Matt Murdock: Daredevil Appreciation 2021

[jb681131]

But if you watch superhero movies/shows/cartoons before 2008, we've seen the secret identity thing done to death! It got old for me. Different superheroes, but similar stories about folks hiding who they really are to "protect the ones that they love". Iron Man was a game changer. MCU Tony Stark, Clint Barton, Scott Lang and Sam Wilson ABSOLUTELY have families and friends to protect and folks DEFINITELY know who they are. Their supporting casts have survived their movies/shows largely unscathed. So I think Daredevil's friends and loved ones can survive people knowing who Matt is. Besides, simply wearing a mask across your eyes DOESN'T prevent you from being recognizable. I concede superheroes might need to balance life differently if superheroing is not their full-time job, but I think it can be done. Here are some valid reasons I found online in defense of dispensing with secret identities in superhero live-action content:

"Some of it may be an update based on the sliding time scale which puts heroes in the same time frame as our own. While comics such as Spider-man explored the idea of ubiquitous cameras in the city decades ago, the fact of the matter is that, today, the odds of a super-hero maintaining their secret identity for any reason other than the police and general populace looking the other way is looking pretty slim. DNA analysis means any blood or hair left on the scene can be analyzed. Even without security footage, there's enough cameras in the general populace that the odds are that a hero will be filmed changing. And analysis tools such as gait analysis and analysis of body structures mean that it's likely that computer systems will passively analyze any footage and pin down who it is."

And:

"In my opinion, the most significant reason is simply because of modern technology. Maintaining a "secret identity" in a first-world country seemed feasible 20+ years ago. Today? Not so much. The only people who can operate in the shadows are those deeply involved in technology and thus their actions must remain in an electronic playing field. Unless you have a superhero saving lives with his/her amazing "hacking" powers, the idea that a superhero's true identity can remain completely anonymous in a world with cameras on every corner (and in the pockets of every citizen) just doesn't make for a believable story. I don't think it gets more complicated than that."

For me, since Daredevil's origin story and secret identity have been portrayed onscreen in live-action vehicles previously, I think Feige's MCU has to do something DIFFERENT than what came before (that also goes for the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and Ghost Rider). Two big changes could be revamping Matt's personality (make him quippier and snarkier like other MCU characters) and removing his secret identity.

Matt loosing his identity has been done on paper. So it is possible. But a costume and secret identity are necessary, in my opinion. You loose all the aspect of the unknow bringing fear and respect. I removes lots of story possibilities.

And about DNA, DNA identity doesn't exist for everyone, but only specific people (criminals mostly), and they are private.
Also with a good suite and mask it is hard to have an AI find out who the person under is. And it's not like if everybody's shape, weight, height, face under are stored in databases and a computer can just go look it up.
Picture a random guy in New York and try to find his name, well good luck.

Then about seing him change, that is a possibility. But still not an easy one. Let's say you can see his face in the dark, afar on a roof top, or you loosing once he flees, how do you hope to find out who he is ?
I don't think, even with modern tech that it's a 100% possible to find out a superhero's secret identity.

[vitaminbee]

If they do expose Matt's ID, I wouldn't mind them taking some inspiration from Bendis's run.

For that to have some pay off, they need to have him have a secret identity for a while. It's the kind of thing you do in the final film/series.

[Albert1981]

Matt loosing his identity has been done on paper. So it is possible. But a costume and secret identity are necessary, in my opinion. You loose all the aspect of the unknow bringing fear and respect. I removes lots of story possibilities.

And about DNA, DNA identity doesn't exist for everyone, but only specific people (criminals mostly), and they are private.
Also with a good suite and mask it is hard to have an AI find out who the person under is. And it's not like if everybody's shape, weight, height, face under are stored in databases and a computer can just go look it up.
Picture a random guy in New York and try to find his name, well good luck.

Then about seing him change, that is a possibility. But still not an easy one. Let's say you can see his face in the dark, afar on a roof top, or you loosing once he flees, how do you hope to find out who he is ?
I don't think, even with modern tech that it's a 100% possible to find out a superhero's secret identity.

You make excellent and valid points, but if Murdock is gonna be joining Feige's MCU, he's gonna be taking his mask on and off a LOT. The law of averages suggests that EVENTUALLY his true identity will inevitably be discovered. And he's a pretty high-profile hero in NYC. That's why I want Matt to lose his secret identity quickly and adopt a more PG-13 personality. It just works better in the MCU that currently exists.

[Hypestyle]

so is Murdock going to run for mayor himself, against Fisk? That could add a new dynamic to the comics for a while if he wins, becoming Mayor Daredevil.

[phantom1592]

I think Murdock should have some swagger like Stark, Strange and Fury. He's more than capable of taking care of his friends and family (especially if he has the Avengers by his side).

Actually a disturbingly long list of dead or broken girlfriends is solid evidence that no... no he can not.

[Spiderfan001]

Actually a disturbingly long list of dead or broken girlfriends is solid evidence that no... no he can not.

Facts, let's keep the Identity

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

You make excellent and valid points, but if Murdock is gonna be joining Feige's MCU, he's gonna be taking his mask on and off a LOT. The law of averages suggests that EVENTUALLY his true identity will inevitably be discovered. And he's a pretty high-profile hero in NYC. That's why I want Matt to lose his secret identity quickly and adopt a more PG-13 personality. It just works better in the MCU that currently exists.

A Daredevil PG movie and a PG personality can work and still have the secret identity. I know what you're saying re: the FeigeCU, but then we will have the other extreme of a really boring "everyone knows everyone's identity" universe.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Actually a disturbingly long list of dead or broken girlfriends is solid evidence that no... no he can not.

Exactly!

He had a bit of a confidence and swagger in Waid's run but that was to cover the hurt and past without totally resolving it and eventually it all came out.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Daredevil by Jacob Edgar:

[phantom1592]

A Daredevil PG movie and a PG personality can work and still have the secret identity. I know what you're saying re: the FeigeCU, but then we will have the other extreme of a really boring "everyone knows everyone's identity" universe.

I really enjoyed the Defenders where Everyone was open about their names... and he's sitting there wearing a scarf over his face because... yeah, he don't know them!

[Nanashi]

More Devil’s Reign spin-offs.

https://twitter.com/bleedingcool/sta...142203394?s=21
https://twitter.com/manwithoutfear/s...341970950?s=21

[Spiderfan001]

More Devil’s Reign spin-offs.

https://twitter.com/bleedingcool/sta...142203394?s=21
https://twitter.com/manwithoutfear/s...341970950?s=21

Really hope Spider-man is here, the real deal.Miles and Ben are cool but we spent so long building this up in ASM and mainly DD and I want to see it through.DD and Peter are an amazing duo and Chip writes the heck out of them.
He's gonna be semi-back by end of december so we still have 4 issues, fingers crossed

[Nanashi]

Really hope Spider-man is here, the real deal.Miles and Ben are cool but we spent so long building this up in ASM and mainly DD and I want to see it through.DD and Peter are an amazing duo and Chip writes the heck out of them.
He's gonna be semi-back by end of december so we still have 4 issues, fingers crossed

How do you know Peter will be back back by December? Won’t Ben be Spider-Man until ASM is relaunched or hits issue 900?

[Albert1981]

Yeah, I know quite a few of Murdock's love interests have bitten the dust...In the comic books. The MCU is a totally different animal though. The heroes in that universe haven't had their loved ones and friends suffer because they are known by the world. I don't think Feige and company are gonna adapt problematic tropes like the fridging of women in their movies and shows. We're entering 2022, and I think people are not gonna accept that kinda thing anymore. I'm surprised folks on this thread find the idea of heroes being known by their enemies and random civilians is boring. I think it's a welcome change in superhero live-action content. In order to keep the secret identity trope, Marvel shows and movies are gonna have to devote precious screen time and create contrived (and often implausible) situations in order to allow heroes to maintain their true identities. I wanna these stories to move onto more important and different things. And I want Matt and his surrounding cast of characters to have more fun. Even Jennifer Garner lamented the fact that her Elektra never got to be a part of Feige's MCU:

https://movieweb.com/elektra-mcu-mar...r-kevin-feige/

And a big reason Garner wished she was a part of the MCU is because of the COMEDY in Feige's movies and shows. That's why I want any Daredevil show and/or movie in the MCU to be funny too. I don't think superheroes should take themselves too seriously and neither does Feige apparently.

[phonogram12]

Yeah, I know quite a few of Murdock's love interests have bitten the dust...In the comic books. The MCU is a totally different animal though. The heroes in that universe haven't had their loved ones and friends suffer because they are known by the world.

I mean, getting back to the whole Pepper and Happy thing - both of 'em did almost die.

I don't think Feige and company are gonna adapt problematic tropes like the fridging of women in their movies and shows. We're entering 2022, and I think people are not gonna accept that kinda thing anymore.

I mean, it doesn't even have to be girlfriends, though. As illustrated by Happy.

I'm surprised folks on this thread find the idea of heroes being known by their enemies and random civilians is boring. I think it's a welcome change in superhero live-action content. In order to keep the secret identity trope, Marvel shows and movies are gonna have to devote precious screen time and create contrived (and often implausible) situations in order to allow heroes to maintain their true identities. I wanna these stories to move onto more important and different things. And I want Matt and his surrounding cast of characters to have more fun. Even Jennifer Garner lamented the fact that her Elektra never got to be a part of Feige's MCU

I mean, I think secret id's are super fun, personally. I think that's why so many people here are still in favor of them.

And a big reason Garner wished she was a part of the MCU is because of the COMEDY in Feige's movies and shows. That's why I want any Daredevil show and/or movie in the MCU to be funny too. I don't think superheroes should take themselves too seriously and neither does Feige apparently.

I thought Foggy was hilarious, personally.