously, we’ve become very good friends. And the good news is that it does feel like the better friends we become, the easier it is to hate each other.”

D'Onofrio agreed, adding: “Because we’ve known each other for so long and we love playing these roles, we have a lot in common. I’ve fallen in love with Charlie. And the more I love him, the more I love to hate him”.

Mutual trust is another factor that has helped the duo. Said D'Onofrio: “When we’re shooting this thing, he’s usually in one side of the studio – I don’t even know what they’re doing. And I’m in another side of the studio doing something else. And I know that, that side of the show is gonna be fine. Like, I never have to question".

He added: “I have complete confidence in whatever is going on. It gives me a lift on my side to know that knowledge. And that’s because of our team and Charlie in a big way. It’s great to have this kind of relationship with your partner in crime”.

Daredevil: Born Again will also see the return of Jon Bernthal as the vengeful Frank Castle aka Punisher – something Cox is delighted about. It was also recently announced that Bernthal is set to star in an upcoming special featuring his character.

“Anything that Jon Bernthal is in, I will watch. I just think he’s such a talented actor. He’s got such amazing charisma and energy, and we are so fortunate to have him be part of this show,” beamed Cox.

“Whenever he shows up, it’s an absolute delight, both in terms of his performance and as a human. He brings such fun to the set.”

D'Onofrio added: “And he’s just a great guy to hang out with. When the three of us travel together, it’s so much fun. We get along so great. These guys are great family men and just really decent human beings. So, to hang out with them is always a thrill”.

As for the high anticipation towards Daredevil: Born Again, D'Onofrio hopes that fans will just as excited about the series as the cast members are, and that the series is entertaining for them.

“We all worked really hard on it and we all believed in the fans. We worked towards what we felt they wanted the whole time. So my hopes are that they just thoroughly enjoy it,” said D'Onofrio.

Cox added: “Every now and again when I meet a fan, and they go ‘Is the show as dark?’; when I hear that, I have a smile because I’m like, ‘Yeah. You’re gonna be okay. We got you’.”

Daredevil: Born Again will premiere on Disney+ on Mar 4, with new episodes every Tuesday.