'Daredevil': What you need to know about Netflix's upcoming series

The Marvel superhero is the focus of a new series from Netflix. The first season will debut this April.

Netflix’s upcoming series isn’t about a drawling, scheming politician or a woman in prison – their April TV show centers on a lawyer-superhero.

“Daredevil,” the new Netflix TV show that’s being produced as part of the streaming service’s partnership with Marvel, will center on the character of the same name and stars Charlie Cox of “The Theory of Everything” as Daredevil, also known as Matt Murdock, who becomes blind but has other heightened senses that allow him to fight crime. In the Marvel incarnation of the character, Matt’s father is killed and Matt goes after his father’s murderers. 

Actress Deborah Ann Woll of “True Blood” is co-starring as Karen Page, who in the comics is Daredevil’s love interest. Vincent D’Onofrio of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” is portraying Daredevil’s frequent enemy, the Kingpin, while actor Elden Henson of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” is playing Foggy Nelson, Daredevil’s friend and the partner in his law firm.

Rosario Dawson of “Top Five” is portraying Claire Temple, who in the comics is a love interest for Marvel character Luke Cage. Netflix is also producing a TV series about Luke Cage, so perhaps the character will be a link between the two series.

Daredevil was previously the focus of a 2003 film starring Ben Affleck as the superhero and Jennifer Garner as one of his love interests from the comics, Elektra. However, the movie was critically panned. Monitor writer Lisa Leigh Connors wrote of the film, “Ten minutes into it, you won't need superhuman senses to realize it won't be a great movie… Sure, there's plenty of action – almost too much – but the characters aren't likable, it's thin on plot, and the acting is robotic… the bloody violence is exhausting and grotesque." 

The Netflix series will debut on April 10 and the first season will consist of 13 episodes, according to Rolling Stone.