‘Daredevil: Born Again’ might have been very different. Before the great creative revamping of the show, a little-known name was quietly slipped behind the camera: Tom Hiddleston.
Yes, the same actor who is most known for his role as Loki was once going to direct an episode of the series. That fact, disclosed by Charlie Cox, presents an interesting insight into a version of the show that never actually aired to viewers. It also raises some interesting questions of the what-if variety.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Nearly Had Loki Behind The Camera
Initial concepts of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ were much more expansive in size. The first season was initially planned as an 18-episode run, more than twice the size of most Marvel Disney+ projects. Hiddleston was in the queue somewhere in that bigger blueprint, with creative discussions already underway.
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It’s not hard to imagine how intriguing that could have been. Hiddleston is well-versed in the idea of character-driven storytelling, particularly in the world of Marvel. Taking that point of view to Matt Murdock’s story would have provided a different sort of texture, a little more introspective, perhaps even experimental.
“One of the great losses of the back half of that original season, even though the changes that were made to the show were needed and necessary and made it much better, but he was going to direct episode 12 or something,” Cox told the Happy Sad Podcast. However, that version of the show didn’t survive.
Marvel finally threw the switch, reworking the tone, structure, and even key decisions regarding casting. Although Cox himself admits that the changes made the series better overall, it’s still unknown what was lost in the process. And, frankly, that interest remains. When an actor of Hiddleston’s calibre gets behind the camera, fans expect something memorable.
The Changed ‘Born Again’ Still Worked
The truth is, not all ambitious ideas reach the finish line, and at times, that is the best. The redesigned ‘Born Again’ was more rooted in continuity with the original Netflix show, establishing the familiar emotional heart and basing the story on it. That might not have occurred in the previous version.
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Some of the main characters and relationships were initially absent, and the tone appeared to be less related to what the audience loved in the first place. That way, the creative redesign did not simply repair the show; it reinvented it. Still, the door is not completely shut on Hiddleston’s participation.
As the future seasons are already in motion, there is always a possibility that Marvel can revisit the idea. And considering how interwoven the MCU has become, it would not even seem out of place. At least for now, Hiddleston is destined to reappear on-screen in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’. However, the prospect of him stepping into a directing role within this street-level corner of the MCU is very exciting.
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