Charlie Cox Is Daredevil in the MCU, Reveals Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige just gave MCU fans one helluva gift for the holidays: he confirmed—with uncharacteristic candor!—that Charlie Cox is Daredevil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe… if/when the man without fear ever appears in a Marvel Studios something or other.

The news comes via Cinemablend, who somehow pulled a definitive answer out of one of the cagiest producers in Hollywood. Here’s what Feige had to say: “If you were to see Daredevil in upcoming things, Charlie Cox, yes, would be the actor playing Daredevil. Where we see that, how we see that, when we see that, remains to be seen.”

This news is, of course, mind-blowing. To recap for those who don’t spend their days neck-deep in Marvel rumors and behind-the-scenes intrigue, Charlie Cox played Matt Murdock in Netflix’s Marvel’s Daredevil live-action series. The show ran for three seasons—and was rather swiftly canceled after Disney announced that Marvel Studios would be making live-action shows for Disney+ starring actors from Marvel films. The key difference between Netflix’s shows and Disney+’s shows? Netflix’s lineup was produced by Marvel Television (which was overseen by Jeph Loeb) and the movies and Disney+ shows are produced by Marvel Studios (which is Kevin Feige’s realm). That’s why this news is so huge. This is Kevin Feige honoring a casting decision that he didn’t really have a hand in—a casting decision made by another, now defunct, production company.

This one comment about Charlie Cox playing Daredevil in a potential MCU movie or show can lead speculation down a number of alleyways. Let’s start walkin’ down those alleys!

First—it means that the rumors that Matt Murdock could appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home suddenly sound way more plausible. That film (which is a co-production with Sony because nothing with Marvel is simple) already reenlisted a number of actors who appeared in previous Spider-Man films not produced by Marvel Studios (Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx’s Elektro, etc.). There was speculation that Charlie Cox’s handsome forearms appeared in the first No Way Home trailer, but that theory was debunked.

Second—it means that Daredevil’s civilian identity, Matt Murdock, could appear in Disney+’s upcoming She-Hulk live-action series starring Tatiana Maslany in the title role. She-Hulk and Daredevil are Marvel’s two top-tier lawyers and have sparred in the courtroom a few times before. If Daredevil doesn’t show up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, then She-Hulk is a possibility.

Third—Feige’s comment all but confirms that Echo’s mysterious “Uncle” from last week’s Hawkeye episode “Echoes” is Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. If Feige’s open to bringing back Cox as Daredevil, then he’s definitely game to bring back D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. In fact, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Daredevil could play a part in Disney+’s upcoming Echo series. After all, Echo debuted in the pages of Daredevil and has been primarily a Daredevil supporting player. Her debut in Hawkeye feels kinda out-of-nowhere (although Echo and Hawkeye are connected in the comics via the Ronin armor, so not totally out-of-nowhere). Since Echo’s getting her own series, it would make sense for her “uncle” Kingpin to have a major part to play—and the same goes for Daredevil.

Fourth—if Cox is the MCU’s Daredevil, then it is entirely possible that Feige feels the same way about some of the other actors cast in Netflix’s dramas. This would be fantastic. The Netflix shows had their fair share of problems, but casting was never one of them. Yes, even Finn Jones!

This would be absolutely fantastic for the MCU as the franchise continues forward, even as a lot of their A-list characters are retired. While Marvel Studios has a great track record when it comes to turning unknown Marvel characters into blockbuster icons, the Netflix heroes are a batch of major Marvel characters that have previously been off-limits. The addition of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Elektra, Punisher—I could keep going!—to the MCU would open up a lot of storytelling doors.

So yeah, this is a big deal—and not just for Daredevil fans, either! This opens up the possibilities for the MCU at the exact right time. Now, everybody place your bets on when you think Charlie Cox will return…