Daredevil Star Charlie Cox Speaks Out On Cancellation

He embodied the Man Without Fear, but Daredevil star Charlie Cox is now the Man Without a Series — and he's not too happy about it.

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Cox spoke out for the first time about the series' unexpected cancellation. Although he's just as bummed as the rest of us, he did leave the door open for a possible return to the role in the future.

"A lot of us really expected to keep going, and I certainly did," the actor said. "The truth is, I felt like we had a lot of stories to tell, and although I understand [the decision to cancel the series], I'm very saddened by that."

Daredevil's cancellation appears to be purely a business decision by Netflix, but not for the reason you might think. Although the streaming giant famously doesn't release its numbers, a report earlier this week by data science firm Parrot Analytics revealed that the week it was axed, Daredevil ranked fourth in viewer demand among original streaming offerings — not just on Netflix, but across all platforms. Coming on the heels of the abrupt cancellations of fellow Marvel series Luke Cage and Iron Fist, the move has widely been seen as a preemptive one, with the debut of new streamer Disney+ looming on the horizon. That platform will feature Marvel series of its own, featuring characters already established in the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the original actors reprising their roles.

As pointed out by Forbes, Netflix faced a bit of a double-edged sword when considering whether to continue producing its Marvel-branded shows. On the one hand, they've been a consistent hit with audiences; on the other, their branding could serve as a form of unintentional advertising for the shows making their way to Disney+, with which Netflix will be in direct competition.

None of this was lost on Cox, who understands the business side of things all too well despite his empathy for the show's fans. "It's just how business works," he told EW. "But also, these characters mean a lot to people. It's weird to think there's a chance I won't be playing Matt Murdock ever again. That's a bizarre feeling, because that character has been such a huge part of my life for the last four and a half years."

While being careful not to put his foot in his mouth, Cox also expressed his willingness to return to the character in some capacity, if given the chance. "It's so new, the news. It's quite painful for quite a lot of people. I was really excited about the ideas that were talked about for season 4, and I think if I was to speculate about it and it went on the internet, it might not be very helpful.... Anything I say often gets picked up and circulated, and I just want to make sure I don't give any false hope." But, having said that, he didn't hesitate when asked directly if he would be up for donning the red cowl for a return engagement. "Oh my God, yeah," he said. "I don't know how this would happen, but maybe one day we could pick up the baton and do it again." 

For many fans, Cox has been to Matt Murdock as Robert Downey, Jr. has been to Tony Stark, or Chris Evans to Steve Rogers: the utterly perfect embodiment of a beloved classic character. Likewise, Vincent D'Onofrio's performance as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin has been praised far and wide as one of the best, most complex villainous turns in the entire MCU. So, Kevin Feige, if you're reading this, take note: Netflix may have broken Daredevil fans' hearts, but you have the power to make them whole again. The dark 'n gritty series may be unlikely in the extreme to get picked up by family-friendly Disney+, but that doesn't mean its characters can't find a new home on the big screen... right?