Steven DeKnight, the filmmaker who is widely known for his work on the Starz seriesSpartacus,also served as the showrunner for the first season ofMarvel’sDaredevil, which aired on Netflix for three seasons in total and starredCharlie CoxandVincent D’Onofrio.Disney announced they would be bringing back the character of Daredevil in a new series calledDaredevil: Born Again, and now, DeKnight has criticized the decision to relaunch the series.
DeKnight was tagged in a tweet that highlighted the fact the crew members ofBorn Againwere receiving Season One terms on their contracts through IATSE. DeKnight responded by stating that he was aware of it, adding that it was “an old Disney scam” whereby a show could be renamed to reset contract terms. Key examples of this could includeScrubswhich becameScrubs: Med School,Liv and Maddiewhich addedCali Styleto its fourth season, andThe Suite Life of Zack and Cody, which becameThe Suite Life on Deck.
DeKnight then later expressed frustration that his comments were taken out of context, explaining he had no issue with the show continuing, but rather the contract terms of a “reboot” meant branding it as a new show, which meant the companycould avoid paying residualsto the original creatives, himself included. A reboot indicates a show is starting over, whereas a continuation would retain the same core cast and follow the story. Interestingly,Erik Oleson, who served as showrunner on Season 3 of Netflix’sDaredevil,had also previously pointed out that theDaredevil: Born Againreboot was basically Season 4 of the Netflix series.
Steven DeKnight’s Comments Should Not Be Dismissed as Jealousy
DeKnight also later added his own context to his remarks, speaking from his own experience of working in the industry and clarifying that Disney’s own policy of altering the titles of shows while retaining the main cast is a deceptive way of keeping costs down, as cast and crew are entitled to significant pay bumps as a show progresses. By claiming it is a “new series” even when the continuity remains the same, the company can then avoid paying more money but instead claim fresh contract terms on a lower compensatory rate.
“You have to understand Disney’s history of slightly changing a show’s title, retaining the main cast, but calling it a new show or a reboot to avoid bumping the crew’s pay. Hope that helps clarify what I was referring to.”
The fight for equality in contract terms, as well as residual payments, is a key component inthe ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. DeKnight’s comments being misconstrued risk undermining that message. Currently,Daredevil: Born Again’s production has been suspendedamid the ongoing strikes. Its release date is currently pending. Check out DeKnight’s full tweets below:
