In the MCU, Murdock is a lawyer by day who specializes in legal defense alongside his colleagues Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, while also aiding other superpowered individuals within New York City.

He further pursues a personal crusade to inflict his own brand of justice at night, masquerading as a masked vigilante hoping to remove the corruption facing Hell's Kitchen following the Battle of New York from The Avengers (2012).

His activities would eventually bring him into conflict with enemies such as businessman Wilson Fisk and the Hand organization in the process, the latter of which he combatted alongside the Defenders when they successfully resurrected and weaponized a former ally and lover from his past, Elektra Natchios.

Following Fisk's defeat, Murdock returns to his law practice, successfully defending Peter Parker against criminal charges pressed against him as well as entering a romantic relationship with fellow superhuman lawyer Jennifer Walters.

In addition to Parker and Walters, he would also come to the defense of and befriend other heroes, namely Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and Frank Castle, among other acquaintances.

An alternate version of the character appeared in the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025), with Cox reprising the role.

[1][2][3] There was this issue of Daredevil, near the end of [writer-artist] Frank Miller's run, our hero is fighting with a professional assassin named Bullseye, on a wire.

Cox was saddened by the cancellation, since it "felt like we had a lot of stories to tell", especially since he had been excited by what had been discussed for a potential fourth season, adding that he was hopeful for an opportunity to portray the character again.

[20] Jessica Henwick, who co-stars with Cox as Colleen Wing in The Defenders, indicated that he had known about the opportunity to reprise the role in a Marvel Studios production years prior.

[22] In October 2022, Cox explained that he approached Marvel Studios' Daredevil as the same character from the Netflix series, saying it "should be and is always", and Murdock changed to fit tonally,[23] attributing his MCU return to the "#SaveDaredevil" campaign and petition later that month.

[25] Murdock begins the first season wearing a black costume (called the "vigilante outfit" by production), inspired by the one worn by the character in Frank Miller's The Man Without Fear, rather than the more traditional red, horned suit.

[24] Maslansky noted that they wanted the outfit to "look like something that Matt Murdock could put together himself, that he could either order off the Internet or shop around town.

Concerning the black mask, Maslansky noted that a balance between aesthetic and safety was required, and that "It's made out of a cotton mesh.

"[25] On the red suit that Murdock gets at the end of the first season, Maslansky said, "We wanted something that looked militaristic and functional, but also dramatic and sexy" adding that it was "tricky" making it practical.

Quesada, who previously worked as an artist on Daredevil comics, gave several suggestions, including the use of rivets and "architectural" shapes as a reference to the creation of New York City.

The suit is intended to look like a Kevlar vest, and the black sections are an homage to comic panels where the artists highlighted certain areas with red, with "deeper portions" in shadow.

[43] Season three showrunner Erik Oleson drew inspiration from both "Born Again" and "Guardian Devil" for the tone of the season,[44] structurally building the season if any viewer was a "devout Catholic... you could read into the events of the early episodes as a message from God to Matt"[45] and noting that Murdock would "broken physically, broken emotionally, and broken spiritually" with his heightened senses failing him, adding that Murdock is "angry at God, angry at the fact he had risked his life to do God's work, and he's questioning whether or not he was a fool."

This results in Murdock donning the black suit from season one, since he goes to "pretty much the darkest place you can" and is at a point where he's "incapable of being Daredevil, [and] he would rather just end it than go forward in his life without abilities.

"[23] The character first appears in the MCU in the Marvel Television series Daredevil and later The Defenders as a founding member of the eponymous team.

Murdock eventually attends Columbia Law School, meeting and befriending Foggy Nelson while subsequently dating Elektra Natchios before breaking up.

Shortly after opening the firm, Murdock and Nelson are appointed with Union Allied employee Karen Page being framed for murder.

During their final confrontation, Murdock wears a new red, horned, and armoured suit built by Melvin Potter and modelled after the devil before fighting Fisk, defeating him and sending him to prison.

Daredevil confronts the man in a rooftop but is shot in the head, though he survives due to his body armor, Nelson insisting he rests and recover.

Months after Elektra's death,[39] Murdock practices as a pro bono lawyer and is dispatched at Jeri Hogarth's behest to represent Jessica Jones after a man kills himself in her office.

Jones continues her investigation into Midland Circle against Murdock's recommendation, and both end up reinforcing an escape attempt by Luke Cage and Danny Rand from the Hand.

Taking shelter at a restaurant, the four are joined by Stick, who explains the Hand's conflict with the Chaste and K'un L'un, and in repelling the next attack Cage also captures Hand leader Sowande, who reveals the other part of their plan; use Rand's Iron Fist to access the dragon bones at the bottom of Midland Circle.

After Fisk manipulates the FBI to release him from prison, Murdock investigates the Presidential Hotel, but begins to hallucinate him as a "devil on his shoulder".

Murdock resolves to kill Fisk to relieve New York and the FBI from his grasp, but hearing that Page is to be assassinated diverts him to save her, with Lantom dying in the crossfire.

A week later, Murdock returns to Los Angeles, finding Walters at the Summer Twilights retreat, and begins dating her.

[62] IndieWire's Liz Shannon Miller, reviewing season one, praised the performances of the cast, especially D'Onofrio, Curtis-Hall, and Cox.