Original ‘Daredevil’ Showrunner Claims Renaming Show Is an ‘Old Disney Scam’ to ‘Reset Contract Terms’

Former Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight has theories about why the show’s upcoming revival has been renamed. 

Marvel’s original Daredevil series first premiered in 2015 on Netflix and ran for three seasons before getting canceled in 2018. In July 2022, Disney  — which owns Marvel — removed the show from its former streaming service and green-lit a sequel for Disney+ titled Daredevil: Born Again. The revived series is set to feature major elements from its predecessor including Charlie Cox as lead character Matthew Murdock. 

DeKnight, who penned the OG series but won’t be involved in the new show, slammed Disney on Tuesday, September 19, for what he claims are "corporate shenanigans."

"It's an old Disney scam where they slightly rename a series to reset contract terms back to first season,” DeKnight wrote via X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday. "Needs to be addressed by all the guild/unions and crushed!"

DeKnight noted that from what he can “understand” he isn’t “going to see a penny from Daredevil: Born Again” because the additional “Born Again” in the show’s title means Disney can “claim it’s a completely different show.” 

He added: “You know, with the exact same two lead actors (who I love!) playing Daredevil and [William] Fisk [played by Vincent D’Onofrio].”

DeKnight’s claims were in response to a tweet from a Daredevil employee who alleged that the new series is “back to season one IATSE contract terms,” calling the process a “f—king scam.” They claimed that Disney officially canceled the series “once the crew got a full raise and holiday/vacation pay."

“I worked on all of the Marvel Netflix shows which all were canceled in season two or three. Our contracts only give us full vacation pay(like 36 cents per hour worked or some shit) on season three shows,” a second message from the IATSE member read. “Four years of work I never got a raise or vacation pay. Like $20,000.” 

Despite DeKnight’s qualms with Disney's alleged business procedures surrounding Born Again, the writer insisted he has “zero issue” with the new series and wants to see it succeed. 

"To be clear, I can't wait to see Charlie Cox and the amazing @vincentdonofrio reprise their iconic [roles]," he wrote via X on Monday. "But to claim this is a complete reboot and you don't have to pay the original creatives is some corporate shenanigans, to say the least."

DeKnight’s comments come amid the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Borth the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) are striking because of stalled negotiations with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) that include issues of fair pay, streaming residual payments and the use of artificial intelligence in film and TV projects.

The WGA initially went on strike in May, while SAG-AFTRA joined them on the picket lines two months later in July.