Marvel's 'Daredevil' Is Set In Modern Day
With Charlie Cox now cast as Marvel's Daredevil, things about the show are coming into focus. Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus) is the new showrunner. With his Matt Murdock in place, the revelation was made that the show – which will be comprised of 13-episodes airing on Netflix in 2015 – will be set in "modern day Hell's Kitchen, New York City." That ends all speculation this would be a period show, and also puts it in direct contact with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Read more about the Daredevil time period below.
After the trade confirmation of Cox being cast, Marvel.com posted their own statement with this crucial piece of info:
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.
Again, much speculation had been made about all the Marvel Netflix shows potentially being set in the Sixties or Seventies, because that time period is when Daredevil, Iron Fist and Luke Cage were all introduced. (Jessica Jones came around much later). Plus, a period feel would distinguish these shows from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic, and television, universes which now includes Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter. (Agent Carter will be a period-set story, however.)
If Daredevil is set in the modern day, all of the other shows pretty much have to be set there too. The four Netflix shows are building to The Defenders, and unless there's some time travel, they'd need to be happening simultaneously for that to work. Plus, as we know from the Marvel Studios movies, modern day New York City is a post-Avengers world. The "Battle of New York" literally changed the world and maybe The Defenders were either created by this need for superheroes to defend humanity, or as a result of it.
Are you surprised Daredevil will be set in modern day? How does that bode for the connectivity of the Marvel universe?