Daredevil Showrunner Steven DeKnight Expresses Concerns Over Show’s Renaming

Former Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight has theories about why the show’s upcoming revival has been renamed. Marvel’s original Daredevil series first premiered in 2015 on Netflix and ran for three seasons before getting canceled in 2018. In July 2022, Disney — which owns Marvel — removed the show from its former streaming service and green-lit a sequel for Disney+ titled Daredevil: Born Again. The revived series is set to feature major elements from its predecessor including Charlie Cox as the lead character Matthew Murdock.

DeKnight, who penned the OG series but won’t be involved in the new show, slammed Disney on Tuesday, September 19, for what he claims are “corporate shenanigans.” “It’s an old Disney scam where they slightly rename a series to reset contract terms back to the first season,” DeKnight wrote via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday. “Needs to be addressed by all the guild/unions and crushed!”

DeKnight Raises Concerns Over Receiving Compensation for Daredevil: Born Again

DeKnight noted that from what he can “understand,” he isn’t “going to see a penny from Daredevil: Born Again” because the additional “Born Again” in the show’s title means Disney can “claim it’s a completely different show.” He added: “You know, with the exact same two lead actors (who I love!) playing Daredevil and William Fisk [played by Vincent D’Onofrio].”

DeKnight’s claims were in response to a tweet from a Daredevil employee who alleged that the new series is “back to season one IATSE contract terms,” calling the process a “f—king scam.” They claimed that Disney officially canceled the series “once the crew got a full raise and holiday/vacation pay.”

DeKnight’s Support for the New Series Despite Concerns

Despite DeKnight’s qualms with Disney’s alleged business procedures surrounding Born Again, the writer insisted he has “zero issue” with the new series and wants to see it succeed. “To be clear, I can’t wait to see Charlie Cox and the amazing Vincent D’Onofrio reprise their iconic [roles],” he wrote via X on Monday. “But to claim this is a complete reboot and you don’t have to pay the original creatives is some corporate shenanigans, to say the least.”

Hollywood Strikes and Ongoing Negotiations

DeKnight’s comments come amid the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) are striking because of stalled negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The negotiations include issues of fair pay, streaming residual payments, and the use of artificial intelligence in film and TV projects. The WGA initially went on strike in May, while SAG-AFTRA joined them on the picket lines two months later in July.