Ben Afleck’s Daredevil Easter Egg Was Removed From Spider-Man: No Way Home

Charlie Cox, known for his portrayal of Daredevil in the Netflix series, almost included a subtle nod to the 2003 Ben Affleck-starring Daredevil. This was during his first appearance in the film.

Warning: Very minor spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

During the scene where Matt Murdock is speaking to Peter Parker, May Parker, and Happy Hogan, there was intended to be a reference to Affleck’s Murdock. Cox improvised a joke referencing Favreau’s (Happy) previous role as Foggy Nelson in the 2003 Daredevil film. Foggy Nelson was Murdock’s new legal partner in the old film, so he would be remembered by viewers.

The reference would start with Murdock asking Happy a question, and Happy would respond, “Yeah, I’m a little foggy on that right now.” This would be a reference to the name. It’s small, but since Cox confirmed it himself to The Popverse, it’s an intentional reference. Unfortunately, the joke was ultimately cut from the final version of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

What’s more interesting is that this means a lot more now, thanks to Marvel connecting its older movies to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The 2003 Daredevil film, despite its mixed reception, has remained a part of Marvel’s cinematic history. While it may not have been as successful as the Netflix series, you can still sometimes see references to it in other movies and shows.

Cox’s presence in the film helped to bridge the gap between the Netflix shows and the larger MCU, which paved the way for his upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again. With Daredevil: Born Again set to premiere on Disney+, Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock alongside many of the original cast members from the Netflix series. The series is expected to delve deeper into the character’s story and explore his connections to other MCU characters. There is also now an opportunity to have Affleck cameo as his Daredevil, and since Affleck is a known comic fan, he’ll likely love to do it.

Little references like this show the producers and directors love the stories and plots as much as the audience does. Them sneaking bits in is their way to pay homage and love for those movies and stories that came before that pioneered superhero movies.