“I’ve got to tell you, that guy is heavy.”
On a press call yesterday, Charlie Cox, who plays Matt Murdock on Netflix’s Marvel’s Daredevil, said season 2 brought some changes to Daredevil and his approach to the character, including getting more physically involved in the role – and even carrying co-star Jon Bernthal, who plays the Punisher, during an action scene.
“It was the first major long fight scene in the suit, and it was very hot – we shot it in July or very early August, in New York. It was probably a two and a half to three day shoot,” he said. “It begins with me carrying Jon Bernthal. I’m carrying him over my shoulder for about a minute to a minute and a half before the scene even starts, and I’ve got to tell you, that guy is heavy. He’s pure muscle. Before I’d even thrown a punch or a kick, I was already sweating through my suit.”
That suit, by the way, is not exactly the same as the much-derided one we saw at the end of season 1. In addition to the presence of the Punisher and Elektra, season 2 ushers in a costume upgrade for Daredevil in the form of a new helmet (presumably for aesthetic purposes) and revisions to the body of the suit to work better in fight scenes for Cox and his stuntman. Cox said he thought the presence of Daredevil’s costume over the black street clothes Murdock wore for most of season 1 signified a change in his confidence and a desire to step out of the shadows.
“When I read the first episode of season 2, in the writing it specifically said that there’s a smile on his face, and I remember thinking ‘OK, this is the Matt Murdock we’re meeting now. We’re meeting a Matt Murdock who enjoys being Daredevil more than he ever has,'” he said. “…He talks about the devil, the actual devil, being a symbol to be feared. And Matt Murdock decides that’s what he’s going to be. He’s going to be a symbol.”
Cox said that while he has no knowledge of plans for upcoming Netflix/Marvel shows or even whether there would be additional seasons of Daredevil, after working with Bernthal, he would love to see the Punisher have his own show.
“I think the fans will be overwhelmed and pleased with what he brought to the character,” he said “And if he does [get a show], I’d love to be in it.”
Cox also stressed that if Daredevil has additional seasons, he’d like to see Vincent Dinofrio return to reprise his role as Kingpin/Wilson Fisk (which likely means the character will not have an arc in season 2), as well as the appearance of other classic villains from the comics.
“I can’t imagine doing a run of Daredevil where Bullseye doesn’t show up at some point,” he said. “I’d also like, if we continue to make the Daredevil series, rather than have a new character every season, I’d love us to explore more the Wilson Fisk stuff. It’d be great if at some point Vincent D’Onofrio would come back for a season. There’s so much Daredevil/Wilson Fisk left untold.”
The second season of Marvel’s Daredevil hits Netflix on March 18.
