The Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't gone as smooth as many perceive. While the main movie canon has been fairly consistent outside of a couple of recasts, it’s TV spin-offs are less stable. For example, Daredevil and the rest of The Defenders.
Marvel's TV shows, from the aforementioned Defenders to Agents of Shield, have played coy with canon. On one hand, they don't inherently interfere with established lore. On the other hand, they don't necessarily play with it, and contracts and rights may kill any chance they have of being canon. It’s confusing, and even creators of Marvel shows are confused.
Is Daredevil canon in the MCU?
After leaks showing the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel boss Kevin Feige revealed that actor Charlie Cox would revise his once-Netflix exclusive role. However, it's not clear whether or not this is the same version as that Netflix show.
Feige was still vague on the subject. Without revealing any details, the Marvel boss revealed that if the character turns up, Charlie Cox would be the actor to play him. However, he concluded: “Where we see that, how we see that, when we see that, remains to be seen."
After the announcement, Daredevil TV show director Steven DeKnight was asked if the show was MCU canon. On Twitter, one fan asked: I'm so confused, are we to take your original Daredevil and the rest of Defenders as part of the MCU, or is this like Amy on The Osbournes where we blur it out of all family photos?”
In a swift response, the director simply revealed: “No idea!”. As it turns out, the TV show director is in the exact same boat that we are. What a time to be alive.
Read More: Spider-Man: No Way Home’s original villain was far less cool than the Sinister Six
Is MCU canon becoming shaky?
With a franchise with as many entries as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise's canon is more stable than some others. Like other massive interconnected universes, like Star Wars or Halo, there's always going to be some slips.
However, for as young as the MCU is, there's already been a hearty selection of canon shows that are seemingly no longer canon. It's a shame; Daredevil and The Punisher were honestly some of the best parts of the MCU.
Nevertheless, the MCU will keep going, likely for decades. If the canon is shaky now, it'll be extremely entertaining to see how it ends up in the next couple of decades.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!