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Daredevil: Born Again has "elements of The Sopranos" says showrunner (And we're not just talking about Michael Gandolfini)

Michael Gandolfini's father James famously brought Tony Soprano to life, as did Michael in The Many Saints of Newark. But the Gandolfini name isn't the only thing Daredevil: Born Again has in common with The Sopranos, and showrunner Dario Scardapane explains why

What was your favorite part of the Daredevil: Born Again trailer? Seeing Karen and Foggy back? Your first glimpse at White Tiger? For me, it was seeing Michael Gandolfini, whose performance in The Many Saints of Newark as a young Tony Soprano I personally loved. I was thrilled to see a familiar face, and now, thanks to Born Again's showrunner, I'm excited to look for even more connective tissue between Marvel's return to Hell's Kitchen and one of my favorite crime stories.

Speaking recently with SFX Magazine, Daredevil showrunner Dario Scardapane spoke to the differences between the upcoming Disney+ series and the place where it all began, on Netflix in 2015. 

"I really feel that Netflix's Daredevil," Scardapane said, "which I know in my blood, was much more noir, and this show is more New York crime story [...] It has elements of The Sopranos and King Of New York. There's a feeling for those classic '90s crime tales."

Two great crime stories indeed, Dario, though we do feel the need to remind you that The Sopranos takes place mostly in New Jersey, not New York. Still, what makes The Sopranos so great is its lead character, Tony, famously played by both actor James Gandolfini in the original series and, 15 years after the show ended, his son Michael.

What we don't know, however, is whether Michael will play a character similar to Tony. In the credits, Gandolfini is listed as someone called "Daniel Blade," whose alignment with Daredevil and/or Wilson Fisk is yet to be understood. An unconfirmed rumor said that Blade will be a part of Fisk's mayoral campaign, but whether that's true remains to be seen.

One thing we do know, thanks to Scardapane, is that Daredevil: Born Again will feature darkness at least comparable to The Sopranos. "[The show]," he says, "has a pace and a scope that, for a lot of reasons, Netflix wasn't able to do. They were very dark, cinematically, not necessarily story-wise, although there were some dark elements. We're much darker."

Daredevil: Born Again (starring Michael Gandolfini) debuts on Disney+ March 4.


Consider this a meta post-credits scene for Marvel fans - the four key articles you need to read next to continue the thrills:

 

Grant DeArmitt

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. As Popverse's Staff Writer, he criss-crosses the pop culture landscape bringing you the news and opinions about the big things (and the next big things). In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.

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