Matt Murdock

Matt Murdock is a fictional lawyer and superhero who also goes by the name of Daredevil. He is featured in comic book titles published by Marvel Comics and is the main character from the Daredevil family of titles. He was created by writer Stan Lee and artists Bill Everett and Steve Ditko and first appeared in Daredevil, Volume 1 #1 in April, 1964. The character has also been represented in alternative media, both as a live-action figure and an animated character.

Daredevil is really Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer and partner in the firm of Nelson & Murdock. As a child, Murdock was permanently blinded when he was doused with chemicals from a canister falling from the back of a truck while trying to save an elderly man's life. Though he lost his ability to see, he gained much more in return. His remaining senses increased 100-fold and he developed a radar sense that substitutes for his lost vision. Trained by a blind fighter known as Stick, Murdock has since become an urban crime fighter known as Daredevil.

In film & television
The first television appearance of the character was in 1989 when he appeared in the TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, where he was played by actor Rex Smith. Although he wore a different costume than that which most fans are familiar with, his background in the film was in-keeping with his origin from the comics.

In 1995, Daredevil made his first appearance as an animated character. He appeared in the season two premiere episode of the Fantastic Four cartoon titled, "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them". He was voiced by actor Bill Smitrovich in this episode.

Daredevil appeared again in the Spider-Man animated series in 1996. This time voiced by Edward Albert, he appeared in chapters six and seven of the "Sins of the Fathers" serial. In this storyline, Matt Murdock must prove Peter Parker's innocence after Parker is framed for treason. These episodes were also included on the Daredevil vs. Spider-Man home video collection.

Not to take away from the Man Without Fear's efforts on the small screen, but it should likewise be noted that Daredevil also received his own full-length feature film in 2003, aptly titled Daredevil. Played by actor Ben Affleck, this version of Daredevil was inspired by the works of Frank Miller, who drafted many issues of Daredevil, Volume 1 during the 1980s. Although Miller's work on the title is critically acclaimed and cited by many as being the definitive Daredevil, the feature film failed to impress and performed poorly at the box office.

It took more than a decade for some fans to forgive the 2003 treatment, but salvation for many came in the form the Daredevil live-action television series, which was produced as a streaming video series on Netflix in 2015. In the series, Charlie Cox picked up the mask and billy club to fight injustice as Daredevil. The costume worn by Cox in season one of the series is reminiscent of the one worn by Rex Smith in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.