It’s no secret that the canonicity of Marvel Entertainment’s output before Disney+ has been the topic of some of the most contentious discussions in the MCU. When discussing official Marvel canon, references to the former Charlie Cox-led show have been the most common.

Fans of Daredevil’s previous run are ecstatic to see him return. Since Charlie Cox has already portrayed the beloved comic book hero on Netflix, it’s only fitting that he reprise his role. While Marvel’s Studios’ Daredevil has recently been thrust back into the limelight, his Netflix outings have prompted many fans to wonder whether they are canon.

Daredevil’s Canon Controversy Explained

The events of Daredevil on Netflix may or may not have occurred to THIS version of the hero. However, Charlie Cox, who plays Matt Murdock/Daredevil on the show, has weighed in with his thoughts on the matter.

Cox was questioned in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter whether this Matt Murdock was the same as the one shown in Daredevil on Netflix.  However, Cox said that he didn’t know. To explain his inability to provide specifics, he affirmed that he hasn’t yet seen any screenplays so far.

“I honestly don’t know. I haven’t really gotten to that point with the writers of our next ‘Daredevil’ show. So I haven’t read any scripts yet, and we haven’t really talked at length about what this current iteration will be like.”

Nonetheless, he did say that it was obvious that there will be both similarities and distinctions.

“Just by the fact that they’re using me as an actor to play the part, it’s clear that there are going to be some consistencies and there are also going to be some differences. What they are and how we integrate the two is going to be the challenge of the new show. These things are really complicated, and obviously, opinions are always divided. What people like is always varied, but we have an opportunity to at least take what worked really well and then also add some cool elements, ideas, concepts and themes that we weren’t able to do before. So it’s Daredevil, but upgraded.”

Later, The Hollywood Reporter said that Marvel could have it both ways. Here’s what the actor responded:

“I think so, yeah. I’m just so thrilled to be included that I’m also keeping quiet. We’re making noise, but I like to let everyone else do their jobs.”

The Canon Question Is Yet To Be Answered

Does Daredevil on Netflix count as official canon? That said, we don’t know, and it seems that won’t change for some time.

However, it’s amusing to see that neither Cox nor Marvel seems concerned with providing a satisfactory response to this pressing issue. The actor portraying Daredevil seems just pleased to be back in the role, regardless of whether or not this is a continuation of his previous portrayals of the hero. He enjoys getting back into character.

So far, Marvel’s treatment of the returning characters as a whole suggests selective canonization. Simply said, anything is canon unless it directly contradicts the established MCU continuity. Adding Marvel Studios’ Daredevil into the mix hasn’t shown any major inconsistencies just yet, so the solution is still up in the air.

It’s safe to assume that the already heated debate on this topic will only become hotter. Sadly, Daredevil: Born Again may be the only way to settle the great MCU canon dispute once and for all.