After releasing a teaser yesterday that really didn’t reveal much of anything other than a shot of the Man without Fear, Marvel released a complete minute-and-a-half trailer to whet fans’ appetites in anticipation of Netflix’s Marvel’s Daredevil series premiering in April. And if those scants 90 seconds are any indication of what’s to come, then comic book readers of attorney Matt Murdock’s double-life will finally see an adaptation of his tale done right. (Sorry, Affleck fans.) While the trailer was chock-full of more violence than a Tuesday afternoon in Hell’s Kitchen, we caught a few other nods to Daredevil’s 51 year history that seem to have made their way into the series.

See No Evil

Throughout the trailer, Matt Murdock, played by Boardwalk Empire’s Chris Cox, is alternately seen and heard confessing his sins to a Catholic priest, specifically about some act of violence he’s intending to commit. Further, he makes other references to his life that suggests he’s wrestling with moral certitude. Catholicism and the idea of the good have always been intricately linked with the Daredevil character. He’s been shown in many tales allying himself with various men of the cloth, looking for sanctuary or advice. In addition, Matt finds out later in life that after his mother left him and his father that she entered a convent and became a nun. The dimensions of Matt as a lapsed Catholic and an attorney and a vigilante have always been tropes and ideas that various Daredevil writers have played with over the years, and it looks like the Netflix series will follow suit.

Miyagi to his Daniel

Midway through the trailer, we get a glimpse at what appears to be a blind man in an elevator, wizened face and wearing a ball cap. This most likely will be Daredevil’s one-time mentor Stick, who took a young Matt Murdock under his wing to teach the future superhero how to use the radar sense he acquired after an accident left Matt blind. Stick is a sarcastic jackass, but he fights on the side of light, most often against a death cult of ninjas known as the Hand. Anytime ninjas crop up in Daredevil’s world, there’s bound to be kickassery-a-plenty. Here’s hoping that Stick’s appearance is a hint that the Hand—and maybe Daredevil’s sometimes girlfriend and stone-cold assassin Elektra—will make an appearance.

A Back to Crime

We get to see actor Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime and Daredevil’s opposite number! Okay, we just see the back of his head and body, but if there were ever any questions whether D’Onofrio had the physical presence to pull off the Kingpin’s imposing frame, this shot should put those quibbles to rest. Also, if you’ve seen The Cell with D’Onofrio and Jennifer Lopez, you know that the dude can look all types of scary. (Yes, I saw The Cell. Stop judging me.)

On His Radar

As mentioned, the same accident that blinded a young Matt Murdock also gave him a radar sense, in which his remaining senses are heightened and let him “see” the world around him. Toward the end of the trailer, Matt-as-Daredevil stands atop a city roof while we hear a cacophony of static and noise sharpening into a single thought, suggesting that ol’ hornhead was using his radar to find something or someone in the city. I hope that this means that the show’s creators are going to play with the cinematic possibilities available to really sell Daredevil’s superhuman ability.

Daredvil Smash!

It’s been pointed out before, but it can’t be pointed out enough: Daredevil’s outfit in the trailer is almost exactly like the outfit the character wore in the TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk. That same outfit made a later appearance in writer Frank Miller’s Daredevil: The Man without Fear miniseries retelling the origin of Matt Murdock’s foray into superheroics. While the black outfit is cool and all, and probably makes better sense for a superhero operating at night to wear, here’s hoping we see Daredevil’s traditional red outfit sometime during the first season.

The first full season of Marvel’s Daredevil, starring Charlie Cox, Rosario Dawson, and Vincent D’Onofrio, hits Netflix on April 10th. To keep you sated until then, here’s a clip of the Man without Fear fighting the Kingpin in the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon. ABSORB THE NOSTALGIA!

About The Author

Managing Editor

Jed W. Keith is managing editor for FreakSugar and has been a writer with the site since its start in 2014. He’s a pop culture writer, social media coordinator, PR writer, and technical and educational writer for a variety of companies and organizations. Currently, Jed writes for FreakSugar, coordinates social media for Rocketship Entertainment and GT Races, and writes press copy and pop culture articles for a variety of companies and outlets. His work can also be seen in press releases for the Master Musicians Festival, a Kentucky event that drawn acts such as Willie Nelson, the Counting Crows, Steve Earle, and Wynona Judd. His work was featured in the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con convention book for his interview with comic creator Mike Mignola about the 25th anniversary of the first appearance of Hellboy. Jed also does his best to educate the next generation of pop culture enthusiasts, teaching social studies classes--including History Through Film--to high school students.