‘Daredevil’ season 2: Jeph Loeb talks Punisher, Elektra, Matt’s relationships, new series
Netflix had two Marvel panels for the Television Critics Association amd in between panels, Marvel Television Head Jeph Loeb spoke with reporters about the shows: Daredevil and Jessica Jones.
Season two of Daredevil introduces Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) and there is already talk of Bernthal getting his own The Punisher series. There is still a second season of Jessica Jones and launch of Luke Cage, Iron Fist and The Defenders, but Loeb confirms Marvel/Netflix is open to spinning off Castle.
“Look, I’m never going to discourage a network from looking at one of our characters and encouraging us to do more,” Loeb said of the potential Punisher spinoff.
“That’s my job, but it’s certainly not how we enter the arena. We go into the arena to tell a story. If we are lucky enough that through the writing, through the direction, through the actor that people want to see more of that person, terrific. That’s certainly not the beginning and the end goal. The beginning goal is always: what is the best 13 episodes of Daredevil season two?”
Daredevil is also introducing Elektra, played by Elodie Yung.
Loeb spoke about how the two new additions advance the story of Matt Murdock.
“If season one was really about Matt’s decision to become a hero, then season two really became about what is it to be a hero,” Loeb said. “In introducing the characters of Frank Castle and the character of Elektra, it was to be able to push and pull on Matt. It wasn’t just to have those characters join the ongoing ensemble cast. It actually was to have Frank on the one hand who sees justice in a very black-and-white kind of way, whereas Elektra lives more in the gray or says she lives more in the gray.”
Netflix showed a clip of Daredevil (Charlie Cox) meeting Elektra for the first time in the series, and it’s clear they’ve known each other before. Furthermore, it was her decision to leave, and now she’s back asking for a favor.
“I think one of the things that’s dynamic about Elodie’s performance is that you never quite know if Elektra’s telling you the truth,” Loeb said. “Matt, who has this sort of ability to be a human lie detector, because he’s emotionally attached to her, it skews his ability to be able to know whether or not she’s telling the truth or he’s being manipulated, or is she actually not manipulating him? That kind of interaction, and I think the natural emotion that was going on between Charlie and Elodie that we captured on film, added a great deal of spark to it. Particularly, given that Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) is an equally strong and independent woman who has her own story that’s going on throughout the series. As you will watch it unfold, you get very caught up in the push and pull of Matt Murdock’s life.”
The Punisher always pushes the moral boundaries. He is a vigilante after all, and his means often make you question the ends. Elektra will also challenge Daredevil morally.
“She challenges Matt’s quest for justice,” Loeb said. “Who are you doing this for? Why are you doing this? What’s the end goal that you’re trying to achieve? Because she has a very clear agenda in terms of what she’s trying to achieve and it’s very self-motivated. That’s something that should continually push in the audience. The audience should continually be going, ‘No, she’s right. No, he’s right. No, she’s right. No, he’s right.’ If we can do that, then we’ve really achieved something.”
