Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again was the most anticipated Marvel/Disney show ever. It was a significant return of the Man Without Fear, bringing together Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio on the screen once again. It took only 9 episodes to finish this season (not 13 as in seasons 1-3), which was a decision that many didn’t understand for a while. But, as the season concluded, viewers were left in shock, and were overwhelmed by how good this new season of Daredevil was.
While it continues and has some moments that go back to the 3 seasons of the Netflix series, it tries not to be a nostalgia bait. Instead, it focuses on a darker and more political version of New York City, which changes a lot.
[Warning: Spoilers from Daredevil seasons 1-3 and Daredevil Born Again are below!]
Matt’s story in Daredevil: Born Again
The story of this season starts with the death of Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Matt (Charlie Cox) almost killing Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) for what he did. We get a one-year time jump, and there we experience the aftermath of events that have reshaped Hell’s Kitchen and New York. Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) has managed to rehabilitate his public image and win the election as Mayor of New York City.
This development alone set the stage for one of the most unexpected moments in recent MCU history, as Fisk is not just a brute of a man, but a cruel and clever one. This more experienced version of Fisk is more dangerous than ever. He hides his criminal empire behind speeches about how people need law and order, and need to root out and jail vigilantes like Daredevil or Spider-Man through legal means. He does all that, while Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) runs his criminal enterprise for him.
Matt abandoned his old life as a lawyer from back when Nelson, Murdock, and Page were a thing, and he thinks he failed in life by trying to balance his life as a lawyer and a hero. He initially distances himself from the vigilante lifestyle and focuses on being a lawyer full-time. The show spends a lot of time exploring his everyday lifestyle. Matt, throughout the season, doubts that his place is in a city that now seems to criminalize the very values he’s fought for.
What makes this season particularly strong is its structure, which focuses less on episodic conflicts and fight scenes in every episode, but more on slowly developing old and new characters. The emotional and ethical weight of Matt’s decisions is one of the main plots of this season. He does everything in his power to help and defend people in the court of law. Every time, he wins, but ultimately fails. Whether it’s with the case of Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes), or with a simple case as stealing a $2 box of cereal.
His decision to forget about being a vigilante feels earned and necessary, but every happy moment has its end. When Hector is killed by corrupted cops, Matt feels like he did everything within the boundaries of the law, but even then, after winning, he lost. He has this feeling until he goes to meet Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Frank explains to Matt that his pretending to only be a lawyer is his real mask, and what he truly wants is to serve justice of his own. He represents a dark mirror to Daredevil, someone who has long since abandoned the idea of rehabilitation or justice in favor of retribution. Ultimately, Matt decides to wear the suit once again.
The situation that fully convinced Matt to abandon his previous lifestyle is when Angela (Camila Rodriguez), Hector’s niece, is kidnapped by Muse (Hunter Doohan). Immediately, Matt says a very satisfying“F— It!” and decides it’s time. He fights Muse, then he fights him again, trying to defend his girlfriend Heather (Margarita Levieva).
The finale of the show is all about Matt trying to fight off Fisk’s men trying to kill him, trying to prove that Vanessa was the one who ordered Bullseye to kill Foggy, and to stop Fisk, who decided vigilantism is now illegal. Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) returns to help Matt, while Frank is ultimately kidnapped and held in one of Fisk’s cells.
The season ends with Matt deciding to build an army to defeat Fisk, and teasing the potential story of “Devil’s Reign” from the comics.
Marvel Comics Spotlight: Devil’s Reign
Wilson Fisk’s part of the story
Wilson Fisk is the great parallel of Matt in this show once again. The creators very thoughtfully use the same idea to show both sides of Matt and Fisk to better understand them, and their development, just like in season 1. Even though we know them, they are two completely different people hiding behind their masks. Fisk’s mask is the one he uses to prove he is the best Mayor.
He says he loves New York, wants what’s best for everybody, and yet, he will never fulfill his assurances legally. He will always pretend to be a good boy who will do everything, no matter the price, but within legal boundaries. But seeing his true nature once again proves that he never changed. He just learned to control his temper slightly better, but still with a brutal outcome. His plan to restructure NYC is now easier to finish, and we can see that all he wants is to be with Vanessa, be left in peace without anyone being able to stop him.
It’s also a very nice parallel that I noticed is that whenever Matt does something he considers to be bad, Fisk does something he considers to be good. And it’s also the same the other way around. It shows how they are two perfectly balanced opposites of themselves, each with their inner demons, ideologies, and mission. Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk is breathtaking, and the way we witness his brutality and false sympathy for people is too real not to be mentioned or related to.
Comic book adaptation in Daredevil: Born Again
When it comes to adapting comic book parts in the show, this season borrows its title from Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s 1986 arc, Born Again, but it quickly becomes clear that this is not a direct adaptation. The comic book storyline that is used this season is based strictly on Charles Soule’s Daredevil run and slightly teases Chip Zdarsky’s Devil’s Reign which is the adaptation being used in season 2. Those comic books focus on Fisk and Matt trying to keep each other at bay.
Soule’s run is used in terms of Fisk becoming a mayor, banning vigilantes, Matt threatening him, and Daredevil keeping his vigilante cravings at bay. As for Devil’s Reign, we get to see people operating Fisk’s business while he has to “keep his hands clean”. Banning vigilantes, putting them in jail, and closing New York City to impose martial law. Those are the main plots that are being used as outlines for the whole story this season and the next one.
Marvel Comics Spotlight: Daredevil: Born Again
Future + The Defenders + other heroes
The Daredevil: Born Again season finale makes it clear that this is just the beginning of a longer, more ambitious, and epic arc. Fisk has banned vigilantes, let the police kill people, and turned the city into a place where heroes must hide and criminals rule. Matt’s speech as Daredevil at Josie’s Bar in the final scene was a call to action, which is meant to echo throughout Hell’s Kitchen. He promises that those in power will not go unchecked. It’s a quiet, grounded moment, but it hits with the weight of destiny. And it proves that in season 2, we will get even more amazing scenes and stories.
Season 2 has already been confirmed and is currently in the works, with season 3 being heavily rumored to have already been green-lit based on the success and viewership rates from this season. Casting announcements suggest that we’re going to see new characters entering the story, and we’re going to get to see fan-favorites once again. One of those who will return for sure is Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. But a few characters must be a part of the story in season 2, and they are The Defenders.
Krysten Ritter confirmed that she will always say yes to the proposition of returning as Jessica Jones. Her return, in my opinion, could indicate that Mike Colter may also return as Luke Cage, and Finn Jones could return as the Iron Fist. But this is not the end, as in Devil’s Reign, there were other characters that started the revolution against Fisk, and amongst them there was Misty Knight (Simone Missick), Echo (Alaqua Cox), and Elektra (Elodie Yung). Because these characters never fit easily into the Avengers-style blockbuster model, and their stories are more street-level focused, this kind of situation is the best moment to bring them back.
Unfortunately, I highly doubt that we will get to see Spider-Man (Tom Holland) as part of this story because of the rights that Sony has. They would have to get a huge paycheck to even consider letting Marvel use Spider-Man, even for 1 or 2 episodes in a popular TV show like Daredevil: Born Again. I really hope that we will get all of those heroes teaming up one way or the other because fans deserve this.
This is not the Netflix era where we just drop small Easter eggs from the MCU. It’s an era where if you want to tell the story, you do it, and it can be later connected to/mentioned in future projects. So let’s get as many heroes, new and returning, as we can, let’s give them more than a cameo, and let’s rock.
Final thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again season 1
Daredevil: Born Again may not be the same as seasons 1-3, but it definitely is a quality project. It is not afraid of showing bloody, harsh, and hurtful moments. These are the things that let us connect better with the character, and even in some ways understand Matt Murdock’s part of the story, and part of his decision. It builds tension slowly, allows the characters to sit with their pain, process it, and accept or deny it. It is not afraid to say, through Matt, that he thinks that lawyers think they do their job, but in reality, they just babysit chaos. Born Again is relatable on so many levels that it should continue to be in the future.
Also, it proves that street-level heroes’ stories still have a high place in the MCU, and perhaps, that place is even more important than ever. We don’t need to see more aliens destroying planets, or mutated crazy scientists because the biggest threat is a regular person with a will and motivation to do bad things to achieve their goal.
Born Again is a season 4 of the Netflix Daredevil show. You can feel it, you can experience it, and you can live it. Every single episode is filled with love for those characters, with amazing music by The Newton Brothers that fits, and what’s more important is that you can rewatch it without thinking that you already know everything, so you can notice more things.
What did you think of Daredevil: Born Again? What do you want to see happen next? Let us know on social media @mycosmiccircus or on Bluesky @TheCosmicCircus.com!
