Okay, so is the next Daredevil flick going to be a sequel to 2003 movie starring Ben Affleck, or is this going to be a straight-up reboot of the franchise? Though the first film spawned the Elektra spinoff, also starring Jennifer Garner from Daredevil, the film didn't necessarily warrant a sequel -- right away. Word on the street is that this film may try to be both: a continuation of the original film's story plus simultaneously rebooting the character. Um, okay. I'm a little confused, too. Oh well...
David Slade has been tapped to put Daredevil back on the bigscreen for 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment.
Fox introduced the Marvel Comics superhero at megaplexes in 2003, in an actioner that starred Ben Affleck as the blind lawyer-turned-vigilante who wears a red suit and wields a billyclub. Reviews were mixed at best.
Though the film wound up spinning off "Elektra" with Jennifer Garner, studio had hoped "Daredevil" would earn more than its $103 million domestic take and launch a series of sequels. Fox has been looking to redevelop the character since, but people close to the project say it's not a reboot per se -- more a continuation of the "Daredevil" saga. Studio has yet to hire a scribe, but writer would work closely with Slade.
Fox retained "Daredevil" rights by keeping the project in development over the years; had it not, rights would've reverted to Marvel Studios, which Disney acquired for $4 billion in 2009. Same goes for "Fantastic Four," for which Fox is eyeing new installments.
Though Daredevil doesn't rank as one of Marvel's most popular properties, character does have a following.
Created by Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett in 1964, Matt Murdock is a New York City lawyer who, after being blinded by radioactive material, finds his other senses heightened to superhuman levels and becomes Daredevil -- the "man without fear."
Slade has been considering several comicbook properties, including Fox's "Wolverine," but that gig wound up going to Darren Aronofsky ("Black Swan").
Slade most recently directed "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," which earned $698 million at the worldwide box office. His credits also include Sony's "30 Days of Night" and Lionsgate's "Hard Candy."
Slade is attached to Phoenix Pictures' horror pic "The Last Voyage of the Demeter."
He is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.
Thanks to Variety for the story.