The Man Without Fear will return to cinemas for the first time since 2003 courtesy of David Slade. The director of such films as 30 Days of Night and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse has been hired by 20th Century Fox to revive the Daredevil franchise after its crippling at the hands of Ben Affleck and director Mark Steven Johnson. No confirmation on a new star or screenwriter, but Variety reports that Slade's Daredevil will not feature material from the previous film.Despite the popular opinion that the rated-R director's cut of Affleck and Johnson's Daredevil was measurably better than the critically panned theatrical version, the damage to Marvel's blind superhero franchise was done. Indeed, according to World Entertainment News Network, Affleck said in 2006 that the experience had put off superheroes completely. "By playing a superhero in Daredevil, I have inoculated myself from ever playing another superhero. Wearing a costume was a source of humiliation for me and something I wouldn't want to do again soon."



Affleck: humiliated


While the total abandonment of the last Daredevil film is a good step forward, Marvel fans are understandably apprehensive about anything having to do with the odious Twilight saga coming within ten city blocks of their beloved Matt Murdock. However, before David Slade sullied his good name on the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, he directed an adaptation of the Steve Niles/Ben Templesmith classic, 30 Days of Night, as well as great music videos for artists like Aphex Twin ("Donkey Rhubarb"), Tori Amos ("Strange Little Girl"), LFO ("Tied Up" for the British techno band LFO, not that stupid "Chinese food makes me sick" bullsh*t), Stone Temple Pilots ("Sour Girl"), three videos for Muse, and, my personal favorite, "Clubbed to Death" for Rob Dougan. Let's hope that Slade returns to his darker, alternative roots as he pursues a new vision of Daredevil on screen.

Variety reports that Slade was in talks to direct the next Wolverine film, also for Fox, who reportedly must proceed with a new Daredevil movie in order to prevent the film rights from returning to Marvel, who would certainly exploit them as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If Variety's source is accurate and the new Daredevil "will not contain material from the Ben Affleck-toplined version released by Fox in 2003," that would mean Slade's film will not feature Bullseye, Kingpin or Elektra.

More From ComicsAlliance