Daredevil is the first of five planned Marvel/Netflix series and I think it's safe to say that it has been a success, it's even been renewed for a second season, but if AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON director Joss Whedon had his way, the series may not have happened.
During the lengthy press-tour for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Whedon spoke with IGN and said that he had fought for Daredevil to be a film instead of a TV show. Whedon's reasoning had to do with the adventures of a certain caped crusader:
I like him because he’s basically Marvel’s Batman, thanks to Frank Miller basically. So for me I didn’t think they’d be able to sustain that sort of mood on TV but TV has changed so much. It’s come up so much that I think it might just be the right place.
It's interesting that a man known for changing American TV in new and unexpected ways should so completely write off the possibilities that long-form storytelling would offer a character like Daredevil. TV has changed a lot, as Whedon says, and you can tell those dark stories and show events that wouldn't have been possible five years ago.
If the show’s working, the show’s working. Comic books are serialized entertainment and a lot of them lend themselves to TV shows as much or more than they do to movies.
Obviously Whedon was overruled in this particular case and while he hasn't had the opportunity to binge-watch the show yet due to the demands of the AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON press-tour, he's said that he's dying to see it.
Would Daredevil had worked better as a film than a TV show?