Matt Murdock star Charlie Cox reflects on one of the biggestMarvel Cinematic Universescenes from Netflix’sDaredevilseries with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Marvel Studios' official decision to makethe Marvel-Netflix showscanon to the overall MCU franchise paved the way forDaredevil: Born Againto continue the saga of this particular version of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. This opens several opportunities to revisit storylines that were established years ago, including the prior on-screen meetings of Cox’s Matt Murdock and Bernthal’s Frank Castle.
During a newGQfeature between Cox and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio, the two MCU veterans did commentary on some of the most prominent scenes from the originalDaredevilTV show, as they shared key behind-the-scenes details on how some of those moments went down. One of the big scenes that was brought up was specifically a Matt and Frank moment fromDaredevilseason 2, episode 4, “Penny and Dime,” with Cox bringing up some feedback he got due to an unusual set of circumstances, as he shared the following:
Charlie Cox: First of all, I have to start by just saying Jon’s performance in this scene is brilliant, but the story here is when the scene had been edited, and the episodes were coming in, one of the producers came up to me and said ‘Oh my God, that scene with you and Jon in the cemetery is so good.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh cool,’ because it’s all Jon. I’m like ‘Great, good for him.’ I’m just listening. And they’re like, ‘In the bit when he’s telling you the story, and you’re crying.’ And I was like, ‘Huh, I don’t remember crying in that scene’ […]
I feel like I would remember that. Anyway, when I went back and watched it, I remembered that before we get into that position, I’m carrying Jon Bernthal up a hill over and over again, so I’d be putting him down, and all I’d be thinking is ‘Try not to breathe too heavily during his dialogue.‘So I am sweating profusely under this helmet, and evidently, some of the sweat has kind of obviously trickled down the mask, and then is coming out from here. And it looks like I’m shedding tears. […]And when I told that to Jon, he’s like, ‘That’s what that was? I remembered I was thinking, ‘man, this guy’s crying in my scene.’
What Charlie Cox’s Comments Mean For Daredevil & Punisher’s Iconic Season 2 Scene
The final moment that Matt shared with the Punisher inDaredevilseason 2, episode 4, was one of the many reasons why their relationship is still heavily regarded as one of the best ones inthe MCU timeline. While they are both heroes in their own right,Daredevil and Punisher are fundamentally incredibly different from each other, which that scene captured perfectly. That is also why their recent reunion inDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 garnered a lot of positive reception, showcasing that fans are still invested in their dynamic.
As much gravitas as they had in the graveyard scene,it’s still funny thatDaredevilproducers thought Cox was perhaps improvising with the"crying"when that wasn’t what was happening. It also serves as a reminder that an actor who has to wear these expensive but also complex superhero suits will definitely have to deal with heat, especially when dealing with any action-related scenes. With all this said, had Cox decided to actively have Matt intentionally cry during Frank’s speech, this is still something that would have suited that scene inDaredevilseason 2.
Our Take On Charlie Cox’s Daredevil & Punisher Comments
Cox’s story aboutDaredevilseason 2, episode 4’s cemetery scenedefinitely puts a new perspective on that moment during rewatches of the Netflix show. Now thatDaredevil: Born Againhas re-introducedPunisher into the MCU, it remains to be seen where his partnership with Daredevil will go in future episodes and seasons. AsDaredevil: Born Againseason 1 continues to go forward, time will tell what other callbacks there may be toDaredevilseason 2 between Frank and Matt.
Daredevil
Cast
Daredevil is a Netflix original series starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. The TV show ran for three seasons before being canceled by Netflix, despite being critically praised. Kingpin was the main antagonist in seasons 1 and 3 and also introduced Jon Benrthal’s Punisher in season 2. Daredevil was followed by Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again.
