One might not think of the fizzy Disney kids show The Suite Life of Zach & Cody with the Netflix’s beloved, bloody superhero show Daredevil, but the latter’s former executive producer Steven DeKnight has done just that on social media.
As reported, Charlie Cox is reprising as blind lawyer Matt Murdock and his vigilante alter ego Daredevil in a new series, Daredevil: Born Again, bound for Disney+. Cox will be joined by another fan favorite, Vincent D’Onofrio, who played Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in the Netflix series before coming into the Disney/Marvel Studios fold in Hawkeye.
While the Netflix series was clearly R-rated, Born Again is thought to be a more family-friendly version of the superhero show, but Stephen DeKnight said that’s not his gripe, the title change is.
DeKnight said changing the series’ name to Born Again is some contract trickery: He pointed to how The Suite Life was rebranded The Suite Life on Deck, but it wasn’t just the show’s setting to a cruise ship that changed.
DeKnight called it “an old Disney scam where they slightly rename a series to reset contract terms back to first season.” He griped about “Disney’s history of slightly changing a show’s title, retaining the main cast, but calling it a new show or a reBoot to avoid bumping the crew’s pay.”
DeKnight also added, “From what I understand, I’m not going to see a penny from Daredevil: Born Again because they added the ‘Born Again’ and can claim it’s a completely different show. You know, with the exact same two lead actors (who I love!) playing Daredevil and Fisk.”
That said, DeKnight is “over the moon” Cox and D’Onofrio weren’t recast. He said he “can’t wait” to see the forthcoming 18-episode series.
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