The motto of Daredevil: Born Again could very well be "Let art imitate life." Creators Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, and Chris Ord know that the real villains are no longer aliens from a different planet or dimension. The world is in such a deep mess that even the superhero realm feels compelled to mirror real-world political and societal problems. Daredevil: Born Again arrives at a time when most people have decided to give power to criminals, psychopaths, or idiots. Hence, the titular character, played by a committed Charlie Cox, prepares himself to face off against a politician. He is none other than the newly elected mayor of New York City - Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio). Given the current circumstances, I wouldn't have been surprised if this crime lord had managed to secure the position of the President. But Kingpin constantly insists that he has changed. He wants to be Wilson Fisk - the savior of New York and its citizens. The New Yorkers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are aware of Wilson's past, yet they elect him as a mayor. Most of them somehow believe he will fix the system, though can you blame them? These people on the screen are as dumb as those in the real world.
A character tells Wilson he is a "whiny kid who wants everyone to love him." He is a monster trying to rewrite his legacy ("Once a thug, always a thug"). This is precisely how D'Onofrio portrays Kingpin. The man attends a therapy session with his wife because he doesn't want to lose her. The baldy gets out of his car and instructs the workers to fill a hole in the road, prompting everyone around him to cheer for this mayor. Wilson clearly enjoys receiving all this adulation, and when he smiles, you catch a glimpse of a self-satisfied narcissist patting himself on the back. He might as well be saying to himself, "Good job, Wilson. You are the Chosen One." However, it's not just Kingpin who wants to become Wilson. Daredevil, the masked vigilante, also wants to be Matt Murdock. The character is determined to serve the city as a lawyer, a decision shaped by a personal tragedy involving the death of a friend. It all occurs near the beginning of Episode 1. It's here where Daredevil: Born Again tries to show off the choreography of the action sequence. I am not complaining. If you can stage fights like that, give me more. Combat scenes have always been a strong point for the show; you can call them "primary attraction." Soak in this sequence because Daredevil throws his mask soon after. The next fight comes only towards the end of the second episode.
Of course, Matt will have to wear the mask sooner or later. He cannot trust the law to always do proper work, as is evident in the scene where a judge quickly denies giving bail to Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes). The judge doesn't even bother listening to Matt's statement. Hector is accused of killing a police officer, and by taking his side, Matt becomes the enemy of the NYPD police force. Wilson might surely end up exploiting this situation. He doesn't like Daredevil or even Spider-Man, for that matter. You can't help but wonder how Peter Parker would have responded to Wilson's public speech, where he openly expressed his contempt for superheroes. One can only imagine his reaction since Tom Holland doesn't have a cameo appearance. For now, we can sense that Daredevil: Born Again is conveying the message that we all need to take serious action if we really want to change the world. Words like "trust the law" or "believe in the legal system" might sound appealing for an intellectual discussion, but you need to fight tough battles for actual progress. How can you trust a system that's in control of a madman?
Final Score- [7.5/10]