Charlie Cox Was Happy To Explore Daredevil's Lighter Side In She-Hulk

Marvel's Netflix shows are far from perfect. Their seasons tend to run too long, they often lean on Orientalist tropes, and some of them feature Danny Rand (I kid... but not really). At the same time, they boast stunning action scenes, are refreshingly adult in terms of their tone and content, and benefit from top-notch casting. That includes Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, which is part of why viewers were excited to see the actor reprise his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper with his cameo in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

The Man Without Fear's subsequent appearance on "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," however, has proven more divisive. It's understandable; after watching Cox's superhero wrestle with his Catholic faith while leading dual lives as a lawyer and vigilante for years, seeing him crack jokes while flirting and casually hooking up with Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) might come as a bit of a shock to some people. But it also makes perfect sense. The absurd, fourth wall-shattering comedy "She-Hulk" is a far cry from the gritty crime drama that is "Daredevil," so it only stands to reason the former series would showcase a lighter side of Hell's Kitchen's famed protector.

Speaking to Variety, Cox said he enjoyed getting to "explore the levity" of the "Daredevil" comic books for the first time, noting that the character's Netflix show "never really had an opportunity" to do so. He added:

"Obviously, Daredevil, at his core, works better as a show that's geared toward a more mature audience, but even life that is very serious has comedic moments in it. I felt like this was a really good opportunity to put Daredevil in a world where tonally there is a lot more fun to be had, it's a lot more lighthearted, tongue in cheek."

The many sides of Daredevil

Daredevil, it ought to be pointed out, is far from the only superhero reframed in a more comedic light on "She-Hulk." Whereas a film like "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" presents Wong (Benedict Wong) as an accomplished Sorcerer Supreme tasked with making life-or-death decisions, the version of the character seen on "She-Hulk" spends much of his free time catching up on his favorite TV shows. He's also a real fish out of water navigating the hazardous waters of the American legal system, in spite of his expertise when it comes to the Mystic Arts.

"She-Hulk" similarly presents Matt Murdock as a sharp-witted attorney and acrobatic martial artist who's naturally out of his element battling ridiculous vigilantes like Leap-Frog in the ninja-free streets of Los Angeles with Jennifer. Cox commented on this to Variety, stating:

"It was a really great experiment, both for me and for the character, to see how we fit into that world. It was just a question of freeing up a little bit and allowing myself as an actor to go toe-to-toe with Tatiana and make sure that Daredevil didn't become the butt of the joke because he's overly serious, to make sure he had his charisma, charm, and wits."

It's also safe to assume the upcoming MCU series "Daredevil: Born Again" will depict Daredevil in a darker and more serious light than "She-Hulk" does, though not to the same degree as the character's Netflix show, in keeping with other Marvel Studios titles exclusive to Disney+. The key, it would seem, will be finding a happy middle-ground between the tone of Netflix's series (where Matt is regularly beaten physically and emotionally) and "She-Hulk" (where Matt gets smashed in a good way).

"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" is now streaming on Disney+.