Daredevil (film)

''Daredevil'' is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson, based on the Marvel Comics
character of the same name, created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett. The film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and on the streets of New York as the masked vigilante Daredevil. Jennifer Garner plays his love interest Elektra Natchios; Colin Farrell plays the merciless assassin Bullseye; David Keith plays Jack "The Devil" Murdock, a washed up fighter and Matt's father; and Michael Clarke Duncan plays Wilson Fisk, the crime lord also known as the Kingpin.

The film began development in 1997 at 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, before New Regency acquired the rights in 2000. Johnson shot the film primarily in Downtown Los Angeles despite the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan setting of the film and comics. Rhythm and Hues Studios were hired to handle the film's CGI. Graeme Revell composed the ''Daredevil'' score, which was released on CD in March 2003, whereas the various artists' soundtrack album, '' Daredevil: The Album'', was released in February.

''Daredevil'' was released on February 14, 2003. It received generally mixed reviews from critics, with praise aimed at the action sequences, acting performances, soundtrack, storyline, visual style and stunts, but criticism for its perceived lack of ambition, while they were divided on Affleck's performance. Nevertheless, the film became the second-biggest February release to that time and went on to a worldwide total gross of $179.2 million against a production budget of $78 million.

In 2004, an R-rated director's cut of ''Daredevil'' was released, reincorporating approximately 30 minutes of the film, and reviews were more positive than for the theatrical version. A spin-off film, '' Elektra'', was released in 2005 to critical and commercial failure. Daredevil was rebooted as a Netflix television series from 2015–2018.

Plot

As a child, young Matt Murdock is accidentally blinded by toxic chemicals shortly after witnessing his father —washed-up prizefighter Jack "The Devil" Murdock — extorting money for local mobster Fallon. Despite losing his sight, Matt’s remaining senses are dramatically enhanced, giving him superhuman agility and sonar-like hearing. Feeling responsible for his son’s accident, Jack is inspired to give up on his life of crime and recommit to his boxing career, leading to a dramatic comeback. Later, after Fallon reveals that he enabled Jack’s comeback by bribing his previous opponents to let him win, he attempts to bribe Jack to throw his next match, and has him murdered once he refuses.

Years later, an adult Matt works as an attorney in Hell’s Kitchen with his friend Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, providing legal representation ''pro bono'' to clients whom he believes are actually innocent. By night, Matt fights crime as the costumed vigilante "Daredevil". Ben Urich, a ''New York Post'' reporter who chronicles Daredevil’s exploits, attracts attention for a series of articles on "The Kingpin", a shadowy underworld figure who allegedly controls all of New York’s organized crime. Unbeknownst to Urich, the Kingpin is actually Wilson Fisk, a brutal mobster who poses as a legitimate businessman.

Matt falls in love with Elektra Natchios, a Greek-American woman skilled in martial arts, unaware that she’s the daughter of Fisk’s lieutenant Nikolas Natchios. Later, when Natchios attempts to end his relationship with Fisk, Fisk hires Bullseye — a hitman with preternatural aim — to kill him. When Daredevil unsuccessfully attempts to save Natchios from assassination, Bullseye manages to frame Daredevil for his murder by stealing his opponent’s distinctive baton and impaling Natchios with it. Afterward, Urich deduces that Matt is Daredevil after realizing that he disguises his baton as a white cane.

Believing Daredevil to be responsible for her father’s murder, Elektra attempts to take revenge by killing him. Meanwhile, Fisk assigns Bullseye to kill Elektra. The latter tracks Daredevil down and challenges him to a fight, before incapacitating him by stabbing him through the shoulder. Daredevil protests that he didn’t kill her father, but Elektra does not believe him until she forcibly unmasks him and realizes that he’s Matt. Moments later, when Bullseye tracks Elektra down, Matt is forced to watch helplessly as Bullseye kills her.

Wounded, Matt takes refuge in a church, but he is ambushed by Bullseye, who exploits his weakness to loud sound. When the police swarm the church, Bullseye reveals that Kingpin was the one who killed Matt’s father, and that his calling card is a rose Matt found in his father’s body. Soon, Matt gains the upper hand and throws Bullseye from the bell tower after an NYPD sniper shoots him through both hands, depriving him of his powerful aim.

Determined to avenge Elektra, Matt ambushes Fisk in his office. In the ensuing fight, he is nearly overcome by Fisk’s brute strength, but he ultimately wins by taking advantage of his sonar hearing, which allows him to see Fisk after he’s drenched in rain from a broken window. In the course of their confrontation, Fisk answers Matt’s question as to when he killed Jack on Fallon’s orders, making him responsible for the deaths of the two people Matt loved the most. As the police arrive to arrest Fisk, he threatens to reveal Daredevil’s identity to the world, but Matt points out that no one will ever believe that Daredevil is a blind man.

Some time after Elektra’s death, Matt visits the spot where the two of them first kissed, and unexpectedly finds Elektra’s necklace that has her name engraved upon it in braille, hinting that Elektra might still be alive.

Urich prepares to publish an article revealing Daredevil’s identity, but he chooses not to publish it at the last minute, coming to believe that Daredevil’s efforts have made the city better. Elsewhere, Bullseye wakes up at a hospital, and kills a fly with a syringe needle, implying he has not lost his perfect aim yet.

Cast

* Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock / Daredevil:
An attorney-at-law who was blinded as a youth in an accident with bio-waste that drastically heightened his remaining senses and gave him a "sonar-sense", which allowed him to perceive his surroundings, and makes a silent promise with his father to "stick up for the long shots". His father is killed not long after and at that moment, he vows to seek justice. At night, he becomes a devil-modeled vigilante who takes justice into his hands. Affleck was cast in October 2001. Vin Diesel was considered to portray Daredevil before him, but he opted to take a role in another film. In a February 2011 interview, Guy Pearce said that he was offered the role but turned it down, stating that "comic-strip stuff isn't really my cup of tea, really." Matt Damon also revealed that he was offered the role. He claimed that he and Ben "loved that comic book but I just didn't quite believe in the script or the director at the time." Matthew Davis and Colin Farrell, (who would play Bullseye in the final product), were also considered until Affleck signed. As a fan, Affleck made sure he had read every single issue of ''Daredevil'', commenting that it was about taking what he knew as a fan and faithfully getting it on the screen. Joe Quesada considered it "serendipity in action" that Affleck is the lead role, as when he and Kevin Smith did the ''Guardian Devil'' series, they had modeled it on Affleck. Affleck said Daredevil was his favorite comic book as a child, and explained why he took the role by saying "Everybody has that one thing from childhood that they remember and that sticks with them. This story was that for me." Additionally, he said, "I didn't want someone else to do it, because I was afraid that they would go out and do it different from the comic and screw it up."
** Scott Terra as Young Matt Murdock:
As a youth, he has trouble with local bullies and a close bond with his father. This changes in different ways after the accident. Terra was officially announced as a part of the cast in March 2002.
* Jennifer Garner as Elektra Natchios:
The daughter of billionaire Nikolas Natchios and the love interest of Matt Murdock. At a very young age, she witnessed the murder of her mother, and since then her father has had her become highly trained in martial arts. For the role of Elektra, many actresses were looked into with considerations including Kate Winslet, Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Natalie Portman, Lucy Liu, Jessica Alba, and Katie Holmes. A short-list was eventually made, giving the choices of Jennifer Garner, Jolene Blalock, Mía Maestro and Rhona Mitra, with Garner finally becoming the actress to land the role. Garner said of the character, "I think she's strong and cool and beautiful and smart. She'd be a good role model." Garner noted the costume would be different, as Elektra in comics often wears red satin but in the film wears black leather. Garner explained, " e red would never have worked for hiding a harness, and I know this sounds ridiculous, but you have to protect your skin a little bit. They throw me around so much on the rooftop hatI got cut through the leather, so imagine if I hadn't had anything." Garner would reprise her role in the 2005 film '' Elektra''.
* Michael Clarke Duncan as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin:
By appearance, he is an overweight corporate head that takes the name Wilson Fisk, but in fact he is the sole person running organized crime, under the moniker of Kingpin. Kingpin is the murderer of Matt's father, and the man responsible for the hiring of Bullseye, with the intention of having the Natchios family murdered. Michael Clarke Duncan signed on for the role in January 2002, though he had been attached far earlier. When Duncan was cast, he weighed 290 pounds. He was asked to gain 40 pounds for the role in order to fit the physique of Kingpin. In order to do this, he would lift weights for 30 minutes a day, and power-lifted with one or two reps a day, as well as eating whatever he wanted. Duncan's biggest concern was that he was black, while Kingpin has always been portrayed as white. Also, Duncan provided the voice for Kingpin in '' Spider-Man: The New Animated Series''. He spoke on the fan's loyalty to the source material by saying "they watch movies to say, 'Hey, that's not like the comic book.' But I want them to get past that and just see the movie for what it is and see me for what I am—an actor."
* Colin Farrell as Bullseye:
An assassin with perfect accuracy and deep-rooted pride of it who is hired by Kingpin to kill Nikolas and Elektra Natchios, but when Daredevil gets involved and causes him to miss his target, he makes it his own personal vendetta to take Daredevil down. Farrell was attached to the role in December 2001. Mark Steven Johnson credits Joe Quesada with talking him out of using the traditional Bullseye costume for the film, and Farrell was encouraged to keep his Irish accent as this version of Bullseye is from Ireland. Farrell had to read Frank Miller's ''Daredevil'' comics to understand Bullseye "because the expression on the character's faces in the comic books, and just the way they move sometimes, and the exaggerations of the character I'm playing ..he's so over-the-top that you do draw from that. But it's not exactly a character you can do method acting for ... you know, running around New York killing people with paper clips."
* Jon Favreau as Franklin "Foggy" Nelson:
Matt Murdock's legal partner and best friend, he is also used as a form of comic relief. Favreau joined the cast in February 2002. Favreau would later go on to direct the Marvel-produced ''Iron Man'' and its sequel, ''Iron Man 2'' while also appearing as Happy Hogan.
* Joe Pantoliano as Ben Urich:
An investigative journalist whose articles notably relate to Daredevil, and the Kingpin. During the film, he goes on to uncover a lot of information about the two. Pantoliano was cast in March 2002. Urich works for the ''New York Post'', rather than the ''Daily Bugle'' as in the comics, because the film rights to the ''Bugle'' were held by Sony Pictures at that time.
* David Keith as Jack Murdock:
Father of Matt Murdock and a boxer, he is murdered by the Kingpin when he does not take a fall for a fight. Keith was officially announced as a part of the cast in March 2002.
* Leland Orser as Wesley Owen Welch:
The number two of Wilson Fisk, but he does not like to be involved in the activities of the Kingpin. Orser previously co-starred with Jon Favreau in 1998 in ''Very Bad Things''.
* Lennie Loftin as Detective Nick Manolis:
A NYPD cop who considers Daredevil an urban legend. Loftin would later appear as a minor villain in '' Logan''.
* Erick Avari as Nikolas Natchios:
The father of Elektra, who is murdered by Bullseye on behalf of the Kingpin.
* Ellen Pompeo as Karen Page:
The secretary at Matt Murdock and Franklin Nelson's law firm.
* Derrick O'Connor as Father Everett:
A priest of Matt Murdock's local church, where he sometimes goes to find solace.

Stan Lee, Frank Miller, and Kevin Smith, each notable for their work on the ''Daredevil'' comics, also have cameo roles throughout the film with the latter playing a forensics assistant named "Jack Kirby". Paul Ben-Victor portrays Jose Quesada, a criminal Daredevil hunts who is named after Joe Quesada. Mark Margolis has an uncredited role as Eddie Fallon, a mobster who once employed Fisk as a hitman. Claudine Farrell, Colin Farrell's sister and personal assistant on the film, has an uncredited vocal cameo as Heather Glenn on Matt Murdock's answering machine and cameos in the pub scene. Josie DiVincenzo portrays Josie, a character from the comics who is the owner of Josie's Bar, a regular hangout in Hell's Kitchen. The director's cut version also features Coolio as Dante Jackson and features Jude Ciccolella in a sub-plot removed from the theatrical version. Tanoai Reed appears uncredited as a thug in Josie's Bar.

Production

Development

In 1997, 20th Century Fox optioned the rights from Marvel Enterprises, and Chris Columbus was chosen to direct the film. In 1998, Marvel was facing bankruptcy. During this time 20th Century Fox allowed the option to expire, so Disney, who later went to purchase Marvel's rights to all of its property in 2012, began negotiations in order to acquire the rights. In 1999, the negotiations failed to work out so Marvel set the project up with Columbia Pictures. During this time, Chris Columbus and Carlo Carlei co-wrote a script together, before Mark Steven Johnson got signed to write the screenplay. By 2000, Sony decided to cancel the project, as the two companies reportedly could not come to an agreement over Internet rights.

New Regency entered negotiations with a more satisfying offer, attaining the character rights from Marvel in 2000 to produce the film, with 20th Century Fox handling the distribution. Mark Steven Johnson was rehired and his script was turned in during 2001, which was praised by Ain't It Cool News' Harry Knowles. Prior to shooting, producer Gary Foster said that in comparison to other comic book-based films before it, this film would be "more character-driven ... darker ... edgier," while Marvel Studios executive Kevin Feige felt the script was one of the strongest comic scripts Marvel had received.

Filming

Filming began March 2002. Fox wanted to start filming in Canada in order to save money. This plan was contended by Johnson, and the film's cinematographer, Ericson Core, after they found a preferred area for shooting around downtown Los Angeles' Arcade Building. Core noted that the appeal came from the "beautiful, old brick buildings and great rooftops," which they felt was perfect for a depiction of Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, in comparison to the studio's choice where the filming would be done in Montreal or Vancouver. Due to their insistence, coupled with Ben Affleck's disinterest in filming in Canada (after having filmed there for his previous film, '' The Sum of All Fears'') they were able to change the studio's mind.

When the look of the film was being decided, Mark Steven Johnson opted to use direct scenes from the ''Daredevil'' comics. Joe Quesada's artistic take in ''Guardian Devil'' (''Daredevil'' vol. 2, #1–#8) was an influence on the film, with Johnson noting that they would "literally take out a scene from the comic book that Joe did ..Here's Daredevil on the cross, you know, it's that scene from 'Guardian Devil'. You just shoot that." Throughout the film, Ben Affleck had to wear "cataract milky-blue" contacts, which would effectively make him blind. This was considered great by Johnson, as it would aid his performance.

The sound plays an integral part in the film, as the superhero relies on it in order to form his 'sonar sense'. Post-production sound was done by supervising sound editor John Larsen and sound designer Steve Boeddeker and is heard taking place immediately after Matt's optic nerve is seen mutating. The mutating of the nerve was done by Rhythm and Hues Studios, who also worked on the sonar-sense which became referred to as the "shadow world". Shadow world was made using just CGI except in a scene where Elektra and Matt Murdock are in the rain, which was done using CGI over film.

Music

The soundtrack to the film, '' Daredevil: The Album'', was released in February 2003.
The score to ''Daredevil'' was written by Graeme Revell, and released on March 4, 2003. He was attracted to the focus of "human-ness" on Daredevil, torn emotionally and physically by his superhero status. Avi Arad asked Revell to concentrate more on the emotions of Daredevil and Elektra, while Mark Steven Johnson wanted to stay clear from any gothic and action movie clichés. Revell tried to avoid too much individual motifs but some characters would have an identifiable sound, like Bullseye would have guitar undertones, while Kingpin would have bass beats. Guitarist Mike Einziger of Incubus collaborated with Revell for any additional rock elements. Revell thoroughly enjoyed working with Johnson, describing the director as "positive" and "responsive" when it came to experimenting (as opposed to feeling "locked in a box of preconceptions") which he felt led to "cool stuff". Varèse Sarabande put together the score record.

"Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence featuring Paul McCoy, won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 46th Grammy Awards. The song was nominated in the category for Best Rock Song at the same event but lost to "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes. "Bring Me to Life" won an award for Choice Music Rock Track at the Teen Choice Awards in 2004. At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards the band was nominated in the category for Best New Artist for "Bring Me to Life". The song was nominated at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Song. At the 14th annual Billboard Music Awards, it won the award for Soundtrack Single of the Year. The song ranked number 69 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s.

Marketing

Aside from expected TV commercials during such TV hits as ''Friends'' and ''Law & Order'', as well as one in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXXVII, there was also a tie-in with Kraft, an in-store promotion at Wal-Mart, a marketing campaign with Hamilton Watch Company, who designed the watch Matt wears in the film, and a weeklong ''Daredevil'' segment on ''Entertainment Tonight''. As part of an online form of marketing, a viral e-mail drive was started, where participants would be entered in a contest where they could win prizes such as ''Daredevil'' T-shirts, Game Boy Advance games, and cufflinks. To enter the drawing, the user had to book tickets for the film online, then pass an e-mail on to someone else. The idea was to encourage online ticket booking, which at the time was seen as a growing trend.

Video game

The Game Boy Advance '' Daredevil'' game was released on February 14, 2003, and was created by Encore, a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation.

Release

Censorship

Due to the film's violent scenes, the Film Censorship Board of Malaysia banned ''Daredevil'' in that country. 20th Century Fox unsuccessfully appealed to Malaysia's censorship board to change its decision, hoping to release the film in Malaysia on February 27, 2003. The deputy prime minister told the press films were banned if containing what the board felt was "excessive violence and sexual material or elements which can create chaos in the community".

Reception

Box office

The film opened theatrically on February 14, 2003, on 3,471 screens in North America and took first place in its opening weekend, grossing $40.3 million. At the time, it became the second-biggest February release, behind ''Hannibal''. By the second weekend the film saw a 55.1% decline in takings but managed to maintain the number one spot, beating new release '' Old School'' by $639,093. By the third weekend, ''Daredevil'' saw a further 38.5% drop in sales, and so fell to third place at the box office. The film grossed $102.5 million in North America, and $76.6 million in the rest of the world, totalling the film's worldwide takings at just $179.2 million, grossing over double its budget of $78 million. Avi Arad addressed the top spot success by saying "we are five for five with record-breaking box office successes Blade_

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