Chip Zdarsky, currently the writer behind both Marvel's true miniseries-length crossover. Now, with their shared writer revealing the villains that come to mind, fans have some idea what that might involve.
Zdarsky's answer taps into the fact that both characters are tied thematically to fear. While Batman uses his presence to evoke fear in criminals - his iconic "superstitious, cowardly lot" - Daredevil's nickname is literally the Man Without Fear (an ironic nickname handed out by his childhood bullies.) With Batman weaponizing fear (often literally) and Daredevil overcoming it, there's a lot of narrative potential in contrasting these elements of their characters.
In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) recently conducted by Chip Zdarsky, a fan asked which Batman villain he'd like to swap with Daredevil and vice versa. Zdarsky wrote "Scarecrow for Daredevil and Mr. Fear for Batman!!!" Although Zdarsky did not elaborate on why, these choices remain fascinating. Scarecrow intimidates his victims with fear toxin, often working on a large scale, while Mister Fear uses a variety of concoctions to manipulate individual villains, having eradicated his own ability to feel fear, even in mortal peril.
Many of Batman's techniques are based on fear and have proven effective against a swarm of different criminals and supervillains. However, Mister Fear is a man without fear, meaning that it isn't likely that any of Batman's classic techniques could work on him. Mr. Fear is also able to trigger lust and aggression in his victims, allowing him to prowl the streets of Gotham and attack Batman through proxies he wouldn't see coming. Mr. Fear could challenge the very concept of Batman's fear-based strategies, where for Scarecrow, Batman is the only thing that can still scare him, making the Dark Knight particularly effective.
Meanwhile, although Daredevil has proved to be immune to Mr. Fear's concoctions, he may be more vulnerable to Scarecrow's fear toxin. While Mister Fear's fear gas typically lasts for a short time, Scarecrow's fear toxin has a longer effect and often hinges on creating vivid hallucinations. The toxin has driven some people insane, tapping into their deepest fears. Although Daredevil prides himself on not being afraid, it's a boast rather than a fact of biology, and his past struggles with mental health would make Scarecrow a major challenge to Matt's wellbeing, especially given his profound history of loss.
While relations between Marvel and DC suggest a crossover won't be coming anytime soon, it's a treat for fans to hear from Batman and Daredevil's writer that his go-to team-up would be against these two fear-based villains - similar on the surface, but with new things to offer each hero.
Source: Chip Zdarsky
