Although his performances inDaredevilare how most Charlie Cox fans know the actor, he starred in a show before donning the red cowl that may also appeal to those who enjoy watching Matt Murdock’s exploits. Since making his Marvel debut whenDaredevilbegan in 2015,Charlie Cox has returned as Matt Murdock several times, further cementing the character as his seminal role. However,Daredevil’s prominence can make it easy to forget about other brilliant roles that Cox has playedbefore and after becoming the beloved superhero.
A few years before Charlie Cox first played Daredevil, the actor made his exit from one of thebest gangster TV shows of all time. The show in question is so highly revered, at least in part, due to the involvement of one of thebest movie directors ever, giving the project a level of cinematic quality that wasn’t typically found in the TV industry at that time. While I don’t see the project ever returning to the public eye in any notable way, it’s a very worthwhile experience, especially for Charlie Cox fans.
Charlie Cox Played Owen Sleater In Boardwalk Empire
Cox first starred in the Steve Buscemi-led project in 2011
Charlie Cox made hisBoardwalk Empiredebut in 2011. Playing Owen Sleater, he first appeared in season 2, episode 2, “Ourselves Alone,” and went on to be credited for a total of 29 appearances on the show. With Steve Buscemi leadingBoardwalk Empireas Nucky Thompson, Cox often shared scenes with the Hollywood legend.Owen was an enforcer and driver for Nucky in the underground bootlegging networkof Buscemi’s character.
Owen’s episodes aren’t evenly spread throughout all five seasons ofBoardwalk Empire, which allows him to make a unique sort of impact on the story.
Owen’s episodes aren’t evenly spread throughout all five seasons ofBoardwalk Empire, which allows him to make a unique sort of impact on the story while also remaining in the position of a semi-secondary character. It was one of Cox’s biggest roles on the journey to becoming Daredevil. He snagged a couple of notable credits after leavingBoardwalk Empire, such as appearing as Jonathon Hellyer Jones in 2014’sThe Theory of Everything, butit wouldn’t be until his casting as Matt Murdock that the actor would properly return to the spotlight.
How Cox’s Boardwalk Empire Performance Compares To Daredevil
Matt Murdock is pretty similar to Owen Sleater (in some ways)
Cox’s dual role of Matt Murdock and Daredevil calls for him to portray each side of the character differently. Matt is the charismatic and charming side, and Daredevil is the brutal persona he dons when he feels like justice needs to be served more swiftly than it can be in a courtroom. In a way,Charlie Cox’s work onBoardwalk Empirewas a sort of foreshadowing, as Owen is also a multi-layered character.
Watching Cox playing Owen is almost akin to seeing how Matt Murdock often interacts with people. Although largely quite sweet, Owen’s criminal connections do require him to have a slightly darker side. That said, the divide between the two sides of himself isn’t quite as severe as the one that sets Matt Murdock apart from Daredevil. However,Cox does get to show off a specific talent in both shows, as he doesn’t speak in his native English accent in either. While he adopts an American accent forDaredevil, he speaks in an Irish one inBoardwalk Empire.
Why Daredevil Fans Will Love Boardwalk Empire
Each of these 2 Charlie Cox shows makes compelling points about what it means to be a criminal
Despite being a Marvel show,Daredevilhas a surprisingly grounded storyline. While the recent continuation inDaredevil: Born Againmakes more explicit connections to the larger MCU, the original show was a far grittier affair that rarely made use of traditional superhero tropes. At its heart, it was a legal drama that just so happened to have a protagonist who often resorted to violent methods when working the case.
Boardwalk Empireis obviously not the same sort of show asDaredevil, but to say they are completely unrelated would be inaccurate.
Boardwalk Empireis obviously not the same sort of show asDaredevil, but to say they are completely unrelated would be inaccurate. The gangster drama exists in a truly grounded universe, basing itself at least in part on certain historical events and figures. Still, the focus on the shades of gray surrounding criminal enterprises and the topic of what justice really means still pop up very regularly inBoardwalk Empire,as they do inDaredevil.
Daredevil
Cast
Daredevil is a Netflix original series starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. The TV show ran for three seasons before being canceled by Netflix, despite being critically praised. Kingpin was the main antagonist in seasons 1 and 3 and also introduced Jon Benrthal’s Punisher in season 2. Daredevil was followed by Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again.
Boardwalk Empire
Based on Atlantic City in the 1920s and 1930s, Boardwalk Empire follows political heavyweight “Nucky” Thompson as he battles mobsters, politicians, government agents, and the common folk who look to take him on. Now, with the federal government cracking down on bootlegging and other illegal activities, and everyone looking to take over control of the city, Nucky’s lavish lifestyle is in danger of collapsing.
