A Key Daredevil: Born Again Scene References One Of The Greatest Crime Movies Ever

Two well-dressed adversaries sit opposite each other in a crowded diner, with the ostensible hero framed to the left and the villain to the right. They talk about their work lives, commiserate a little about how neither of them really fits into the traditional ideal of having a "regular-type life," and ultimately warn each other to stay in their own lane. There's a veneer of friendliness to their interaction, but it obscures their actual feelings about each other — and maybe even a whiff of homoeroticism. There's talk about their true natures, and a sense that they share a level of dedication to their jobs that's resulted in strained relationships. If these characters were hacky screenwriters, they might be prone to quote Belloq from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and literally say aloud the phrase, "We're not so different, you and I." There's a sense that even though they're on opposite sides of the law, they understand each other in a way that very few others ever could. And the fact that these two are meeting like this, in the most mundane setting imaginable, lends the scene an almost surreal quality; the audience almost can't believe this is really happening.

You know where this is going, right?

Naturally, that description applies to the tense meeting between Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) in the first episode of Marvel Studios' new show, "Daredevil: Born Again." But it's also a clear homage to one of the best crime thrillers in cinematic history: Michael Mann's 1995 classic, "Heat."

It's clear "Daredevil: Born Again" directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who previously worked with Marvel on "Moon Knight" and "Loki" season 2, did their homework when it came to this particular homage. The blocking, setting, and general vibe of their scene is very similar to Mann's masterpiece, and it's exciting to hear Murdock and Fisk verbally spar and set the table for what's sure to be an epic clash as the season progresses.

But as charged as the "Born Again" diner scene is, it can't hold a candle to the "Heat" confrontation. To be fair to "Daredevil," the "Heat" scene is ... well, calling it "one of the greatest movie moments of all time" might cause some of you to roll your eyes, and to some extent, I understand that, because "Heat" has become an obsession for film bros of a certain age. But it's probably in the conversation. Would it make the top five? Definitely not. But the top 50? Top 100? A case could be made.

There's an energy to Hanna and McCauley's connection, a crackling electricity that comes from them being face to face at a key moment in their story. Part of it is that this was the first time two acting legends, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, had actually been in a scene together, despite having appeared in "The Godfather Part II" decades earlier. With respect to Cox and D'Onofrio, even though they have more shared on-screen history, they aren't in the same ballpark as Pacino and De Niro, who are among the greatest American actors of all time. 

The other thing that elevates the scene is the combination of top-tier writing and the magic Pacino and De Niro bring to it: These characters are like two animals, poking and prodding and feeling each other out, and the performances are so good it sometimes feels like the two men are physically circling each other even though they remain seated the entire time. But while there's a little bit of posturing going on, there's a tangible vulnerability there, too. Each alpha male knows he's found his equal and is therefore willing to share a bit of himself that he wouldn't be caught dead telling anyone else, even those closest to him. Pacino, in particular, is lights out in this scene. There's a palpable sadness and exhaustion that he brings to Vincent Hanna, but you can tell by the micro-expressions on his face — the tiny flickers of a smile that he suppresses a few times during their chat — that he's enjoying himself, and that he genuinely respects McCauley's discipline.

Cox and D'Onofrio don't have the benefit of working from a script as layered as Mann's, but to be clear, they're both very good in their diner scene. You can tell emotions are boiling just under the surface for both characters, and they have enough of a history to know how to push the other's buttons without quite crossing a line they won't be able to uncross. If "Daredevil: Born Again" is going to pay homage to beloved moments from cinema history, there are certainly worse movies than "Heat" to nod to.