The rumored soft reboot that is reported to take precedence in the MCU after Avengers: Secret Wars may allow the superhero film and television franchise to revel in a world of countless lucrative possibilities.
The previous speculation outlining the need for the streamlining of the vast expanse of the franchise was a result of Joanna Robinson highlighting a quote by Fiege, along with an additional statement in her book, MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios. This may imply that is how Marvel Studios will choose to spearhead the MCU in the future.
Read more: James Gunn Defends Marvel Movie That Sets up Secret Wars Being Ridiculed for Reshoots!
The reports’ foundation (currently) could not be defined by official confirmations but rather by what appears to be the franchise’s foreseeable trajectory. A soft reboot would allow the MCU to retain its continuity, utilize the elements that have worked, expunge what hasn’t, and potentially bring back those superheroes or foes whose journey within the franchise was cut short.
And if the latter possibility is to be believed, it’d imply the comeback of many notable names from the Marvel IP whom the fans desperately miss in the MCU. Aside from the obvious choices, one character who could return is Ben Urich, a dependable and mainstay ally of Daredevil in the comics—who, to the astonishment of fans, was killed off in the Netflix adaptation.
Daredevil‘s Ben Urich Could Be Brought Back With The Alleged Secret Wars Reboot
Ben Urich, who frequently appears in Daredevil and Spider-Man comics, is a hard-charging investigative journalist for the New York newspaper The Daily Bugle. In the masked vigilante’s comic book adventures, Urich appears in several primary story arcs, playing a significant role in the broader plot. He is a mainstay of Daredevil, a reliable ally of The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to the extent that he knows Matt’s otherwise veiled identity.
His path frequently crosses with Spider-Man, too, and in investigating crimes, he has encountered characters like the Punisher, Elektra, Kingpin, etc.
In Daredevil (2015-2018), which officially enjoys a canon status to the overarching MCU alongside the other Netflix-Marvel titles, the journalist, who works for the New York Bulletin (a newspaper that was exclusively created for the cinematic franchise), boasts several contradictions from his comic book counterpart. Although his tenure is short, it’s nevertheless compelling.
Read more: Secret Wars: Tom Holland Spider-Man’s Ability is Key to Stopping All Incursions!
His character serves the purpose of a conclusion that heightens the stakes and informs the audiences of Wilson Fisk’s sinister intensity. However, while the character’s arc within the series was critically well-received, it was a bittersweet development.
Several fans were looking forward to Vondie Curtis-Hall’s role to be intricately involved with the overarching narrative run of Netflix’s Daredevil. Many would have preferred this continuity, now confirmed to apply to the MCU, to have retained Urich’s mainstay comic-book status.
While the New York Bulletin journalist’s death remains a widely-discussed (and perhaps one of the only) complaint of the series, there are still ways that could bring the character back, but only after the soft reboot post-Secret Wars.
A revival trope would feel cheap and singlehandedly destroy the meaningful plot affirmed before. However, a soft reboot, retaining few elements of the original canon continuity, introducing new characters, and incorporating new Hollywood faces to retired characters and iconic Marvel IPs (ahem, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff) whose journeys were cut short, would ensure a smooth narrative flow and make Ben Urich’s comeback feel natural.
But what is the possibility of a soft reboot happening in the first place? The following reports may imply that one is underway, explaining how it could only make sense for Avengers: Secret Wars to be the reset point.
On The Possibility Of A Soft MCU Reboot Occurring Post-Secret Wars
A statement from one of the authors of MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, Joanna Robinson, implied that head honcho Feige might be devising a fresh direction for the franchise’s future. Intending to “prune” what isn’t working, essentially trimming the excess that characterizes the present continuity, a soft reboot could be underway and would allegedly occur after the much-anticipated Secret Wars. Talking on the The Watch podcast, Robinson stated the following:
“We have a quote from Kevin Feige … implying that … Secret Wars will serve as a soft reboot in which they can prune everything … [They’ll] prune everything that’s not working and keep what is [working], or bring back people you thought were gone forever.”
ScreenRant mentions that in the book’s final chapter, it was alluded that Kevin Feige learned a few lessons from Marvel’s comics. These included ideas about the necessity for superheroes to be rebooted occasionally, how to prevent spinoffs from “spiraling out of control,” and “how an annual mega-crossover event” could unify an assortment of beloved characters.
Related: Secret Wars Theory: Bully Maguire Returns To Lead The Avengers
One of the many complaints directed at the MCU today points to the numerous storylines (often resulting in wasted potential) becoming hard to keep up with. If a soft reboot were to be pursued, it’d address the various issues plaguing the franchise. And Secret Wars would be an appropriate place to sow the seeds of the change, going by the developments (destruction of the Multiverse and its eventual rebirth) in the comics.
Ben Urich, Daredevil’s oldest ally, has been of help to the masked vigilante numerous times in the comics, and his involvement is entangled in intriguing storylines. Bringing him back after the rumored reboot, potentially in the planned second season of Daredevil: Born Again, would pacify fans’ only complaint with Netflix’s Daredevil. However, how the character could be seamlessly integrated again would remain to be seen.
Alas, that’s just a theory—an MCU theory. And the likelihood of it happening is slim, but never zero. Besides, it would give fans what they’ve long yearned for—more of cinematically-adapted Ben Urich, and what’s the harm in that?
