Many Marvel heroes don't have a specific age you can pinpoint, but Daredevil's legal education provides some clues about his potential age. It has been almost ten years since Netflix's Daredevil made its debut, and fans are eagerly anticipating its return.
Similar to the comic version, time in the MCU's Daredevil universe is ambiguous. The characters age in real-time, but their actual ages are rarely mentioned to keep the stories timeless and relatable. Despite this, careful attention to backstory and some guesswork can give us a rough idea of a character's age.
What is Daredevil’s age in Marvel Comics?
Despite debuting in 1964, Daredevil seems to be in his mid-to-late 30s. This is due to Marvel's sliding timescale, which aims to keep the stories current while preventing the characters from aging out of their narratives.
In Marvel Comics' Daredevil #1, Matt is portrayed as a fully-fledged lawyer, a departure from the younger age of other teen heroes such as Spider-Man or the X-Men.
Due to the passage of time, characters introduced in the 1960s have only aged a few years, leading to retcons or changes in their history, such as Reed Richards and Ben Grimm's transition from World War II veterans to veterans of an unspecified war.
Daredevil’s age in the MCU explained
In his initial appearance, Matt Murdock seems to be a bit older than the heroes in their mid-to-late 20s like Spider-Man. Additionally, Matt's background in law suggests that he underwent extensive schooling before becoming Daredevil. Being in his mid-to-late 30s aligns Matt with most other Marvel heroes and makes the most sense considering his background.
The current actor playing Daredevil in the MCU, Charlie Cox, is currently 41 years old. It can be assumed that his character, Matt Murdock, is around the same age, if not slightly younger, although his age is never explicitly confirmed in the Netflix series. Cox first took on the role when he was 33.
The age different between Charlie Cox's Daredevil and previous actors who played the role is surprisingly small. When Ben Affleck took on the role in 2003, he was 30 years old, just slightly younger than Cox. However, the oldest actor to portray Daredevil is actually the original, Rex Smith, who was 34 when he played Matt Murdock in Trial of the Incredible Hulk, a television movie that was meant to launch a Daredevil series that never came to be.
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Editor's P/S
As a devoted Daredevil fan, I am thrilled to delve into the intricacies of this iconic character's age and timeline. The article provides valuable insights into how Daredevil's age has been portrayed in both the Marvel Comics and the MCU. It is fascinating to learn that despite his debut in 1964, Daredevil appears to be in his mid-to-late 30s due to Marvel's sliding timescale. This approach ensures that the stories remain current and relatable, preventing the characters from aging out of their narratives.
The exploration of Matt Murdock's legal career and the implications it has on his age is particularly intriguing. The fact that he is portrayed as a fully-fledged lawyer in his initial appearance sets him apart from younger heroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men. This suggests that Matt underwent extensive schooling and training before becoming Daredevil, which aligns with his mid-to-late 30s age range. It is also interesting to note that the current actor playing Daredevil in the MCU, Charlie Cox, is around the same age as the character he portrays, further enhancing the authenticity of the role.