Marvel Studios just addressed one of the biggest questions fans have been asking for a while now: is Netflix’s Daredevil a part of the MCU canon? With Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock set to appear in the upcoming Echo TV series, the show’s executive producer gives some clarification to the MCU’s sacred timeline.
In a recent sitdown with Screenrant, Echo’s executive producer Brad Winderbraum was asked about Daredevil’s inclusion in the MCU’s continuity. The producer said that Marvel has been a bit elusive when talking about what projects are part of the Sacred Timeline in the past to avoid upsetting its vendors.
While the Netflix shows were being made by a different team, there was still a balance in the storylines as the teams shared information on their respective projects. The separation between continuities and timelines back then was less clear, too.
“I can say that up until this point, we’ve been a little bit cagey about what’s Sacred Timeline, what’s not Sacred Timeline,” Winderbaum said. That was born of, frankly, a period at the studio where we were like, “We have to stick the landing with the vendors.” It was another part of the company developing the Netflix stuff. We were aware of what they were doing, they were aware of what we were doing, but there was a lot to balance anyway.”
The producer goes on to explain that now that some time has passed since the ending of the Netflix shows, Marvel has seen the continuity within the shared storyline. Winderbaum said that he thinks that Netflix’s Daredevil is part of the MCU sacred timeline.
“But now that some time has passed; now that we see actually how well integrated the stories are, I think that I personally, Brad Winderbaum, would be confident in saying it is part of the Sacred Timeline,” the producer shares.
This latest statement from a top Marvel Studios executive cements Daredevil’s importance in the MCU. The superhero played by Charlie Cox has already has already appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Cox, along with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, will be playing a significant part in Echo and star in Daredevil: Born Again.
Winderbaum’s statement paves the way for other Netflix Marvel characters to be part of the MCU. Marvel could greatly benefit from adding well-established characters like Punisher, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Runaways as part of the greater continuity. The lineup could be included in the newly formed Marvel Spotlight banner which promises more grounded stories. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher could be the next Netflix star added to the MCU.
Echo is coming to Disney+ on January 9, 2024.
