Jason Statham Missed This MCU Role—Now It’s Been Demoted to Marvel TV’s Poster Child

File this under extremely specific what-if casting: back in 2008, Jason Statham openly campaigned to play Daredevil. Yes, the Transporter/Beekeeper wrecking ball wanted to suit up as Hell's Kitchen's blind lawyer by day, bruiser by night. And he pitched it right to Frank Miller.

The Comic-Con moment you probably missed

At Comic-Con International 2008, while Statham was out pushing his pedal-to-the-metal remake Death Race, the LA Times ran a blog item from a chat where Daredevil came up. Statham lit up, said he loved the character, and made it clear he wanted to work with Frank Miller, who was on hand promoting his movie The Spirit.

The interviewer tossed out the idea of Statham as Bullseye. Statham waved it off and went straight for the cowl:

'Forget Bullseye, I want to be Daredevil!'

Miller, never one to undersell a bold idea, backed him instantly:

'I think he should be Daredevil too.'

Quick clarification for anyone raising an eyebrow at the credits flying around that era: Miller didn’t make the 2003 Daredevil film, but his comics are a huge reason the character became the 'Man Without Fear' as we know him. He did co-direct Sin City and wrote/directed The Spirit, which starred Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson.

So why bring this up now?

Because Daredevil still sits in this odd space where he’s beloved, but mostly on the small screen. Charlie Cox absolutely owns the role and remains the heartbeat of the character’s live-action run. We got the fun wink in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but that was a cameo, not a full tilt.

I’ll die on this hill: Matt Murdock is a big-screen hero. He’s built for gritty, bruising, R-rated pressure cookers with Kingpin and Bullseye breathing down his neck. And with Marvel getting more comfortable coloring outside the PG-13 lines lately, the timing finally makes sense to let Daredevil loose in theaters.

Where Daredevil is headed

Disney+ has Daredevil: Born Again on the way with Cox back in the suit. There’s a lot of chatter about old street-level friends dropping by, including Jessica Jones, but keep in mind those appearances haven’t been officially locked in by Marvel as of this writing.

There’s also a second season floating around the rumor mill with a date pegged to March 4, 2026 on Disney+. As always with Marvel dates these days: pencil, not pen.

What do you do with Statham in the MCU?

If Marvel ever wanted to make that 2008 energy real, the Multiverse gives you an easy runway for a one-off alt-timeline Daredevil. But even if not, Statham fits this universe like a glove. Two roles jump out immediately:

• Union Jack: British hero, British star. Let him punch vampires at MI13 and growl his way through a lean, mean spy-superhero mashup.
• Ghost Rider: The man basically lives in vehicles on screen. After Nicolas Cage, you want someone who can sell the menace and the stuntwork. Statham would make a nasty, efficient Rider.

One last bit of context

For anyone keeping score on the pre-Cox days: the Ben Affleck-led Daredevil hit theaters on February 14, 2003. It landed soft with critics and audiences (think low-to-mid 40s with reviewers and mid-30s with audiences on the usual aggregators), which is part of why Cox’s take felt like a revelation when it arrived.

Anyway, I can absolutely picture Statham stalking rooftops with the billy clubs. Could he have nailed it? Yeah, I think so. Would I still watch a version of that now? Also yes. But Cox has earned his spot at the front of the line. Give the man a movie and let him cook.