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Daredevil's Coolest Costumes, From Marvel Comics to Netflix to Disney Plus

As Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock returns to screens in this week's She-Hulk, see how the devilishly well-dressed Daredevil's style has evolved over time.

Richard Trenholm
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Richard Trenholm
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The evolution of Daredevil

Daredevil sure does look sharp. Variations of his signature horned costume have kept the Hell's Kitchen vigilante looking good as he takes on supervillains using only his fists and his heightened senses, culminating in a triumphant return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney Plus series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. 

Comic industry legends including Jack Kirby, Bill Everett, Wally Wood and Frank Miller have had a hand in shaping Daredevil's look over the years. He's leaped from Hell's Kitchen rooftops on the pages of Marvel comics to the big screen, followed by a brooding, brutal series on Netflix and now a return to the MCU. With the help of Shirts.com, let's take a look at some of those devilishly cool costumes.

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Daredevil No. 1 (1964)

The blind crimefighter was created by Jack Kirby and Bill Everett and made his debut in 1964, decked out in yellow, black and red -- and a pair of horns. In issue #5, new artist Wally Wood replaced the single D with the iconic overlapping Ds.

This original outfit is the inspiration for Charlie Cox's "mustard and ketchup" look in She-Hulk.

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Daredevil No. 7 (1965)

Wood then introduced a whole new costume in issue number seven, and the classic look was born. The timeless red costume has remained the template ever since, with tweaks to the double-D emblem, including a change by Frank Miller that harked back to the original D design.

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The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)

In the 1989 TV movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, lawyer Matt Murdock (Rex Smith) agrees to defend David Banner (Bill Bixby) in court. But both men have secrets: Banner is big green trouser-ripping machine the Hulk, and Murdock is vigilante Daredevil, the spandex-wearing baddie basher. The TV movie was supposed to act as a pilot for a Daredevil series, but the show never happened.

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Daredevil No. 319 (1993)

In the '90s, our hero donned an armored black costume to take on superpowered villains -- Matt Murdock is, after all, highly skilled but only human. Scott McDaniel had his work cut out coming up with a look that would please everybody.

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The Man Without Fear (1993)

Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. returned to Daredevil's roots in this prequel miniseries exploring the character's origin, kitting out the young Matt Murdock in street-tough black hoodie and comfy sweatpants, a black mask and stylin' white retro kicks. He adopted the red costume only on the final page.

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Flying Blind (1998)

Waking in a French hospital, artist Laurent Levasseur is puzzled to discover he can see. Only later does he realize he's actually Matt Murdock, his brain rewired for a secret mission for intelligence agency SHIELD. Hence this costume echoes the classic Daredevil colors combined with a SHIELD uniform in this story by Scott Lobdell, Cully Hamner and Jason Martin told in Daredevil Nos. 376-379.

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Daredevil (2003)

Ben Affleck donned a red leather suit for the disappointing 2003 movie. The creative process was not without headaches: Designer James Acheson recalled a conference call with executives involving "a 40-minute conversation about the color red."

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Shadowland (2010)

In this story written by Andy Diggle and others, Matt Murdock assumes leadership of mystical ninja cult The Hand, and attempts to steer it toward being a bit nicer. However, he's possessed by the demon known as the Beast of the Hand, leading to a showdown with other New York-based heroes, including Spider-Man, the Punisher, Luke Cage and Iron Fist.

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Marvel's Daredevil (2015)

Charlie Cox donned a black outfit and mask to fight crime in the Daredevil TV series on Netflix. Costume designer Stephanie Maslansky evolved the outfit over time, leading to a big reveal as Murdock became the red-clad Daredevil we know and love. After the Netflix series was canceled, Cox's Daredevil had a hiatus before coming full circle to the yellow outfit seen in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

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