Ben Affleck recently shared insights about his experience with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), particularly regarding the new series Daredevil: Born Again. He humorously noted that Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of the Punisher is too intense for his version of Matt Murdock. Affleck first appeared as Daredevil in the 2003 film directed by Mark Steven Johnson, alongside notable actors such as Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Colin Farrell as Bullseye, Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin, and Jon Favreau as Foggy Nelson. This film did not receive the acclaim that other early Marvel films like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Bryan Singer’s X-Men garnered. It was only twelve years later when Netflix revitalized the character in the acclaimed Daredevil series.

In a recent interview with Jake’s Takes, promoting his upcoming film The Accountant 2, Ben Affleck reflected on his time as Daredevil and jokingly remarked that he would prefer not to go up against Jon Bernthal’s ultra-violent Punisher. During this conversation, Affleck acknowledged Kevin Feige‘s exceptional ability to translate comic book stories into compelling live-action adaptations, a skill he began developing in the early 2000s. Although Affleck confessed to not having watched Netflix’s Daredevil or the new Daredevil: Born Again series, he expressed admiration for the character, saying, “I wouldn’t tangle with his Punisher.” Here’s a deeper look at Affleck’s remarks:

“Well, his Punisher is good. Daredevil had an interesting narrative. It was produced before Kevin Feige took on the responsibility of overseeing Marvel projects. He brought a certain clarity of tone to those films, effectively addressing one of the biggest challenges: ‘How do you create a movie where characters in costumes with superpowers are taken seriously, while also incorporating humor and engaging the audience?’ The advancement in visual effects coincided with this evolution, making it possible to deliver convincingly realistic action. This shift allowed talented actors like him to truly shine in their roles.

There’s a new Daredevil series, which I haven’t viewed yet, but I really appreciate the character, and I wish him all the best. However, I would prefer not to cross paths with his Punisher.”

Ben Affleck’s Daredevil Encountered Limited Marvel Characters

Ben Affleck’s version of Daredevil only interacted with Elektra and did not have the opportunity to meet other prominent street-level characters such as Punisher and Spider-Man. Additionally, he missed out on encounters with more powerful heroes like She-Hulk and Hulk, a privilege that Charlie Cox’s portrayal of the Daredevil character experienced in later adaptations. The 2003 Daredevil film was created during a time when the concept of a cinematic universe was still very much in its infancy and primarily existed in Kevin Feige’s vision as he worked on solo Marvel projects. It wasn’t until five years later that the MCU truly began to take shape, and due to Daredevil‘s mediocre box office performance and poor reviews, it was effectively excluded from being part of a larger interconnected franchise.

A solo film featuring The Punisher, starring Thomas Jane as Frank Castle, was released in 2004. Fans of Marvel speculated about a shared universe that included Punisher, Spider-Man, and Ben Affleck’s Daredevil. Interestingly, this theory remains unconfirmed by Marvel, and the ongoing Multiverse Saga could potentially validate it. In Deadpool & Wolverine, Jennifer Garner’s Elektra references that her Daredevil died battling Cassandra Nova in the Void, alongside other heroes like Quicksilver and Magneto.

Ben Affleck’s Daredevil Remains Open to Meeting the Punisher

Despite a variant of Daredevil being killed by Cassandra Nova in the Void prior to the events of Deadpool & Wolverine, Ben Affleck could still reprise his role as Daredevil in future movies such as Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, where he might encounter Jon Bernthal’s Punisher or different variants of Frank Castle. Notably, concept art from Deadpool & Wolverine featured Affleck’s Daredevil. However, it is worth mentioning that Ben Affleck has expressed a lack of interest in returning to superhero roles, making any cameo appearance in Phase 6’s crossover films highly unlikely.

Source: Jake’s Takes

• 

  Daredevil
  

  

  8/10

  Release Date

  
  February 14, 2003
  

  Runtime

  
  103 minutes
  

  Director

  
  Mark Steven Johnson
  

  Producers

  
  Arnon Milchan, Avi Arad, Bernard Williams, Gary Foster
  

• 

  Daredevil
  

  

  9/10

  Release Date

  
  2015 – 2018-00-00
  

  Showrunner

  
  Steven S. DeKnight
  

  Directors

  
  Phil Abraham, Stephen Surjik, Peter Hoar
  

  Writers

  
  Drew Goddard
  

  Franchise(s)

  
  Marvel
  

• 

  Daredevil: Born Again
  

  

  9/10

  Release Date

  
  March 4, 2025
  

  Showrunner

  
  Chris Ord
  

  Directors

  
  Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
  

  Writers

  
  Chris Ord
  

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