After a much-publicized behind-the-scenes course correction, the first season of “Daredevil: Born Again” has completed its run. And despite the midstream shakeup, the result is a tightly executed, emotionally resonant season that may surprise fans who were skeptical about Disney’s takeover of the Netflix-born series. Originally envisioned as an 18-episode relaunch under the Disney+ banner, the series underwent a mid-production overhaul that brought in new creative leadership and a clearer sense of vision. What could have unraveled instead evolved into a leaner, story-first debut season that reaffirmed Matt Murdock’s place as Marvel’s most grounded and compelling hero.
For longtime fans of the brutal elegance that defined the original Netflix series, the big question was whether this new version would retain that same emotional gravity and visual grit. Thankfully, “Born Again” doesn’t flinch. The violence is still visceral, the moral lines remain blurred, and the show’s identity nods to the shadowy, richly textured world Daredevil has always occupied. “You can’t pull away from those references,” says cinematographer Pedro Gómez Millán. “But we also wanted to do something refreshing—something new for the fans.”
Millán joined the series to lens Episodes 4 (“Sic Semper Systema”) and 5 (“With Interest”), stepping in at a pivotal point in the season where the pace shifts and the stakes escalate. Episode 4, set largely within a Wall Street bank, delivers one of the show’s signature action sequences. Filming it meant negotiating real New York logistics, from blocked-off streets to dimly lit interiors that had to double as urban caverns. “We had to take over three to four blocks of Manhattan,” Millán recalls. “And they only let us shut down the street for one day.”
Though new to the Marvel ecosystem, Millán brought with him a distinct visual language informed by his indie film background. His style favors atmosphere and emotion over gloss. Collaborating with department heads who were also new to the MCU, Millán leaned into naturalistic lighting and shot structure, drawing on 1970s cinema and the color-streaked work of street photographers like Saul Leiter to give the show its mood.
Pedro Gómez Millán spoke with Awards Focus about stepping into the world of “Daredevil,” crafting its visual tone amid a high-pressure production reset, and what made filming in New York City both a challenge and a gift.
Awards Focus: Were you a big fan of “Daredevil” before being asked to be part of the show?
Pedro Gómez Millán: I was a fan of superheroes. You know, Spider-Man, Batman. And I knew about “Daredevil,” but I didn’t really learn about it until I got the script for the show. I did some research, started watching the previous shows, and I became a fan just by watching them. I was like, oh my God, this show is amazing.
So I was completely a fan at that point. And then they sent me the script, and the script was like—if you take the superhero story aside—it was a super layered, compelling story. I was like, I would watch this movie. I would watch this show. And I would love to be part of it.
Matt and Fisk are such great characters. I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s so successful. People empathize with them. They’re trying to change, they’re struggling to change. They’re weak, but they’re strong. Their weaknesses are very compelling to watch on screen. And the script was very layered. As a cinematographer, you ask, how can we tell this story visually? How can we get the characters’ struggle across? And I was like, let’s do it. I’m up for challenges. So I was excited.
AF: You said you got the script. Was that for the whole season or specific episodes?
Millán: I got the script for the pilot—which is now episode two, because of the creative overhaul. Back then I was shooting another show in Los Angeles, so I wasn’t available to shoot the pilot. I had to come in later, and that’s how I ended up with the other two episodes.
AF: You were handed a couple of fun ones to work on. Let’s talk about Episode 4, which to me is when the series really starts to come alive. What were the challenges of shooting that episode?
Millán: The bank episode was very challenging. First, we had to pick the right location—visually, and one that would make sense for the story. It required blocking the street, closing it down not just for the exterior scenes, but also because we were taking over three to four blocks of Manhattan. It’s a big show.
We picked this location on Wall Street, right in the middle of the Financial District. The streets are really narrow. They only allowed us to close the street for one day. But the exterior work required two days. And the lobby of the bank is basically like a cave. Technically it was super challenging—there’s no direct sun. It had two rows of very tall white windows, but if you’re in the middle of the day, there’s nothing coming in because of the skyscrapers. So I had to put lights all around the building through the windows, but they wouldn’t let us close the street. It’s Wall Street.
And also, it’s Marvel, but it’s still a TV schedule. For example, the staircase fight—it was only one day. No time for error. All the days at the bank were packed with scenes and action and explosions, tons of extras. It was a challenge. I feel very proud of the team. Everybody was on their top game.
And it’s a bottle episode. Sometimes you need those episodes on TV to adjust the schedule or the budget. It was nice to focus on the bank work, to work with Charlie Cox, and to get out of our stages for a bit. It was a nice challenge.
AF: The Netflix show was loved, especially for its fight scenes. Did you feel pressure to live up to that? And how did you apply your own vision to this season?
Millán: Yeah, the previous show is great. It’s successful for a reason. Coming back to “Daredevil” and “Born Again,” you kind of need—as a cinematographer and as a filmmaker—you cannot pull away from those references.
We were very conscious of what was done before. We wanted to do something refreshing, something new for the fans, but also taking that into consideration. There’s an expectation when you put “Daredevil” on screen. People expect a certain type of fight, a certain type of drama.
We highly respect what was done before. And then we focused on what was on the page. How can we tell this story in the best way possible? How can we make it thrilling to watch, but also exciting for us to shoot? I feel like when I get excited about something, I know it might connect with some people. If we follow our intuition, that might be the best way to succeed.
AF: I read that a lot of department heads on this show were new to Marvel. What was that like?
Millán: Yeah, when I joined the show, I was talking to other department heads—the production designer, costume designer—and they were like, “This is our first Marvel show.” We were scouting and asking each other about Marvel references, and nobody could answer them because we’re filmmakers. A lot of us came from independent filmmaking.
I loved that energy. It felt like a bunch of artists and filmmakers trying to make the best movie possible. It didn’t feel like we were making a glossy, glamorous show. Everyone knew their job and just wanted to make a good movie. When we needed Marvel references, the executives were available to guide us.
Someone asked me if there’s a set expectation for how Marvel shows should look. I think if you’re told you have to deliver a certain aesthetic, that wouldn’t be as exciting. I know Marvel trusted this new energy, this new perspective, to bring a fresh angle. Hopefully fans appreciate that.
AF: Working with Marvel and Disney, did you get access to any new gear or tech you hadn’t used before?
Millán: We didn’t use volume screens, which is one of the newest technologies. We had our stages, we had a blue screen—the traditional stuff.
What was great was that we could pretty much do anything we wanted. The VFX people were very supportive. For example, in Episode 4 at the bank, I had to put lights above the windows. We were shooting a lot of low angles, and I was worried about seeing those practical film lights. The VFX team said, “We can help you clean those up.” That probably wouldn’t happen on another show.
So I can’t say we used new equipment, but the fact that the budget allowed for that kind of cleanup—that’s something we couldn’t have done elsewhere.
AF: When filming a character like Matt Murdock, who’s supposed to be blind, are you paying extra attention to make sure his portrayal as a blind man is convincing, despite his super powers?
Millán: 100%. As a DP, you have to be super present. There are so many elements on set, but with actors especially, you need to be there for them.
In film school, one of my favorite classes was acting. It was a directing MFA program, but getting to act helped me understand the pressure of being in front of the camera.
Charlie had three different layers of red glasses, with different thicknesses. Sometimes you could see his eyes, sometimes not. Depending on the shot and how close the camera was, we’d prefer darker glasses so you couldn’t see his eyes. That helped his performance too. He was very conscious of it—he’d ask me, “If you see my eyes through the glasses, let me know.”
With lighting, camera, and lens choices, we tried to make those eyes more mysterious. That helped the performance.
AF: Your episodes build a lot of tension. How do you collaborate with the directors and crew to develop that?
Millán: Everything’s on the page, in a way. It’s always good to read the script multiple times. Every read is different. You work on the story so much that at some point, it’s imprinted in your brain. By the time you shoot, every scene, every line—it’s all in your head.
Collaborating with the directors is one of the most exciting parts. Bouncing ideas, getting inspired together.
In shows like this, the production designer is core. He goes on scouts with us, asks how he can help shape the sets—how to orient them for light, for movement. In Episode 5, me and [the Director] Jeffrey Nachmanoff wanted to transition from one scene to the next through camera movement. So we asked Michael Schow, our production designer, to build some windows we could fly the camera through.
Like the scene with Leroy [played by Charlie Hudson] and Matt Murdock—we flew the camera through a window from the cell. The Michael Gandolfini [whom plays Daniell Blake] scene, coming out of the club and meeting Leroy across the street—that was another big one. The key grip, prop master, and others got involved. They cut a cab in half, ordered a crane. It’s exciting to have an idea and then make it happen together.
AF: Aside from the original “Daredevil” series, what visual references inspired you?
Millán: We referenced a lot of 1970s New York films—“The French Connection,” “The Conversation,” that kind of stuff. Especially after [Directors] Aaron [Moorehead] and Justin [Benson] came on board. They shot the pilot, and we started using a lot of zooms. When Matt hears something, that hypersensitivity was visualized with a long zoom that goes past him. That was inspired by those ’70s movies.
And there’s a photographer named Saul Leiter. He shot a lot of very cinematic photography of New York. Super inspiring. When we went scouting, we’d ask, “Would Saul Leiter shoot something here?” If yes, then we’d consider it.
AF: Was a lot of the show actually shot on location in New York?
Millán: Yes. We wanted it to feel like New York City. That was something we talked about with the showrunners from the beginning—we wanted it to feel like the people of New York.
We had our stages for recurring sets, but we made an effort. I shot the scene on the mountains where Luka gets shot and Fisk is having dinner—that was in Benmont, one of the oldest restaurants in the city. You can feel the texture.
I don’t know the exact percentage, but maybe 60/40? We probably shot more on stages because it’s TV, but we made a real effort to be out on the street.
AF: Looking back at Episodes 4 and 5, is there a shot or sequence you’re most proud of?
Millán: I think the bank episode, especially the lobby. There were so many layers—extras, action scenes. The fight between Daredevil and the robbers… I forget the name of the Irish guy, but that whole lobby sequence was tough.
I feel most proud of how we handled the pressure of time and budget and delivered a great episode.
AF: You’ve worked across lots of genres, but now you’ve added superhero and Marvel to the mix. Is it something you’d like to do again?
Millán: Yes, I would love to do it again. I love superheroes. I never thought I’d be doing one of these shows, but now that I have, I’m super excited.
What I love is that within the superhero genre, you can explore a lot of layers—different characters, emotional stories. That’s very interesting to me.