Daredevil Movie Reboot Just Might Happen With Slade

20th Century Fox don’t want to lose their rights to make Daredevil movies and so they have been keeping the project in production to ensure it doesn’t revert to the hands of Marvel, and so Disney. A while back, they announced David Scarpa as the scribe working the words (at which time I did a comprehensive look at what they should do and cast) and now they have David Slade lined up to direct. Many are rolling their eyes at this news but to them I say ☠☠☠☠. Don’t make a call until you know. So let’s look at what we know.

Here’s what we know:

David Slade is a good director. Hard Candy is the sort of flick you generally only hear good things about, even though not enough people have seen it. He made the 30 Days Of Night flick and it wasn’t too bad. I wouldn’t say it was a classic but it’s a decent flick. It doesn’t look like it was filmed through a honeybadger’s backside. That’s a win more than anything else.

Then he decided to make the next Twilight movie in line, Eclipse. I shouldn’t editorialise, I’m sure it’s a good looking and well made flick. I thought it was the one the wife dragged me to and when I got bored of looking at abs and pasty frowns about halfway through I said I was going to the lobby for a snack. The wife absently told me to get her an ice cream but before I did that I went downstairs, across the road, and hung out at the comic shop for a while. I was gone for about 25 minutes and when I returned with the ice cream she barely noticed I had been gone. I asked what I had missed and she said, “Nothing.” I figured that was about right.

But that wasn’t Slade’s flick, that was New Moon. My bad.

So, as far as Slade getting the director nod concerns me, I’m happy for the news. People might think he’s a little too close to the previous Daredevil director, Mark Steven Johnson, and I can see where people get confused. Slade made a bit of a name directing music videos and MSJ thought he’d make Daredevil as a music video. It’s close, but not quite.

I think Slade could really do well with a Daredevil flick, with the right script.

But what script will it be? News states that this flick will not be a reboot but more of a ‘continuation’ of the Daredevil saga. So I guess it’s more like The Incredible Hulk than The Amazing Spider-Man. I think that’s a smart move because we don’t need his entire origin forced on us again when we can instead get straight into the tale. I don’t necessarily think the origin can really be improved, unless you’re adapting The Man Without Fear, so you might as well just move into the good stuff.

If they aren't treading on the toes of the Daredevil movie we already have then what will the title be. The Man Without Fear stands out as a good one to use. The Scarlet Swashbuckler not so much.

Rumours are also circulating that Born Again is going to be the story adapted. I don't think that the best Daredevil story to translate to the screen but perhaps they could prove me wrong. I think they really need to just bring a new story to the screen, but one based in and around known aspects of the character and his world, much like they've done successfully with the latest Batman and Iron Man flicks.

Scarpa obviously didn’t do the world’s greatest job because the story states the studio has yet to hire the final scribe. I’d love to see what Scarpa did turn in.

Slade is currently in pre-production on The Last Voyage of the Demeter – a sure to be nasty tale of the merchant ship that transported Dracula’s coffin from Transylvania to England and turned up without any living souls aboard. That means any Daredevil flick would be a little bit away so there’s plenty of time to prepare and get it right.

With three vampire flicks in the back catalogue, you might think Slade is going to make Daredevil battle Morbius or Blade but I’m sure it won’t go that way. I’d love to see him take this horror/slasher vibe and apply it to someone like Mr Fear. That would be a perfect match. He could even make Man-Bull chilling (and, yes, I am going to mention Man-Bull in every piece I post on this story over the coming months).

Mock-up poster from TWC friend, Sean Hartter

I’d also kill to see Slade’s Daredevil as a Grindhouse double bill with Aronofsky’s Wolverine. Just let that sentence soak in for a moment.

My last words will be; just because the last Daredevil movie blew pretty hard doesn’t mean any further attempts to bring cinematic life to Ol’ Hornhead will be unsuccessful and lame. I mean, they didn’t get Hulk exactly right the first time, and…uh…well, the first Punisher flick was no good…wait…ah, just take each flick as it comes. For now, Slade in means I am too. Until they cast and tell me the damn writer.

While waiting, do feel free to check out the last time I wrote about a Daredevil flick reboot. I gave many more suggestions on that post to keep you going until we get more on this news story.

Conclusion

The ultimate word for many is that Affleck isn’t involved in this one. That’s good but I still blame MSJ way more for the destruction of my favourite character on the big screen. I’m also just glad a Daredevil flick is still on the cards, even though I hoped the rights would go back to Marvel. They deserve them. What do you think of David Slade being tapped to direct the next Daredevil flick? What sort of cast and crew would you like to see assembled around him? And finally, what sort of story do you think they should use for Daredevil’s triumphant return to the big screen?

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