Marvel’s horned superhero, Daredevil, created by the legendary Stan Lee and Bill Everett, hasn’t exactly been the most popular character on screen when it comes to live-action adaptations. That’s partly due to the smallnumber of efforts that attempted to popularize Matt Murdock, the man behind the suit, and his alter ego. But mixed reception to the acting of those chosen to portray the iconic comic book hero also contributed to that lack of popularity.
The first attempt came in the late 1980s, on the coattails of creator Kenneth Johnson’s popular TV show, “The Incredible Hulk,” starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as Dr. David Banner and the Hulk, running for five seasons between 1977 and 1982. Daredevil (played by Rex Smith) was introduced in the TV movie, “The Trial of the Incredible Hulk,” which served as a continuation of the series.
Fans had to wait until 2003 for the first big-screen and big-budget adaptation featuring the red devil. That was when the relatively inexperienced newcomer director, Mark Steven Johnson, had his shot at making an impact with “Daredevil.” Starring Ben Affleck during his hit-or-miss years, the film became a box office success, but critics and fans weren’t pleased with its quality overall. The character was then shelved for over a decade, after which Daredevil received its first worthy adaptation in 2015 with Netflix’s “Daredevil” series. Charlie Cox took over the titular role for three seasons, until 2018, before reprising it for Disney+’s currently running “Daredevil: Born Again” (which also brought back Jon Bernthal’s Punisher). Today, we’re here to rank all three actors who have played the Marvel hero so far.
3. Rex Smith
“The Trial of the Incredible Hulk” was intended to be a pilot for a Daredevil show that was never made. In essence, it’s an origin story for the character that barely features The Hulk, which was one of the main drawbacks among fans. Although viewers noted that it had a few interesting ideas, it was a let-down overall. Rex Smith did a decent job playing Daredevil, but given the movie’s modest budget and raw action scenes, you can’t help viewing his character and performance as exaggerated and outdated relics of their era, both ridiculous and premature. I mean, it’s hard to look at Daredevil’s bare-bones costume, a cheap black jumpsuit with a hat covering the eyes, and not burst out laughing. Although in retrospect, that lameness is also what gives these early superhero outings a kind of endearing charm — like Adam West’s “Batman”. But compared to the other two Daredevils that came after him, Rex Smith’s version simply has to be last.
2. Ben Affleck
You can’t say that 2003’s “Daredevil” didn’t try, but that was also its biggest flaw: it tried way too hard. The result was a convoluted and exaggerated mess, including a nonsensical plot, cheesy dialogue, and horrendous CGI that aged like milk. Accordingly, the main characters were over-the-top and sensationalistic, with little regard for their source material.
That said, Ben Affleck gave it a fair shot. He’s as likable as Matt Murdock, even if not as compelling, when donning a blood-red leather suit at night, jumping around in Hell’s Kitchen of New York, and lawyering or flirting with Jennifer Garner in the daytime. For what it’s worth, his acting wasn’t the most glaring issue of the movie (and it had plenty), but he just couldn’t become the type of superhero that kids could obsess over and dress as for Halloween – never mind adults.
Most of the action scenes were atrociously distorted by crappy visual effects that robbed most of the coolness and bravado that Daredevil had in the comics. Still, somehow “Daredevil” made $179 million worldwide at the box office against its $78 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), so there were clearly people in favor of Affleck’s first try at portraying a superhero.
1. Charlie Cox
Without a doubt, Netflix’s “Daredevil” with Charlie Cox was the first dark and aptly dramatic adaptation the Marvel hero called for. Out of the first few TV shows that intended to expand the MCU on the small screen, like “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage,” or “Iron Fist,” “Daredevil” was by far the most ambitious take with profound origin story and character building. Cox lent depth to Murdock both as a human being and a determined vigilante. He brought much-needed intelligence, humor, and solemnity to the character that previous versions couldn’t even attempt.
Cox’s magnetism expanded into the energetic, adeptly choreographed action scenes the show excelled in, finally capturing the superhero’s inherent charisma. He admitted using the help of a stunt double in many of the Daredevil’s more physically demanding sequences, which helped with the more grounded and authentic feel of the series. So it’s hardly a surprise that out of all the live-action MCU shows that previously ran on Netflix (including “The Defenders” universe), Disney has opted to revive this one with “Daredevil: Born Again” as a continuation of the previous three seasons, keeping Cox in the lead role. Arguably, he’s the best red devil we’ve seen thus far.
