The movie rights for Daredevil have reverted from 20th Century Fox to Marvel Studios after the former failed to get a project into development, it has been reported.
Deadline claims that Fox was unable to get an adaptation of the comic book character moving within the time frame specified in its deal with Marvel - and that the latter has refused to extend the date.
Earlier this week The A-Team director Joe Carnahan - who was in talks to direct the movie for Fox - said that the project had "gone up in smoke".
But now he has clarified, saying: "Guys. To clarify. Daredevil pitch was tremendous and everyone flipped for it. The clock ticked down at Fox, that's why it went tits up."
Marvel and Fox are yet to comment on the future of any big screen Daredevil adaptation.