Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ showrunner slams Disney over reboot contracts: “I’m not going to see a penny because they claim it’s a completely different show”

20 September, 2023

Daredevil She-Hulk

Steven DeKnight, a showrunner on the first season of Netflix‘s Daredevil series has called out Disney for its upcoming reboot, calling it a “scam” for creatives who worked on the Netflix show.

Netflix’s Daredevil series – which was released in partnership with Marvel – ran between 2015 and 2018 and lasted for three seasons. Following the launch of Disney+ in 2019, Disney – who acquired Marvel back in 2009 – ordered a slate of new Marvel series for its streaming platform. One of the shows ordered at Disney+ is Daredevil: Born Again.

While the Disney+ show is being spun as an entirely new series, Born Again will see Charlie Cox reprise his role as Daredevil, while Vincent D’Onofrio and John Bernthal return as Kingpin and Punisher respectively.

Netflix’s Marvel shows – Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Punisher, Iron Fist, The Defenders – exist outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made before the arrival of Disney+. When Disney started its own streaming service, with its own shows made in-house, Netflix lost the rights to anything Marvel. Daredevil is, so far, the only lead character that has returned from the Netflix universe.

Now, however, DeKnight is criticising Disney for rebranding Born Again as a new series while still using the fictional universe Netflix’s series was set in. DeKnight took to social media to air his grievances, replying to a post from a film grip who had worked on Netflix’s Marvel series in the past. In that post, the grip, who goes by the name of Thomas, revealed that staffers on the upcoming Disney+ series have had their contract terms reverted to season one terms, meaning crew aren’t afforded vacation pay.

“It’s an old Disney scam where they slightly rename a series to reset contract terms back to first season,” DeKnight wrote on X/Twitter. “Needs to be addressed by all the guilds/unions and crushed!”

In additional posts, DeKnight added that he won’t be paid by Disney despite Daredevil: Born Again seemingly being a continuation of the Netflix series and not a full reboot.

“From what I understand, I’m not going to see a penny from ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ because they added the ‘Born Again’ and can claim it’s a completely different show,” he explained. “You know, with the exact same two lead actors (who I love!) playing Daredevil and Fisk.”

“To be clear, I can’t wait to see Charlie Cox and the amazing Vincent D’Onofrio reprise their iconic roles,” DeKnight wrote. “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.”

Elsewhere on X/Twitter, DeKnight explained that he doesn’t have any problems with Disney picking up a Daredevil series, but he doesn’t support that the studio is billing it as a reboot, when the Disney+ series seems to be a revival of the Netflix show as means to cut crew salaries.

Late last year, Charlie Cox – who will once again don the Daredevil cowl for Born Again – told NME he thinks the upcoming series might be his last shot at playing the superhero if it isn’t received well.

Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again has yet to receive a release date due to the ongoing WGA writers and actors strikes.

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