A Stylish Directorial Choice In Daredevil: Born Again Showcases Matt Murdock's Unique Powers

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the first episode of "Daredevil: Born Again."

Fans have spent a long, long time wondering how similar "Daredevil: Born Again" would ultimately end up being to the Netflix show ... but maybe we should've been asking how it would stand out, instead. Much has been made of the creative overhaul behind the scenes in order to transform Marvel's reunion series into one that carries over various elements from its prior incarnation. While that has resulted in the long-awaited returns of Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Matt Murdock's (Charlie Cox) fellow "avocadoes at law," the new creative team also surprised viewers with one unexpected addition. Those familiar with the Netflix shows probably assumed that they knew exactly how the Man Without Fear's powers would be depicted in this series. They were probably surprised to find out that directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead had one particularly dazzling trick up their sleeves to add a whole new wrinkle to Daredevil's super sense of hearing.

Although Foggy's untimely death in the opening fight sequence will likely take up all the headline space around the internet, it'd be a shame to let that overshadow a clever (and arguably rare) moment of visual ingenuity in a Marvel Cinematic Universe production. Benson and Moorhead, veterans of previous Marvel shows "Loki" season 2 and "Moon Knight," have always managed to bring a strong sense of flair to their various projects. That's no exception here, with the directing duo pulling out all the stops to make Matt's heightened abilities feel as refreshing as ever right from the opening scene. There are all the usual techniques, such as extreme and out-of-focus closeups to convey what he's concentrating on, or dropping out the sound altogether to zero in on something specific. But never before have we seen the actual aspect ratio of the screen expand and retract the way it does here, and it's one of the biggest highlights of the show so far.

Even as "Daredevil: Born Again" lulls viewers into a new season that initially lives up to everything that season 3 of Netflix's "Daredevil" set up, it doesn't take long for the show's most unique addition yet to flip everything on its head. The opening sequence takes us from the streets of Hell's Kitchen in front of the newly-christened law offices of Nelson, Murdock, & Page to the familiar confines of the local bar, Josie's (with the proprietor once again played by Susan Varon). It's here where we get a first taste of Matt's senses in action. When Foggy steps out to take a phone call from a client, all seems well ... until the aspect ratio unmistakably changes as Matt pays closer attention to the voice on the other end of the line.

Since this is our first clue that something is horribly amiss, resorting to such a dramatic tool — one not typically used in MCU productions outside of IMAX screenings — makes this hit all the harder. When Matt and Karen quickly follow Foggy to see what's wrong, it becomes clear that this is nothing more than a setup to put Foggy squarely in the bullseye of, well, Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). Yes, the entire action scene that follows after Foggy is left fighting for his life on the sidewalk came as a result of extensive reshoots. And, yes, it's quite apparent that this came together rather late in the game. (The use of smoke and other environmental effects particularly feel like measures used to cover up some iffy-looking digital effects.) But despite all that, it's equally undeniable that directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead spearheaded one of the most inspired twists on the "Daredevil" formula in a way that makes perfect sense for the story they were telling here.

Before the opening credits sequence even arrives (a whopping 15 minutes into the premiere, which certainly feels like one of the longest in the entire MCU), "Daredevil: Born Again" completely changes the game for viewers. Not only does the creative team put their own spin on Daredevil once Matt suits up in the horns and gets back into the fight to protect his friends from a rampaging Bullseye, but the same can certainly be said for poor ol' Foggy biting the bullet (almost literally, I must say). Fans were overjoyed to see images taken from the set showing Foggy, Karen, and Matt reunited in front of their dream office. (Similar set photos also confirmed the return of Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/Punisher, as well.) What nobody could've anticipated, however, was that this early scene would also be the last time all three were reunited.

As much as we're looking forward to seeing more of Matt's powers and his fighting techniques as the season progresses, wiping Foggy off the board at such an early juncture feels like an equally as massive statement. The time jump leaping forward a year later robs us of the opportunity to see exactly how Foggy's death devastates Matt and Karen, but the fact that she apparently moved to San Francisco while Matt started a new law firm with Kirsten McDuffie (newcomer Nikki M. James) tells us everything we need to know. And, most tellingly, we no longer see any aspect ratio changes as Matt once again leaves his Daredevil suit behind him in the wake of the tragedy.

Of course, it feels like only a matter of time before Daredevil returns — whether Matt likes it or not. If and when he does, we'll be curious to see if the series maintains the visual style it establishes in the early moments of the premiere.