A Charlie Bielinski Pop-Ed: Thanks to Daredevil, I'm Going to Have to Get Netflix

I'm going to have to get Netflix.

I know what you're thinking. How could someone writing for a pop culture website devoted to news and commentary about television, movies, music, books, celebrities, and other aspects of pop culture not subscribe to Netflix?

And that's just the people who don’t know me.

Those that do know me are likely reading this saying, "You are such a liar. You just want something to write about."

I assure you that I do not currently have a Netflix subscription.

Practically all the electronic devices in my home except my Keurig can display a Netflix movie or television show, but because I don't subscribe, none of them will be doing so in the near future. I haven't really been able to justify the subscription despite the low cost.

Oh sure, every one of my five email addresses has been associated with a free 30-day trial, but rarely has any money come out of my bank account to pay for the service. I've heard that I should watch House of Cards and that Orange Is the New Black is incredible, but neither has prompted me to want to either create yet another email account or actually pay for the service. However, in 2015 that will have to change thanks to Disney and its recently announced partnership with Netflix.

Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage will join the live-action Marvel Universe, but if I want to watch them fight crime (which I do) I'll need access to Netflix. Yes, I realize that waiting for the DVD set to be released well after the episodes have been made available for streaming is an option for some people, but that won't work for me. I'm also not going to obtain them through less than legal means and watch them on a small computer screen.

Oh no, I'm envisioning a sick day, lots of popcorn and avoidance of the outside world on the day of release for all four individual shows and then for the release of The Defenders. Although the specific plan hasn't been released anywhere yet, I am guessing that if it follows the Marvel film strategy there would be one or two per year followed by the big team-up and then, with good enough ratings, repeat for round two. The first 13 episode series will focus on Daredevil, news that sent Ben Affleck's name back onto the Internet. It seems many people are, not surprisingly, very happy to get a chance to wipe out the memory of Affleck's portrayal of Matt Murdock, the blind Hell's Kitchen lawyer who wears the red tights to protect Hell's Kitchen.

I am not one of those people.

While I welcome the return of Daredevil, I actually enjoyed Daredevil on film. The theatrical release wasn't all that bad and the director's cut was fantastic. However, I am excited to see what Daredevil looks like on television and even more so considering that it will be on Netflix where the show can be allowed to venture into R-rated territory.

Daredevil was the only real edgy comic that I read during the 1980s, as most others dealt with more superhero-stereotypical villains and storylines. I hope that the television version that is produced is close to the one that I remember, with Daredevil being very morally ambiguous, performing some sketchy acts in his punishment of the guilty and protection of his neighborhood.

If the show has a big bad, it would have to be Kingpin. I could certainly see him being the unseen or seldom-seen force behind all the evil in the four separate series. I am not sure why, but I keep picturing Michael Chiklis wearing the white suit and sitting behind the desk holding a large cane. There might be other villains in each individual show but Kingpin would ultimately be the one directing all the action that would culminate in The Defenders.

Wow. Just thinking about this is getting me excited. I could go on and speculate about stories, casting ideas and the introduction of other heroes, but that might be material for another column as the shows begin production. For now I am just going to enjoy the thought of it all happening. I know that 19-year-old Charlie would have never believed he was going to eventually see The Avengers on a movie screen, SHIELD agents on television and Daredevil on streaming video.

Like I said, I'm going to have to get Netflix.

Contact Charlie Bielinski on Twitter at @chazb54.