Charlie Cox has opened up about the cancellation of Daredevil on Netflix. Cox was the first of the Marvel heroes to be cast for Netflix and has spent most of his time for the last four years playing the blind vigilante. Despite the acclaim that the series brought both Marvel and Netflix, the show has come to a close.

The decision to cancel Daredevil was part of a larger movement showcasing the divide between Marvel and Netflix. In the weeks prior to the premiere of Daredevil season 3, the companies canceled both Iron Fist and Luke Cage after two seasons apiece. Despite evidence pointing towards a cancellation being in the show’s future, many were still optimistic that Daredevil would live on after the overwhelmingly positive reception to its third season. Even those involved with the series believed a fourth season was inevitable with the entire next story already laid out. Unfortunately, this didn’t stop the series from being canceled, which was reportedly a decision made by Marvel.

EW had the opportunity to be the first to speak with Cox, who played Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil), getting his thoughts on the cancellation. He was very straightforward in his response, noting how he too did not expect season 3 to be the end. That said, the cancellation is still sinking in for the actor who still finds it bizarre to think he may never play the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen again. He said:

Starring in Daredevil was a career-changing role for Cox and elevated him to leading man material with a massive property. For many fans, he has become as synonymous with Daredevil as some of the biggest superhero stars are with their respective characters. Later on in the interview, Cox mentioned how much he loved the role, not just from an actor’s perspective, but also thanks to the stunt work that was required. He became heavily invested in doing as much of his own stunts as possible, which is part of the reason why season three’s incredible one-take fight was possible to pull off.

“A lot of us really expected to keep going, and I certainly did. The truth is, I felt like we had a lot of stories to tell, and although I understand [the cancellation], I’m very saddened by that. It’s just how business works. But also, these characters mean a lot to people. It’s weird to think there’s a chance I won’t be playing Matt Murdock ever again. That’s a bizarre feeling, because that character has been such a huge part of my life for the last four and a half years.”

Cox was, however, hesitant to discuss the future. EW asked him about the plans for season four that were in the works, but he didn’t want to divulge that information just yet. His biggest concern with revealing the future story was giving fans “false hope” of what could have been. Instead, he’s going to let the fresh wounds of the cancellation heal before discussing those details. While he wouldn’t discuss season 4, he was asked about his interest in returning to the role in a different capacity if given the chance. Unsurprisingly, Cox is absolutely willing to return, but doesn’t know how that could happen. At this time, no such future likely awaits Cox or any of the other Marvel/Netflix stars, but at least everyone will always have the first three seasons of Daredevil to lean on to see his excellent portrayal.

Source: EW