Daredevil stuntman slams She-Hulk for 'bad' portrayal of the hero

Renowned stuntman Chris Brewster, who worked for Netflix's Daredevil series, has come forward with sharp criticism of the hero's recent appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Fans were previously accustomed to the edgy, dark, and violent Matt Murdock portrayed on Netflix. Yet, following his reincarnation under Marvel Studios, the character's approach has taken a new turn.

The revival of Charlie Cox's character in She-Hulk has been a focal point of criticism due to the comedic tone assigned to the hero, which starkly contrasts the gritty Netflix version. This change has triggered an uproar among devoted fans of the original Netflix series.

In response to the backlash, Cox acknowledged the impossibility of always satisfying everyone. Jameela Jamil, who portrays Titania in She-Hulk, jumped into the fray to defend the show's comedic legal spin on Matt Murdock.

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Daredevil stunt double criticizes She-Hulk's portrayal of the character, showrunner disagrees

Brewster argues that She-Hulk's depiction of the character is "cartoonish" and uses excessive animation (Image via Marvel Studios)

Chris Brewster, the former Daredevil stunt double, expressed his disappointment on the Ikuzo Unscripted podcast, characterizing the portrayal of Matt Murdock in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as "cartoonish" and "bad."

Despite serving as the stunt double for Cox's Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the three-season Netflix series, Brewster was not recruited for the Marvel Studios' reboot. Justin Eaton replaced Brewster as the stunt double for She-Hulk, Echo, and Daredevil: Born Again.

Brewster argued that Marvel Studios' depiction of Murdock in She-Hulk damaged the character. He expressed his concerns that using animation made the character appear "bad."

He explained that while he appreciates CGI for enhancing real movements, She-Hulk overused CGI to the point where Matt Murdock felt weightless.

"I think that, now that the MCU has taken over the character, I think they are really, really hurting it. If you watch She-Hulk, they turned Daredevil into a cartoon. It's all animated and it looks bad."

The action in Netflix's original series was viscerally real, and Brewster believes digital effects cannot replace that. According to him, the character in She-Hulk represents a significant downgrade in action and movement.

"You know, I love CG to enhance real movement, but if you don't have any real movement, it just becomes a cartoon. It's just CG, there's no weight to it. And what always made the action on Daredevil so good is it was visceral. You felt what Charlie was feeling, between his performance and being in there, in the action."

However, Steven DeKnight, the showrunner of Netflix's series, took a different stance, praising Jessica Gao, She-Hulk's head writer, for her remarkable handling of Matt Murdock's character.

He also revealed his desire to incorporate more acrobatics into Matt Murdock if the budget permitted.

"LOVED [Jessica Gao] & company's reintroduction of Daredevil into the MCU on 'She-Hulk.' Huge congrats! Thanks for taking such fantastic care of the character!"

DeKnight even admired the acrobatics and movements in She-Hulk's version of Matt Murdock, which was the point of Brewster's criticism.

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Why Matt Murdock's MCU future shouldn't raise concern

The comedic tone of She-Hulk doesn't necessarily indicate a permanent change in Daredevil's character (Image via Marvel Studios)

Despite Brewster's criticism, the future of Matt Murdock in the MCU shouldn't be a cause for worry. The character's more traditional acrobatic movements and fighting style align well with the seasoned Matt Murdock portrayed in She-Hulk, set six years after season 3 of the Netflix original.

Given She-Hulk's legal focus and comedic theme, the character of Matt Murdock, as seen in Netflix's series, would have seemed out of place.

Future appearances of Murdock in the broader MCU will require some adaptation of his character to fit the respective project's tone.

As the charatcer expands his presence in the MCU, it's only natural that his style, tone, and character will adapt to match the project context. This doesn't mean fans should worry about Murdock constantly adopting this lighter tone.

There have been rumors that the Disney+ reboot may be presented with a TV-MA rating, indicating a return to the darker tones familiar to the Netflix series.

However, this doesn't necessarily imply a recurrence of the graphic violence and explicit language from the Netflix show.

The ingredients that made Netflix's Daredevil a fan favorite were its compelling storytelling, acting, writing, and action, complemented by a darker tone. These elements can still be achieved within the context of a more mainstream show.

Both Daredevil and She-Hulk are currently streaming on Disney+.