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Every Marvel's Daredevil hallway fight scene, ranked

Netflix's Daredevil made us look at hallways differently - and we hope Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again continues that trend

If there’s one thing people know about the TV show Daredevil, it’s that it’s based on the Marvel Comics about a guy who is a blind lawyer by day, vigilante stalking the streets of Hell’s Kitchen by night. If there are two things people know? It’s that he fights in hallways. A lot.

Okay, fine, Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox on the formerly Netflix, now Disney+ TV series, and again on the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again, fights other places, too. Rooftops, churches, warehouses, even the occasional kitchen or two. But the hallway fights that punctuated the original three seasons of the TV series were so iconic that they bled over into other linked superhero shows (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist).

With Born Again about to hit your TV screens, we took a look back at the many, many hallway fights in the first three seasons of Daredevil and ranked them all. If you don’t like this ranking? Well, you can meet us in the hallway.

9. The Extinguisher in Daredevil season 1, episode 2 'Cut Man'

While this does take place in a hallway – or more specifically the stairwell right off a hallway – it’s a pretty short fight, as Daredevil drops a fire extinguisher on a thug masquerading as an NYPD Detective named Foster (Alex Falberg). Daredevil wins because the guy is knocked out immediately, and then taken to the roof. Maybe instead of 'The Mask' in season 1, they should have called Daredevil 'The Extinguisher.'

8. Is A Sewer A Hallway? in Daredevil season 1, episode 6 'Condemned'

If a sewer is a hallway for trash then sure, this might be a hallway fight. While trying to protect Russian gangster Vladimir (Nikolai Nikolaeff), Daredevil holds off some corrupt cops in the dark sewer, punctuated by the white blasts of gunfire. There’s not much to this fight, and it’s also barely a hallway, hence being listed towards the bottom.

7. Good Thing They’re Already In A Hospital - in Daredevil season 2, episode 11 '.380'

Set in an abandoned hospital wing besieged by members of The Hand, Daredevil and Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) fight to save a bunch of blood-drained kids who do not want to be saved. There are some cool shots in here, including three ninjas just waiting for their moment to take DD down. But it gets points knocked off for only partially being set in a hallway, with most of the cool stuff happening in a hospital room. It’s also an unfortunately brief fight after the massive build-up as the cliffhanger of the previous episode.

6. Is A Sewer A Hallway, Part 2 in Daredevil season 2, episode 12 'The Dark at the End of Tunnel'

True to the title of the episode, Daredevil fights ninjas in a dark sewer tunnel (aka a hallway for trash, as previously established). But also true to the title of the episode, it’s in the dark, mostly – no pun intended – overshadowing what should be a cool fight as DD battles the silent but deadly ninjas.

5. Freeing The Punisher in Daredevil season 2, episode 4 'Penny and Dime'

With The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) held hostage by the Irish mob, Daredevil fights his way down a pretty neat-looking hallway with multiple vestibules on each side, popping in and out of them as he takes out thugs. It’s a brief fight scene with no real frills, just your classic throwing the billy clubs and knocking dudes out. But the lighting is ominous, and the scenery unique, so it gets marks for that.

4. Going Down, Sir? in Daredevil season 2, episode 3 'New York's Finest'

After a heated battle with The Punisher on a rooftop, all DD wants to do is bring the gun-happy vigilante to justice. Unfortunately, Frank Castle has agitated the biker gang Dogs of Hell across the street by, you know, blowing up their bikes. So while Daredevil sends Frank’s unconscious body downstairs in an elevator, he fights his way through one hallway and down a staircase through hordes of enraged bikers. To up the ante, Daredevil has a gun (with no bullets, as he quickly discovers) duct-taped to one hand, and a chain tied on the other, which he whips around like a latter-day Spawn. And when you think he’s in the clear after the fight down the staircase, what does he see? Another hallway, and three beefy guys – joined by a fourth. He takes them down, too, just in time for the elevator to open on the still-unconscious Frank. While this ups the level of insanity – and length – from the first season’s “one-take” shot (more on that in a moment), it gets a point or two knocked off for some obvious cut-points in the 'one take' scene. That chain is very cool, though.

3. Caged Heat in Daredevil season 2, episode 9 'Seven Minutes in Heaven'

After getting tricked into doing Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) dirty work for him, Frank Castle finds himself locked in a cell block, with all the prison doors opened, and only a tiny shiv as his weapon. What makes this fight scene so good as Frank fights his way down the hall is that, after nine episodes, we finally get to see The Punisher cut loose… Sure he’s killed dozens of people this season so far, but this is up close and unfettered as all the rage, all the anger he’s been holding inside is let out with no filter. It’s bloody, brutal, and everything you’d expect – and want – from an R-rated (technically TV-MA) Punisher in prison massacre. The capper? A defiant Frank stands still, slathered in blood as the cell block is filled with tear gas, armored guards ready to take him down. As for Frank? He’s ready to take his… Well, punishment.

2. The One (Take Scene That Is At Number Two) in Daredevil season 3, episode 4 'Blindsided'

In one of the most insanely impressive scenes in the history of Marvel TV, Matt Murdock is trying to find out why Wilson Fisk is going after the Albanians by heading to the prison Fisk was formerly held in, only to find himself in a deathtrap designed by the Kingpin. Drugged, and out of costume, Matt fights his way out of the prison over the course of a 10-minute one-shot take that barely contains any visible seams. That would be impressive enough, but because of the lack of a mask, Charlie Cox is visible throughout the majority of the fight, up and down hallways, into cell blocks, and even stopping for a tense scene with the head of the Albanians where he gets the piece of info he needed on Fisk. This only sits at number two because fighting in the hallways is just one piece of what makes this scene so spectacular; if this was a list of one-take scenes? It would easily be at number one.

1. Battlin’ Jack in Daredevil season 1, episode 2 'Cut Man'

The hallway fight that started them all, this one-shot fight follows Daredevil as he takes on a Russian gang who has kidnapped a kid. The brilliant, brutal fight starts by establishing the hallway, and three doors – one room on each side, one at the end where the kid is being held – before DD enters, and fights his way through to save the child. What elevates this fight to the top tier is not just how it established the bona fides of the show, but also because in the episode Matt is already bruised and battered from an earlier fight. So by the time he gets to the hallway, it’s a brawl rather than a carefully choreographed superhero extravaganza. Even better, it parallels the flashback fight that is built throughout the episode that ultimately led to Matt’s father’s death. Just like Battlin’ Jack Murdock, Matt Murdock refuses to go down in the sixth round… Instead, just like Dad, he wins the bout and saves the kid. It’s the one fight scene on this list that’s not just impressive, it also ties directly to the emotional arc of the episode while looking cool and moving the plot forward. Murdock! Murdock!


 

Alex Zalben

Alex Zalben: Alex Zalben is a host and producer of the podcast Comic Book Club. He's written about entertainment for MTV News, TV Guide, and many more.

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