Deciphering the Daredevil Trailers –What Do They Tease for Series 2?

On Thursday 25th February, Netflix released their second trailer for the second series of the critically acclaimed Marvel's Daredevil, which charts the exploits of the blind lawyer and vigilante Matthew Murdock (Charlie Cox) as he strives to help and protect Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

The second trailer follows on from a scene that featured at the end of the previous teaser. His old flame Elektra (Elodie Yung) had unexpectedly appeared in his apartment; here we see their conversation progress slightly, although the promo expands its scope to tease other developments in the dark tale of ol’ Hornhead.

But if we examine the two previews together, what do they say overall? What can we expect from Series Two, judging by what we see and hear? There are lots of questions that these tantalising trailers raise...

Beware of potential spoilers hereafter...

“...One Bad Day...”

These are the words of Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) in the first advert. He's referring to Daredevil's no-kill policy, and what it would take to make to Murdock stop criminals in the same definitive way that he does.

Yet if both promos are any indication of what will come to pass, it looks like Daredevil is in for a week’s worth of bad days rather than just the one!

We see a lot of Elektra in the second trailer, probably to compensate for her small appearance in the first; Yung clearly has got the charisma and danger of the character down to a tee.

From the shots of her stroking a martini glass to fiercely kicking ass, we get the sense of her seductive power and physical prowess.

It would seem that Matt is on the receiving end of the former at the very least. They are seen close in one shot, but then later we catch her in a slightly kinky position.

Even though we can’t see who is caressing her neck, it's likely to be Murdock, given that Elektra is in what looks to be a boxing ring, which Matt was known to frequent in Series One.

Is he being manipulated by Elektra here? Or has he willingly grown close to his ex?

It will be interesting to see how, in light of this, his relationship with Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) progresses. After all, she decided to not get into a relationship with Murdock in the previous series because of his super-heroism.

She appears in both trailers, talking to Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) in a hospital ward (Metro-General perhaps?) in the first trailer and Matt in the second.

Could this be the same hospital that the Punisher is seen walking into? Or has Matt, or Karen been brought here after a violent confrontation?

She says the “city needs him” to Foggy, presumably discussing Daredevil, yet despite this, she’s less accommodating to the man himself, saying angrily that “This isn’t your city anymore.”

Something must have occurred to make her change heart like this, since she was a staunch believer in Daredevil beforehand.

It’s less clear where she and Matt are talking, though it could be a storeroom of the same building. With several points in the trailer centering around a hospital, Hell’s Kitchen looks like it is becoming even more harmful to the health of those who live there!

Hopefully that doesn’t extend to either Murdock, or Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) who seems to be in the thick of the action, observing scenes of destruction alongside the police officers in trailer two.

Though she doesn’t appear much in the second advert, we can’t help but wonder what we’ll find out about her in the upcoming series.

Will more of her mysterious past be revealed? And will she and Matt begin a relationship? A particular wet and tender moment in the first trailer was certainly indicative of this.

And, like with Claire, will Elektra’s arrival make this fledgling relationship all the more difficult?

But even if this does go ahead, Murdock has something else to consider- Foggy.

His best friend and law partner, who notably had a soft spot for Karen, will in all probability be displeased if romance blossomed between the pair. Not that he looks very happy throughout the promos anyway.

After discovering that his best friend was a vigilante, the pair had something of a disagreement, which looks to have been reignited by Foggy’s concern for Murdock’s safety.

“Everytime I walk up those stairs, I wonder if today’s the day that you’re dead in your living room.”

Things are certainly looking desperate for Foggy. He is seen in the first teaser accompanied by the police, looking anguished. Why is he so upset?

Is he somehow implicated in the dangerous game that The Punisher and Daredevil are in?

It looks like he even tries to take away the Daredevil costume at one point, but Matt firmly retorts that “I’m done apologising to you for who I am.”

Worryingly, he leaves Foggy alone in their law practice; it looks as if there is a bit of a time jump in these little snippets of footage, but it’s evident that the future of Nelson and Murdock rests on shaky ground, particularly in that lingering dramatic shot that shows Foggy being left alone.

It must be said that, with his highly concerned attitude, Foggy does have a point; Matt needed lots of stitching up in Series One, and did almost die on several occasions.

But then again, without Daredevil’s violent exploits the show would become a lot more like a regular detective or police show... with Matt's abilities, I'm thinking that it go along the lines of The Mentalist...not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I do like me some cool fight scenes...so in this fight I'm #TeamDaredevil.

“This city needs me!”

The trailers aren’t as full of Easter eggs as the promos for Series One, although it certainly looks like the show runners are digging even deeper into the comic books for this new series. Murdock's alter ego is referred to as Daredevil for one thing; previously, he was named “The Man in Black” or “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”

The costume that he wears has also begun to resemble the comic book version more. Perhaps in response to the negative reception of the final suit in series one, the red parts of the costume have been emphasised, and reflective ruby coloured lenses have been added.

This would certainly add to his intimidation factor- imagine seeing those in a dark alleyway at night!

Also, as a chap called Allen point out here, when he holds his mask as seen above, the shape and design is evocative of Japanese Oni masks. Oni are essentially Japanese demons, devils or trolls, so this is a suitable look for “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen“ to style himself on.

But, as I explore in the third section, is this prominence of Japanese culture merely a coincidence?

We can all agree that in these shots, Murdock is looking pretty badass...but what happened to the costume that he used to wear?

Is this new, redder costume in the two trailers one of several suits that he now owns? Or does Daredevil get a new uniform after his old one is damaged? We can see in the above still that it takes a beating...does Frank Castle bring on the pain? Seemingly so, but only time will tell....

Daredevil's comic book movements are also increasingly bleeding into the show. From the back flips and brutal corridor beat downs, we can see the ferocious but athletic vigilante of our imaginations coming to life before our eyes.

Also, towards the end of trailer number two we see him diving off a building as he holds onto some form of rope. Admittedly, it could have possibly been left behind by those dodgy-looking dudes climbing up a building earlier on, yet in the first trailer, we saw The Man without Fear brandishing a chain as a weapon.

Is there a chance that we may see the development of his famous Billy club onscreen?

And speaking of developments, fans have already taken to the comment sections to deride Elektra’s minimalist costume, and express concern over if and when the famous, threatening skull of The Punisher will materialise on his clothes.

Will they change like Daredevil’s did? It’s hard to say, but the latest issue of Empire Magazine hints that we should see the skull by the end of season two... perhaps Elektra’s final look(if there is one) will be saved until later in the series.

“Hell’s Kitchen is going to explode!”

It’s clear from both teasers that the stakes are substantial, once again.

The Punisher, who was the grief-ridden and vengeful focus of the first trailer, is seen dealing out death and destruction on a considerable scale.

And to make matters, following the power vacuum created by Murdock taking down Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) means that the Yakuza are back, to take control. Stick (Scott Glenn) has also returned , but there is something else at work in Hell’s Kitchen.

“They’re called The Hand,” Stick dramatically explains, as we catch various glimpses of Daredevil fighting ninjas.

In the comics, The Hand is a powerful and villainous organisation, which has ranks of super villains and mystical warriors to further their plans. As is the case with many super villains, these mainly feature assassinating or thieving to attain power, wealth and influence.

They have been a major part of the Marvel Comics Universe, crossing paths with Wolverine and they have also appeared in the limited SuperiorSpider-Man series.

Their inclusion is another dip into the comics, and could prove important in this series, and the show’s future.

Indeed, in the comics Elektra has worked for them, which could add another layer to their relationship; but not only this, the Kingpin, and even Daredevil himself has, at one point or other, led this nefarious group.

Vincent D'Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk at the head of a ninja army? That could be amazing, but Matt Murdock leading them? Now that would certainly be an interesting route for the show to go down!

“You cannot stop us...The Rising is coming,” intones either a ninja or a Yakuza member.

It will be intriguing to see how an influential organisation as The Hand, factors into the Marvel Cinematic Universe which Netflix and ABC have been expanding upon.

Will the mystical plans of The Hand somehow bring about the formation of The Defenders further down the line? It wouldn't be unheard of. After all, it took the threat of Loki and the Chitauri for The Avengers to band together.

Speaking of ABC, there is a subtle reference to their series Agents of SHIELD, through the brief appearance of the Dogs of Hell Bar, which we see here, accompanied by a plethora of motorbikes. Is this New York City?

In Agents of SHIELD, they the Dogs of Hell are based in Nevada. Is this just a cute little visual Easter egg? Or will this connection develop into something more?

Like the first trailer, the tense music heightens the epic scale of the new series. From the nicely constructed shots, to the more daring and elaborate looking action sequences Netflix aren’t being stingy, and are bringing back and developing the dark and gritty world that we loved in series one.

Superhero-ing has never looked more bloody...or stressful!

Daredevil Series 2 is out on March 18th- and it can’t come fast enough.