Steven DeKnight talks the Punisher, violence in Hell’s Kitchen and an ‘insane’ Emmy snub.
[toggler title=”TL;DR” ]Steven DeKnight says it’s ‘insane’ that Daredevil wasn’t nominated for an Emmy for stunt choreography following ‘that hallway fight scene’.[/toggler]
[dropcap size=small]D[/dropcap]aredevil season 1 showrunner Steven DeKnight isn’t returning for the show’s second season due to scheduling conflicts, but he still has plenty of time to talk about his time on the Netflix series. DeKnight recently appeared on the TCA (Television Critics Association) press tour to answer questions on the first season, and his hopes for Matt Murdock.
Originally, DeKnight wanted Murdock to appear in Captain America: Civil War, and although the timing didn’t work out, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos has said that it is possible we will see characters making the jump from Netflix to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Among these characters is the Punisher, who is joining Daredevil season 2 and will be played by The Walking Dead‘s Jon Bernthal. DeKnight is a huge Punisher fan, and said he was heartbroken to learn that he wouldn’t be the one to bring him to life. He doesn’t think the Punisher’s introduction into Hell’s Kitchen will bring about the sort of violence seen in the 2008 movie Punisher: War Zone, though.
‘I don’t know, that was pretty violent. I don’t think Daredevil is as violent [as that]. For example, if a man were to get his head crushed in a car door on something like The Walking Dead, you would see it. We didn’t want to go that far.’
Daredevil never needed to be too violent to pull off some incredible stunts. The Murdock/Nobu fight, which was spread across an entire episode and ended with one of them (I won’t say which) being set on fire, had everything. When it comes to stunt choreography though, there was one particular fight scene that DeKnight, who has been vocal about Hollywood’s lack of appreciation for genre fare when it comes to Emmy or Oscar nominations, couldn’t believe wasn’t given an Emmy nod.
‘After that hallway fight scene that set the Internet on fire… It’s insane.’
DeKnight is open to a return to Marvel should his schedule allow, but for now he is focusing on other projects, about which no one really knows anything. ‘I’m sworn to secrecy,’ he said simply, before retreating into the shadows. Actually, the interview ended, but that’s not as mysterious.
Daredevil returns to Netflix in early 2016.
