Dunn said calmly, "Because of a job switch."
"A job switch?"
Kevin Feige blinked, caught off guard.
Alan Vaughn nodded. "Exactly. Back in the late '70s, Warner released Superman—the first real superhero movie in history. It took America by storm, crushing Marvel's heroes and putting DC's lineup, including Batman, in the shade."
Kevin Feige caught on quick. "So… DC poached Frank Miller to take over the Batman series?"
Alan Vaughn gave a firm nod.
Nina Jacobson wasn't thrilled. "Marvel's got tons of comic writers. Losing just one guy—Frank Miller—really tanked Daredevil that bad?"
Alan Vaughn glanced at her, biting back a retort. No point in arguing with her—gentlemanly restraint won out.
Just then, Jonathan Nolan snapped to life like he'd been hit with a revelation. "Because of the Dark Knight!" he blurted, almost shouting.
"The Dark Knight?"
"Yeah! The boss told me ages ago we'd be doing Daredevil, so I've been digging into the character for over six months. And there's one hurdle I can't get past—the Dark Knight!" Jonathan's face grew serious.
Even Grant Hill, a total outsider to comics, pieced it together. "You mean Batman: The Dark Knight Returns—the most iconic Batman comic series ever!"
Stan Lee's expression turned cold, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Yep. That series flipped Batman's old Superman-like heroism on its head. It went full anti-hero—diving into society's corruption and brutality, grounding the character in an ordinary backstory, drenched in post-industrial doomsday vibes and dark fatalism."
Dunn smirked, a trace of disdain creeping in. "Exactly. The Dark Knight is just one Batman series—and it's riddled with logic holes. Other versions of Batman don't cling to that no-killing rule."
Stan Lee's face twitched. He shot Dunn a look, surprised to find so much common ground with this young boss. "Right! Batman—or Bruce Wayne—not killing? That's just Frank Miller's wishful thinking. His so-called reasons for it don't even hold up."
At this point, the room's newcomers were lost, scratching their heads over what was being said.
Only Marvel's old-timers really got the subtext.
Joe Quesada chimed in. "Miller's excuse is that Bruce Wayne's parents were murdered when he was a kid, leaving him traumatized, so he won't kill. But anyone with a shred of psych knowledge knows childhood trauma's more likely to twist you into a disturbed adult—not some beacon of justice."
Brian Michael Bendis added, "Bruce says he doesn't kill, but when his son Damian does, he forgives him. When his mentor's dying, he doesn't lift a finger. And in the Court of Owls mess, he finds out his enemies are zombies and goes full slaughter-mode—because 'they're not alive'? What a joke! Killing's killing!"
Alan Vaughn shrugged. "No way around it. Miller's no-kill philosophy for Batman in The Dark Knight was shaky from the start. When other DC writers took over, their values clashed hard with his, and you end up with laughable contradictions and plot holes."
Kevin Feige, a Marvel comics whiz, had been soaking it all in. Suddenly, it clicked. He shot to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief. "I get it! The real Dark Knight… it's Daredevil!"
Dunn's face softened into a knowing smile.
That's Kevin Feige for you—his pick for Marvel's next president. Sharp mind, quick on the uptake.
Jonathan Nolan, who'd been rewriting scripts and studying Daredevil for six months, lit up too. "Yes! It's Daredevil! He's a lawyer—he lives and breathes the law every day. He believes it's the ultimate way to punish crime. No one but a jury and God has the right to judge someone's life!"
His words hit like a thunderbolt, clearing the fog for everyone in the room.
So, the comic series that vaulted Batman past Spider-Man and Superman to become America's favorite superhero—Batman: The Dark Knight Returns—was originally meant for Daredevil!
DC's poaching of Frank Miller snatched that concept away, awkwardly grafting it onto Batman.
No wonder it's full of glaring flaws.
Daredevil only operates at night because he's blind—his super-senses shine in the dark, making him a perfect crime-fighter then.
But Batman? Why's he stuck to nights? His powers come from tech and gadgets—day or night shouldn't matter.
Before Miller, Batman was out in broad daylight all the time, teaming up with Superman and other heroes to save the day. He wasn't some inherently dark figure.
Nina Jacobson fumed. "Are we just letting DC and Frank Miller off the hook? No lawsuit for stealing?"
Bill McNick shook his head. "Tough case to win. Copyright theft hinges on expression versus ideas. Same expression, different ideas? That's plagiarism. Different expression, same idea? Not a chance. Ideas are free game."
Daredevil and Batman are distinct heroes with different stories. Even if they share the "Dark Knight" vibe, it's not infringement—unless a court could prove Miller cooked up The Dark Knight Returns' plot while still at Marvel.
Good luck proving that.
Alan Vaughn sighed. "Back then… we were furious, but what could we do? DC was at its peak. The Batman movie dropped and blew up—bigger than our Spider-Man last year! Late '80s, Marvel was drowning in a financial crisis. Even if we wanted to sue, we couldn't afford the lawyers."
Andrew O'Hare frowned. "So that's it? Outsiders like us might not get it, but anyone in the comic world can see The Dark Knight ripped off Daredevil!"
Joe Quesada gave a bitter laugh. "It's not that simple. Marvel's got Deadpool, DC's got Deathstroke. Marvel's got X-Factor, DC's got Doom Patrol. Marvel's got Black Cat, DC's got Catwoman. Marvel's got Vision, DC's got Red Tornado. Marvel's got Bullseye, DC's got Deadshot. Marvel's got Thanos, DC's got Darkseid… These characters are way more alike than Daredevil and Batman. Copyright battles between the two companies have been nonstop for half a century."
Everyone in the room smirked.
Everything's a copy in this world—even comics.
Especially since DC usually got there first, and Marvel followed with their knockoffs. When it comes to swiping, Marvel's got the edge.
Alan Vaughn, Marvel Entertainment's CEO, noticed the awkward looks around the table and coughed lightly, trying to save face. "Actually, DC already caved on the Dark Knight thing. When Marvel's cash flow tanked and we were on the brink, we teamed up with DC for those Marvel vs. DC crossover comics to boost sales. DC gave us a bigger cut. And Miller came back, did some short Daredevil: Man Without Fear comics for us—though they didn't hit like before."
The room collectively rolled their eyes.
"Enough about that—it's not today's focus," Dunn said, his brow furrowing as he scanned the group. With a sharp wave of his hand, his voice rang out, firm and resolute. "What matters now is this: Daredevil… is the true Dark Knight!"