---
title: "Marvel's Daredevil"
year: 2015
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/marvels-daredevil"
fi1m_id: "marvels-daredevil"
imdb_id: "tt3322312"
tmdb_id: 61889
wikidata_id: "Q16977365"
fi1m_score: 78
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-22T21:39:57.712209+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-22T21:40:06.432769+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Marvel's Daredevil (2015)

Created by Drew Goddard · MPA TV-MA · Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure

## Identity

Marvel's Daredevil

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/marvels-daredevil
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** marvels-daredevil
- **IMDb ID:** tt3322312
- **TMDB ID:** 61889
- **Wikidata ID:** Q16977365
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322312/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/61889, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16977365

**Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 80 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* The most convincing thing in it is how badly everyone breathes after a fight

> The first season is a proper crime drama with a superhero in it, carried by Charlie Cox’s bruised decency and Vincent D’Onofrio’s soft-voiced Fisk. It is also thirteen hours for a story that needed ten, and every season since has had the same trouble.

## Synopsis

Hell’s Kitchen, New York, present day. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), blinded by a chemical spill as a boy and left with senses sharp enough to hear a heartbeat across a room, opens a two-man law office with his law-school friend Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). Their first client is Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), a secretary who wakes beside a dead colleague after finding something wrong in her employer’s books. By day Murdock defends her. By night, in a black cloth mask, he works his way up through the men who want her silenced, from the Russian traffickers Vladimir (Nikolai Nikolaeff) and Anatoly (Gideon Emery) towards a name nobody in the neighbourhood will say aloud: Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), who wants to rebuild Hell’s Kitchen and does not mind who he buries under it.

## Review

Drew Goddard’s series takes the blind lawyer from the comics and puts him in a Hell’s Kitchen that has not been swept since the seventies. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) defends the poor by day with Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and beats up the men who prey on them by night, in a black cloth mask. The first season, thirteen episodes from 10 April 2015, is a good crime drama that happens to have a superhero in it. It is better than most of what its studio has put on television, and it is too long. Both things are true of all three seasons.

Cox is the reason it holds. He plays Murdock as charming in a courtroom and slightly frightening out of it, and he does the blindness without fuss: a hand finding a door frame, a head tilted towards a voice. The fights made the series’ name, and the one everybody remembers is in the second episode, directed by Phil Abraham, in which Murdock clears a corridor of men in one apparent take. By the end he can barely lift his arms. We winced through most of it, and the sound of the men wheezing afterwards stayed with us longer than the punches.

Then there is Vincent D’Onofrio. His Wilson Fisk does not appear for some time. He turns up in an art gallery, in front of a white canvas, telling a woman how it makes him feel. D’Onofrio gives him a halting, apologetic voice, as if every sentence costs him something, then lets him do something appalling without changing his expression. We found him hard to watch, which is what a villain is for. The production designers Scott P. Murphy, Loren Weeks and Adam Scher give him a flat of white walls and one painting, so when he loses his temper there is nothing to soften it.

Matthew J. Lloyd shoots the whole thing in sodium yellow and black. Streets get one lamp; rooms get whatever comes through the blinds. It suits a hero who cannot see, and a real problem on an ordinary television in daylight. We drew the curtains and still missed things. John Paesano’s score is brass and low strings, and does more in the quiet scenes than in the fights, where the fists do the work. Costume designers Lorraine Z. Calvert, Elisabeth Vastola and Stephanie Maslansky keep Murdock in the mask for most of the first run, and the show is right to make us wait for the red suit. It looks daft, and by then we no longer mind.

Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page begins as the firm’s first client, then its secretary, then its conscience, and Woll is better than the writing in each job. Henson’s Foggy is the warmth: a decent, funny man who wanted to be a lawyer and got a friend with a secret instead. Rob Morgan’s Turk Barrett, a small-time crook who is always in the wrong alley, is a running joke the show gets right.

Thirteen episodes is too many for a story with one villain, and the middle of the first season stalls while the Russians (Nikolai Nikolaeff and Gideon Emery, both good) are moved around like furniture. Murdock also loses more fights than a hero should; by the eighth hour we stopped worrying whether he would get up, because he always does. The second season, from 18 March 2016, brings in Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, and Bernthal is so good, and so plainly in a different show, that the strand involving ninjas looks thin beside him. The third, from 19 October 2018, goes back to Fisk and is the tightest of the three.

Most critics were warm about the first season and we are not far behind them. The one dissent calls it pulp dressed as noir, and there is something in that: the violence is meant to hurt, the show also wants us to enjoy it, and it does not always know which it is doing. The 18 certificate is earned. Watch it a season at a time, in the dark, with someone who does not mind the sound of bone.

*Fi1m score 78, published 22 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like it, and the reviews cluster tightly around the low eighties. The praise goes first to the cast: Charlie Cox is credited with grit and self-doubt as Matt Murdock, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk is singled out again and again as the standout villain. Nearly everyone welcomes the darker, street-level tone, the unglorified violence and the fight choreography, which more than one review calls the best yet seen on television, and several critics reach for The Wire or The Sopranos as the comparison.

They part over how far that comparison holds. IndieWire thinks the series falls short of real depth even as it entertains, and The Hollywood Reporter is the lone mixed voice, finding pulp rather than noir, with implausible violence and a hero too easily beaten. Paste, unusually, gives the acting honours to Toby Leonard Moore rather than the leads. Otherwise the spread is narrow, from good to very good.

## Straight answers

**Is Marvel's Daredevil worth watching?**

*Marvel's Daredevil* is worth watching for anyone who wants a crime drama with a superhero in it rather than the other way round, and we scored it 78. Charlie Cox's Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's soft-voiced Fisk carry it; the trouble is length, with thirteen episodes for a story that needed ten. Take it a season at a time.

**How long is Marvel's Daredevil, and what is it rated?**

*Marvel's Daredevil* is rated TV-MA by the MPA in the US. It is a crime and drama series.

**Where can I watch Marvel's Daredevil in the US?**

*Marvel's Daredevil* is streaming on Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to buy from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Marvel's Daredevil, and is it suitable for children?**

*Marvel's Daredevil* is not suitable for children and carries an 18 certificate in the UK, which it earns. The fights are meant to hurt, with bone, blood and men left wheezing on the floor, and Fisk does appalling things without changing his expression. Older teenagers used to hard crime drama may cope; the squeamish should look elsewhere.

**How does Marvel's Daredevil compare to The Raid?**

*Marvel's Daredevil* is the slower, richer work, a thirteen-hour crime drama with a lawyer at its centre, where [*The Raid*](https://film.one/film/the-raid) is a single tower block, one squad and almost nothing but fighting. The film's action is faster and clearer, and makes Murdock's celebrated corridor look restful. Choose the series for character and a villain; choose the film for ninety minutes of pure staging.

**What should I watch after Marvel's Daredevil?**

After *Marvel's Daredevil*, try [*The Raid*](https://film.one/film/the-raid) (2011, Fi1m 83): One tower block, one squad, and fights that make Murdock’s corridor look restful. Then [*Oldboy*](https://film.one/film/oldboy) (2003, Fi1m 85): The hallway fight this series is quietly answering, with a hammer and no mask.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **IndieWire**, Liz Shannon Miller (B+): The critic finds the series brings Marvel as close to prestige TV like The Wire as possible while remaining entertaining, with rich character development and strong performances, especially from Vincent D'Onofrio and Charlie Cox. It falls short of true Wire-level depth but succeeds as a confident, gritty superhero drama. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/review-marvels-daredevil-season-1-brings-us-as-close-to-the-wire-as-marvel-can-get-63207/)
- **Variety**, Brian Lowry (81/100, inferred): The series finds a strong home on Netflix with its dark, violent, and mature tone, faithfully adapting the comics while using the serialized format to build the origin story and Kingpin conflict. Charlie Cox brings grit and self-doubt to the dual role of Matt Murdock/Daredevil. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/tv-review-marvels-daredevil-1201460066/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (80/100, inferred): Netflix's take on the blind vigilante banishes memories of the 2003 Ben Affleck film with an assured, gritty story set in a corrupt Manhattan. Vincent D'Onofrio's hulking Wilson Fisk stands out as the MVP villain alongside Charlie Cox's simmering Matt Murdock. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/daredevil-review-2/)
- **Evening Standard**, Toby Earle (80/100, inferred): The series succeeds as an adult, grounded take on the superhero genre with strong pacing and humor. It stands out for its realistic, unglorified depiction of violence and strong performances from Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/daredevil-netflixs-new-marvel-series-features-punch-ups-that-will-rattle-teeth-across-a-room-10165499.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Tim Goodman (60/100, inferred): The show is watchable pulp fun for Marvel fans but feels like hokey blood porn rather than true noir, undermined by implausible violence and a hero who seems too easy to defeat. Charlie Cox is perfectly cast as the likable Matt Murdock who transforms into a sadistic fighter at night. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/daredevil-tv-review-787305/)
- **Den of Geek**, Mike Cecchini (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Daredevil as an extraordinarily good, elegant departure from typical Marvel fare, with convincing lead performance by Charlie Cox, strong supporting cast, spectacular fight scenes, and a mature, street-level tone closer to True Detective or The Sopranos. It is methodically paced and feels cinematic, marking a high bar for future Marvel Netflix shows. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/marvels-daredevil-netflix-series-a-spoiler-free-review/)
- **Paste**, Jack McKinney (9.0/10): Daredevil elevates potentially clichéd material into something fresh through strong characters, subtlety, and incredible action sequences. The critic singles out the best fight choreography ever on television and standout performances, particularly Toby Leonard Moore, for praise. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/daredevil/daredevil-review-season-one)
- **Digital Spy**, Morgan Jeffery (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the first six episodes a mature, no-frills vigilante thriller that is dark, violent, and graphic yet warm and heartfelt, with excellent casting and inventive fights. It balances serialized storytelling effectively for binge-watching and stands as one of the most confident new drama series of 2015. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a641255/daredevil-episodes-1-6-review-mature-no-frills-vigilante-thriller/)
- **Collider**, Allison Keene (★★★★): The series succeeds as a sleek, stylish, and distinct Marvel TV property with an immersive, shadowy atmosphere that aligns with the protagonist's blindness. The critic singles out the moody visual style and creative use of Murdock's heightened senses, especially in fight scenes, for praise. [Read](https://collider.com/daredevil-review-netflix/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Drew Goddard
- **Creator:** Drew Goddard
- **Director:** Phil Abraham, Stephen Surjik, Peter Hoar, Farren Blackburn, Alex Garcia Lopez, Euros Lyn, Ken Girotti, Marc Jobst, Floria Sigismondi, Julian Holmes, Brad Turner, Lukas Ettlin, Michael Uppendahl, Jennifer Lynch, Jennifer Getzinger, Nick Gomez, Toa Fraser, Sam Miller, Guy Ferland, Andy Goddard, Alex Zakrzewski, Steven S. DeKnight, Adam Kane, Nelson McCormick, Jet Wilkinson
- **Writer:** Doug Petrie, Marco Ramirez, Luke Kalteux, Erik Oleson, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Steven S. DeKnight, Sam Ernst, Drew Goddard, Joe Pokaski, Mark Verheiden, Dara Resnik, Jim Dunn, Whit Anderson, John C. Kelley, Sneha Koorse, Dylan Gallagher, Tamara Becher, Christos Gage, Sarah Streicher, Tonya Kong, Lewaa Nasserdeen, Ruth Fletcher, Sonay Hoffman
- **Story:** Luke Kalteux, John C. Kelley
- **Teleplay:** Whit Anderson, Sneha Koorse
- **Cinematography:** Matthew J. Lloyd
- **Music:** John Paesano
- **Production design:** Adam Scher, Loren Weeks, Scott P. Murphy
- **Costume design:** Stephanie Maslansky, Elisabeth Vastola, Lorraine Z. Calvert
- **Cast:** Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock / Daredevil; Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page; Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson; Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher; Nikolai Nikolaeff as Vladimir; Gideon Emery as Anatoly; Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin; Rob Morgan as Turk Barrett
- **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA
- **Release (the US):** 10 April 2015
- **Genres:** Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAy6NJ_D5vU

## Where to watch in the US

- Disney+: streaming, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy, sd
- Apple TV: buy, hd

*Checked 2026-09-22.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Raid* (2011), Fi1m 83: One tower block, one squad, and fights that make Murdock’s corridor look restful — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-raid.md)
- *Oldboy* (2003), Fi1m 85: The hallway fight this series is quietly answering, with a hammer and no mask — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/oldboy.md)
- *Zatoichi* (2003): Kitano’s blind swordsman hears everything too, and is funnier about it
- *Gomorrah* (2014): Naples instead of Hell’s Kitchen, and nobody in a costume to save anyone
- *The Wire* (2002): The city-as-villain crime drama this one keeps being compared to, and deserves to be

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/marvels-daredevil