Welcome to another Dan's ToyBox action figure review. As the new Hasbro Marvel Legends Spider-Man: No Way Home figures start rolling out, none other than Daredevil himself is the first of my orders to arrive. I'm pretty happy to take our first look at the Matt Murdock figure, based on his appearance in the movie.
Young Matt Murdock was struck in the temple by a can of radioactive ooze while pushing an old man to safety. Though taking his sight, the contents of the canister enhanced Matt's remaining senses to superhuman levels. His earing is so acute, he can tell if someone is lying just by listening to their heartbeat. His sense of touch has been enhanced to the point where he can "read" normal print, just by feeling the ridges and indentations left in the paper. His sense of balance and agility are also heightened to superhuman levels. However, his most impressive power is a unique form of echolocation. This "radar sense" allows him to perceive shapes, objects, and people around him. Matt's father, famed boxer "Battlin" Jack Murdock, while raising his son alone, is approached by gangsters and instructed to "throw" a boxing match. Murdock refused and is murdered by the criminals. Even after losing his father, Matt Murdock excelled in school and graduated with his Law Degree from Columbia. While pursuing his academic pursuits during the day, Murdock began training to hone his physical abilities and superhuman senses under the tutelage of a mysterious blind stranger named Stick, eventually becoming a highly skilled and expert martial artist. He soon crafted a costume and as the adventurer known as Daredevil brought the men who had killed his father to justice. Murdock's practice includes his best friend, Foggy Nelson and one time love interest, Karen Page. After Mysterio reveals Spider-Man's identity to the world, Murdock takes young Peter Parker on as a client, helping to clear the young man of Mysterio's dying false allegations.
Accessories: 4/10
One of the major drawbacks of this Matt Murdock figure is the lackluster accessory selection. It comes with only a cane and a small brick, which feels quite underwhelming. Considering the rich history of Daredevil and the potential for creative accessories, this choice is disappointing. Even though he doesn't appear as Daredevil in the movie, fans would have appreciated additional items related to Murdock's lawyer persona such as a briefcase or small laptop computer.
Appearance: 6/10
The Matt Murdock action figure from Hasbro's Marvel Legends series captures the essence of the character as portrayed in Spider-Man No Way Home, but it falls short of delivering a truly standout visual appeal. The facial expression, while recognizable, doesn't quite capture the intensity associated with Matt Murdock. The actual body, itself, is simply a grey suited repaint of the same mold we've seen on so many other figures. In fact, the generic body will be quite nice in terms of civilians when head swaps come into play. Norman Osborn, Jonah Jameson, Tony Stark... all can be popped on to this body for any number of combinations.
Articulation: 5/10
In terms of articulation, this figure offers a good range of movement. The joints are well-designed, but given the civilian persona, really don't lend themselves to incredibly dynamic posing. His head can turn side to side and has some up and down tilt. The shoulders raise to a decent T pose and can fully rotate. The bicep swivel works fine and the elbows bend in exceptionally deep. His wrists all hinge and pivot. There is a torso hinge which allows for some forward crunch, but his coat prevents anything backwards. The waist twist works fine, though is kind of unnecessary. His legs will only split to about 45 degrees and cannot kick forward very high. The upper thigh cuts work fine and the double jointed knees do bend in fairly deep. His ankles hinge and pivot, but because of the sculpt of his pants are limited. Overall, it provides a satisfactory level of articulation but doesn't excel in this department.
Affordability: 5/10
On the positive side, the Matt Murdock figure is priced typical for a Marvel Legends release. I paid the standard $25.99 at BBTS. While the lack of accessories might be a downside, at least Hasbro kept the figure at standard pricing.
Despite the figure's average appearance and limited accessories, it manages to capture the essence of Matt Murdock adequately. The articulation is solid, allowing for engaging poses, and the affordability makes it a decent addition to any Marvel Legends collection. However, the lack of imaginative accessories holds it back from reaching its full potential. Fans of Daredevil may find it a worthwhile purchase, especially if they can overlook the accessory shortcomings.
Final Score
The Matt Murdock action figure from Marvel Legends Spider-Man No Way Home series earns a respectable but not outstanding score. It's a decent addition for collectors, primarily due to its affordability and accurate representation of the character, but the lack of compelling accessories prevents it from standing out among other figures in the line. With that, we are giving him
5.5 out of 10 ToyBoxes.
Having a civilian Matt Murdock MCU style figure is nice for the collection, but isn't necessarily something anybody is going to run right out and buy. As always, thank you for hanging out in the ToyBox and until next time... GEEK OUT!!!