Daredevil & Captain America Have Marvel’s Most Underrated Rivalry

Warning: Spoilers for Devil’s Reign #3 ahead!

Marvel’s Captain America and Daredevil have both made names for themselves fighting for justice, but their principles also make them great rivals. Matt Murdock and Steve Rogers both have strong, strict moral codes that have taken them in opposite directions. Captain America defends American freedom with all his being, at times turning a blind eye to his country’s faults. Daredevil, on the other hand, believes in the absolute rule of law, especially for those in power —to the point where he recently threw himself in prison. Their misaligned values have made for some interesting conflict over the years, and looks to be coming to a head soon.

In the 2022 crossover series Devil’s Reign, by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, Wilson Fisk is cracking down on heroes by force of law in New York, and heroes across the cities are taking action. Fisk has harnessed the persuasive power of The Purple Man, Zebediah Killgrave, in his attempt to sway the public in his favor, His influence crept into the Avengers’ hideout, pushing them to argue over whether Fisk’s sweeping criminalization of superheroes was working, when Jessica Jones realized their bickering was the Purple Man’s doing. Since they didn’t have any proof, Rogers urged caution, but The Man Without Fear quickly rebuked Cap’s assertion that their approach needs to be above board, insisting they needed to stop him immediately, with or without Captain America.

This central conflict between Cap and Daredevil has made for a great rivalry that Marvel can, and should, explore deeper. The two have a long history, teaming up on multiple occasions, but also coming to blows numerous times. In 1983’s Daredevil #233 by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, Captain America and Daredevil butted heads over Cap’s apparent blind eye to the American government’s dark secrets. Even their first encounter was wrought with conflict: In Daredevil #43, by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, Matt is under the influence of the element Radium that inflate his aggression. He eventually comes to blows with Captain America during a charity event, lashing out at the Star-Spangled hero before making his escape when the Radium wore off. But aside from these brief moments of conflict, their rivalry runs much, much deeper.

Captain America has earned an immense amount of respect from the superhero community, often making him the default leader in times of mass conflict, including now as New York’s heroes currently face in the events of Devil’s Reign. Matt Murdock, while he seems to respect Cap, takes exception to anyone expecting special treatment because of their status. At the same time, Cap being treated with such deference by the most powerful people in the universe has also left him, at times, expecting to be treated in higher regard. The resulting conflict, while subtle, is what truly makes them great rivals. Two heroes that can’t help but come to blows on contact makes for fun, splashy panels, but doesn’t allow for a lot of storytelling otherwise. But with Cap taking for granted his role as leader, and Daredevil (correctly) insisting he knows more about Kingpin so he should be taking the lead, Marvel has the chance to explore conflict between two of Marvel’s most righteous heroes.

Matt Murdock often tackles the issue of holding those in power accountable, and Steve Rogers has fought relentlessly for his country, for better or worse, and earned a high status among the superhero community as a result. So, when these two heroes share the same pages, it’s a set-up for some of Marvel’s most interesting inter-hero conflict. With both heroes being set up to square off in a battle of wills during the events of Devil’s Reign, Captain America and Daredevil‘s underrated rivalry could take the spotlight very soon.

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