No seriously, how is Charlie Cox still not considered a Hollywood A-lister?

Ahead of the hotly-anticipated release of Marvel's Daredevil reboot, star Charlie Cox opened up about his career struggles, begging the question: Why doesn't Hollywood take him seriously as an actor?

Years after the Netflix-overseen Defenders universe came to a screeching halt, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen (a.k.a. Matt Murdock) is finally getting his redemption in Daredevil: Born Again, which is set to premiere on Disney+ next month. Following a series of script overhauls, a complete reshuffling of the creative team, and last-minute cast additions in the form of Foggy actor Elden Henson and Karen actress Deborah Ann Woll, it seems like Born Again is shaping up to be a worthy successor to the original series.

Yet, even with a flashy Marvel show under his belt, Cox has struggled to achieve the same level of fame as his fellow British actors, namely, his former LA crew, including Eddie Redmayne, Andrew Garfield, and Robert Pattinson. Talk about stiff competition! Even with so much to look forward to this year, Cox is still dealing with imposter syndrome, particularly related to his post-Daredevil career. Because even though things might be going well for him on the superhero front, you'd still be hard-pressed to find his name on marquees.

Like any starving artist, Cox's early days trying to build his career in LA weren't exactly glamorous. "I couldn't make any money, at all. I couldn't pay rent," he told GQ before admitting he had to move back to London, as his U.S. Visa prevented him from holding down a job. It was an embarrassing time for Cox, who -- after a brief stint back in the U.K. -- eventually booked his breakout role in Daredevil.

Even after the Netflix show debuted, Cox found himself somewhat of an unknown next to people like Tom Hiddleston, with whom he performed the West End play Betrayal after Daredevil's cancelation in 2018. Even though fame and money aren't at the top of Cox's list of priorities, it's still easy to imagine how he would be almost insulted by the lack of movie and TV show offers being sent his way.

"To be honest about my feelings, I feel really inadequate about my ability," Cox said. "I feel like I hit a f -- ing low ceiling, do you know what I mean? And I've been doing it for such a long time that I guess that plays into my suspicions [about] why maybe I haven't ever crossed over into that next level with some of my friends."

Cox is, unarguably, a massive talent. Period. So it makes me seriously contemplate why he's stuck in nearly the exact same place all these years later, even after his performances in Daredevil, The Defenders, and his cameo in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law met with praise. "I'm often on set, and like a producer will say to me, 'You know, we couldn't cast this role, and then someone said, What about Charlie? And we went, 'That's an idea!'" Cox continued. "And I've heard that enough times to think, why am I not on the original list?"

Outside of Daredevil, I can admit not being too familiar with Cox's game. I haven't seen the 2007 British cult classic Stardust, nor have I watched an episode of Boardwalk Empire. So, hey, maybe I'm to blame for Cox's lack of widespread exposure. He has admitted to fumbling his Han Solo audition for Solo: A Star Wars Story, so maybe he just hasn't landed a role outside of Daredevil yet that's really resonated with audiences.

Still, Cox has the range, and clearly, he knows what he's doing whenever he's onscreen. As a somewhat recent Daredevil convert (I'd tried watching the Netflix show years ago and only recently picked it back up), I've been consistently impressed with Cox's turn as Matt Murdock. Hell, one of the first thoughts that went through my mind was: "Wait, this guy is British?"

So imagine my surprise when, in the GQ piece, Cox mentioned that his agent told him his American accent wasn't "good enough." He went on to work with a dialect coach before filming Daredevil, proving Cox's dedication to his craft -- Matt's gruff, Batman-esque accent is far superior to most of his British colleagues, IMO, especially in a superhero show.

I feel like, unfortunate as this is, Cox's woes are hardly unique to Marvel actors. Even Hiddleston hasn't been in much since his Loki days, and there's a bevy of other forgotten MCU players who might never star in anything as grandiose as an Avengers project again.

Thankfully, it seems like Cox has fought tooth and nail to maintain his relevance in the post-Netflix Daredevil era, and I can't think of anyone quite as deserving of a Disney+ renaissance as him -- and Vincent D'Onofrio, of course. Let's hope that after Born Again and potentially a role in the upcoming Avengers movies, we'll see Cox getting the Hollywood superstar treatment he's worked so hard for.