Marvel Announces Charlie Cox Will Play Daredevil on Netflix

Marvel needed to dish out a bit of good news after a long, sad weekend of departures (Edgar Wright from Ant-Man and Drew Goddard from Daredevil). Charlie Cox, best known for his roles in Stardust and Boardwalk Empire, has been cast as Marvel’s Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.

The last time we saw Daredevil, he was played by Batman — errr, Ben Affleck, in red leather, and it could have been better (don’t mention the playground fight with Elektra around me). For those of you who missed that movie or have no idea who Daredevil is, here’s a quick primer:

Daredevil is actually blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who lost his sight as a result of his eyes coming in contact with radioactive goop that also heightened his other senses far beyond human levels. At night, he patrols New York City (where the series will be shot), fighting crime and taking down crime bosses in a way that lawyering never could.

The series is the first of many that will air on Netflix, with a 13 episode season planned so far. And, to be clear, Drew Goddard left the position of showrunner for Daredevil, but will remain on as an executive producer for now, handing the reigns over to Steven S DeKnight. Hopefully we’ll hear more on the other series (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders) in the coming weeks

Here’s the official word from the mouths of Marvel:

Marvel is proud to announce that acclaimed actor Charlie Cox has joined “Marvel’s Daredevil,” an all-new 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015. Best known for his acclaimed work in “Boardwalk Empire” and “Stardust,” Cox will play Matt Murdock, the lead role in this all-new Marvel Television series. Blinded as a young boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt Murdock fights against injustice by day as a lawyer, and by night as the super hero Daredevil in modern day Hell’s Kitchen, New York City.

Marvel’s first original series on Netflix is Executive Produced by series Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight (“Spartacus,” “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel”) and Drew Goddard (“Cabin in the Woods,” “Lost,” “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer,” in addition to writing the first two episodes of “Marvel’s Daredevil), along with Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Smallville,” “Heroes”).

“Marvel’s Daredevil” is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios.

Image: HBO