Daredevil is a 2003 movie directed by Mark Steven Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay. It is based on the Marvel comics character, using predominantly the tone and stories written by Frank Miller.

A spin-off sequel, involving Elektra Natchios, was released in 2005. See Elektra

As a child, Matt Murdock (played by Affleck as an adult) is splashed by some radioactive material in a road accident, and is blinded. He learns to overcome this disability, and develops a form of sixth sense, that allows him to 'see' by using sound waves to create a mental image of his surroundings. His father is murdered by the Kingpin (played by Clarke Duncan), and Murdock vows that he will avenge him.

Years later, and Murdock works as an attorney in Hell's Kitchen, becoming the vigilante known as Daredevil at night. He seeks out and punishes those that he cannot harm in the courtroom. He fights crime in solitude, until he meets Elektra (played by Garner). Murdock warms to Elektra, and they become acquainted with each other. After Elektra's father is killed by the Kingpin's assassin, Bullseye (played by Farrell), she believes the murderer to be Daredevil, and she seeks him out. Armed with two Sai, she locates him and bests him in a fight. She realises who Daredevil is behind the mask, and so she fights with Bullseye, who kills her. Daredevil avenges Elektra's death, and supposedly kills Bullseye, by throwing him through the church window, landing on a cop's car. He then brings the fight to the Kingpin, beating him in combat. Daredevil spares the Kingpin, who promises him that he will be released from prison eventually. After a small bit of credits, we see Bullseye in a hospital wing, slowly recovering.

Throughout the film, Murdock deals with the moral implications of being a vigilante, and tries to prove that he isn't the villain.

Tagline: He is the man without fear

The film was regarded as a modest success at the box office, although it did not make as much money as the X-Men and Spider-Man films. Thought the original production was geared towards a darker, more adult film, the success of the then just released Spider-Man prompted Fox to curb the more mature elements and re-envision the film as a summer action vehicle in mid-production.

Fan and critical reactions were mixed at best. Much disapproval was heaped upon Ben Affleck for his performance as Daredevil, whom many fans felt was not right for the role. Besides Ben Affleck, there was mixed fan reaction to the increased budget for CGI effects and retooling of the tone. There was also a small amount of controversy concerning the casting of African American actor Michael Clarke Duncan as the villainous Kingpin, whose traditional comic ethnicity was of Anglo-European descent. Jennifer Garner, who played Elektra, fared slightly better, however, and won her own spin off in 2004, Elektra, but it did very poorly at the box office.

In December 2004, a director's cut of the film was released on DVD. This version added 30 minutes of footage not seen in the original, including an entire subplot involving Murdock defending a murder suspect played by rapper Coolio. It also won quite a few more fans than the initial theatrical release.

The following scenes were deleted that were featured in the PG-13 cut of the film:

The confession booth scenes between Father Steven and Matt Murdock.
The love scene between Elektra and Matt Murdock
The following additions were made:

More scenes involving The Kingpin at his most vicious, at one point killing two of his own bodyguards by breaking their necks in his office.
The final confrontation between Daredevil and The Kingpin is longer and more brutal.
The fight between Elektra and Bullsye is longer and ends with Bullseye giving her a kiss before he throws her onto the roof of the adjacent building.
The fight scene in the playground with Matt and Elektra is longer.
The scene in the bar where Daredevil takes out the bikers is longer and more violent.
The subplot involving the character of Daunte Jackson, played by Coolio, who is accused of a murder is reintroduced in its entirety with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson defending him.
Matt interrogating a corrupt police officer, played by Jude Ciccolella, by smashing his car in a parking lot.
Matt and Foggy break into the apartment of Lisa Tazio, the murder victim in the Daunte Jackson trial and finding a clue, "8-9 WOW" (initially read as "6-8 MOM").
A late night scene where Foggy is working at the office trying to figure out the clue found in Lisa Tazio's apartment in which Karen Page figures out by flipping the paper upside down and Foggy realizing that the WOW, are the intitals for The Kingpin's assistant, Wesley Owen Welch.
An exchange during the Nachios' party where Foggy and Wesley have a verbal exchange that ends by Foggy saying "What a dick!"
The scene where Bullseye demands his own costume is restored to "I want a fucking costume" as opposed to the theaterical version where he says "I want a bloody costume."
A flashback scene where young Matt is seen with his adopted mother that was featured in the comic books.
A scene where Matt is in church and his surrogate mother is watching him in the back of the church as he talks to Father Steven.
The introduction of Bullseye arriving at the airport and going through a metal detector.
The scene where Matt returns from his battle in the opening of the film, he is seen in his apartment pouring epsom salts into the water of his coffin and as he is about to lay down he starts to hear noises and sounds from the outside world as far as seeing a woman crawling on the floor and ends by him laying down inside the coffin and the top sealing.
The scene in the morgue with Ben Urich and Kirby is longer in which Foggy ends up calling him on his cell phone and telling him about who murdered his informant from the clue that Matt had found in the murder victim's apartment.
More scenes between Matt and Ben discussing some personal issues.
Near the closing of the film, both Fisk and Wesley are seen locked in their cells, while a badly injured Bullseye is rebuilt in the prison's hospital. It is obvious the character in question is Bullseye since there is a fly buzzing around the room annoying the man in the body cast. Using his good fingers, Bullseye throws a syringe at the fly, impailing it on the wall. The scene with Bullseye was in the original release, however, it played midway through the closing credits as opposed to before the film's end.
During the finale, Daunte Jackson celebrates his acquittal by hugging Foggy on the steps of the courthoust as Matt looks on and the scene shifts with Matt walking by the church where he sees Father Steven after the afternoon mass had ended.