The ex-‘Daredevil’ showrunner criticizes Disney for renaming series, like ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ to reset contract terms

Steven DeKnight, widely recognized for his role as the showrunner during the first season of Netflix’s highly acclaimed “Daredevil” series, has recently taken to social media to raise concerns about what he perceives as a potentially deceptive practice being employed by Disney in relation to its upcoming reboot series, “Daredevil: Born Again” (as reported by Entertainment Weekly). This 18-episode series is generating buzz due to its exciting return of Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Jon Bernthal, who had originally portrayed Daredevil, Kingpin, and Punisher, respectively, in the original Netflix series.

DeKnight’s criticism centers on a practice he believes Disney is using, which he refers to as an “old Disney scam.” According to him, this involves slightly altering the name of a series to effectively reset contract terms back to those of the first season. He firmly believes that this issue should be addressed and resolved by all the relevant guilds and unions involved in the entertainment industry.

In DeKnight’s view, the concern is not creative; he looks forward to watching “Born Again” and fully supports the new creative team. Instead, his primary issue is with the perceived contractual maneuver. He finds it problematic that Disney can essentially rebrand a series with a new name and, from a contractual standpoint, claim it to be an entirely different show, even when it features the same lead actors and the same characters.

DeKnight made it clear that he has immense respect and admiration for Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, both of whom are reprising their iconic roles. However, he finds it objectionable that Disney can seemingly avoid compensating the original creatives involved in the production of the series by declaring it a complete reboot.

As for the status of “Daredevil: Born Again,” it was initially scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in the spring of 2024. However, production on the show came to an indefinite halt in June due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike. Subsequently, the show has remained in a state of limbo due to the ongoing strikes involving SAG-AFTRA. These strikes continue to impact various aspects of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. Presently, Matt Corman and Chris Ord are serving as the showrunners for the new series.

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