Issue 137
January 2016
Daredevil star Charlie Cox admits he’s gripped by Muay Thai fever and reveals why the Netflix show’s fight scenes look so authentic
More than an act
Charlie Cox reveals he didn’t even own a gym membership before taking on the role of Marvel superhero Daredevil, but he tells FO how he embraced martial arts to prepare himself to face Hell’s Kitchen’s criminal underbelly.
Q&A
Q. How did a classically trained British actor transform himself into a martial arts street vigilante?
A. I’m not built like your textbook superhero so when I got the Matt Murdock/Daredevil role, I had to do a lot of gym work and a lot of eating. I had to put on a lot of muscle. And then in terms of the fight scenes I worked very closely with the stunt coordinator and my stunt double. I learned everything and tried to do as much of it as I could.
Q. Was mixed martial arts the inspiration behind the action?
A. To get the fighting scenes looking as genuine as possible we do a lot of Thai boxing and jiu-jitsu, hands-on work, bag work. There’s a lot of shadow boxing and hitting the bag. And I love it. I guess it is MMA training when you look at it like that. We are training multiple forms of martial arts and incorporating them all into the scenes. I think we’ve really took it to the next level this season, I really do.
Q. Why are the fight scenes more realistic than other superhero movies and shows?
A. Daredevil doesn’t have super strength, he’s a regular guy for the most part. He’s obviously this incredible martial artist and gymnast, he has these heightened senses and he’s had the training. But the aim is to be more of a leaner athlete than a bulked-up, super-muscly superhero – so his fights have to appear real.
Q. What’s your favorite aspect of training?
A. There was a lot of Thai boxing, which I really enjoyed, but actually I love all the training, especially the fight training. I got to do as much as I was allowed when it came to the actual fights, and because of that generosity I made sure I could do the moves. I do as much training as I can to get comfortable with the sequences. It’s hard but very rewarding.
Q. Is there more mixed martial arts to come in the new season?
A. The great thing about season two is my character has now really honed his skills, and my stunt double Chris Brewster pulls off some moves that will blow your mind. I tried to do as much as possible, but Chris is insane. I’m not a trained fighter so my technique isn’t brilliant.
Q. With no background in martial arts, who transformed you into a convincing hero?
A. My trainer Naqam Washington, and he’s awesome. When I first started with him I just did what I was told, but then I gradually developed an interest in it. Now I really enjoy it and I get a lot out of it. I definitely kept up with it after season one, and throughout the shoot I was getting better and better.
