The latest facet of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to expand to a new medium arrives Friday with the debut of the Netflix series “Daredevil.”

If you only know the Man Without Fear from the (in my opinion unfairly) maligned 2003 “Daredevil” movie starring Ben Affleck, you might not appreciate all the possibilities this show offers.

Daredevil debuted in 1964 on the heels of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Avengers and has often lived in their shadows since. His alter ego is Matt Murdock, an attorney blinded in a childhood accident involving radioactive chemicals that boosted his remaining senses to superhuman levels.

He can tell if someone’s lying by listening to their heartbeat and read normal type by running his fingers over it. Murdock also developed a kind of radar sense that lets him “see” the environment around him to a certain extent. He used these powers to fight for justice when he couldn’t get it in a courtroom.

Daredevil debuted in a mostly yellow-and-black costume, with only a few highlights of the red that would define his appearance starting with issue 7. It looks like the Netflix show will start him off with an all-black ensemble, inspired by “Sin City” creator Frank Miller and artist John Romita Jr.’s “Man Without Fear” limited series (and also reminiscent of the character’s appearance in the 1989 made-for-TV movie “The Trial of the Incredible Hulk”).

Despite the clever concept, Daredevil never maintained A-list status for long, perhaps due in part to his lack of a memorable rogues gallery. But beyond Mr. Fear, Stilt-Man (really) and the Owl, there arose at least one classic foil, the Kingpin, a massive crime boss who will be prominently featured in the series.

Two key members of Daredevil’s supporting cast over the years have been friend and law partner Foggy Nelson and on-again, off-again love interest Karen Page. Page’s descent into addiction was the catalyst for the famous “Born Again” storyline, written by Miller, when she sold his identity in exchange for drugs. The Kingpin used this information to systematically destroy Murdock’s life, and he’s never been fully able to get that identity genie back in the bottle.

The dark turns his life has taken are often contrasted with his seemingly carefree attitude, dry sense of humor and reputation as a ladies man. In fact, Murdock’s efforts to emerge from those shadows while battling depression has been a central focus of writer Mark Waid’s current run on the series.

After Miller’s run, Daredevil faded into the background again until a 1998 relaunch penned by “Clerks” and “Mallrats” writer/director Kevin Smith. Eventually that series was taken over by Brian Michael Bendis, who defined Daredevil for the modern era and whose fingerprints, along with Miller’s, will probably be evident on the new series.