If you’ve stayed up-to-date with the Marvel universe, it’s been a few years since Daredevil has starred in his own show. Daredevil’s lawyer alter ego, Matt Murdock, appeared in a Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) cameo and Daredevil himself fought some bad guys alongside She-Hulk for a few episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Daredevil’s main villain, Wilson Fisk, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, has also appeared a few times in other Marvel Cinematic Universe titles, including Hawkeye and Echo. But, the world has not seen Charlie Cox’s masked vigilante doing his own thing in a few years, since the show ended in 2018.
As the MCU continues to incorporate media from the past back into its canon— originally not included due to rights issues— some previously established heroes, like Daredevil, have been given the chance to reestablish themselves. Daredevil: Born Again officially marks Daredevil as back (at least on our television screens, maybe not on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, though more on that later) and part of the official MCU canon.
Some quick background if you don’t have time to catch up on all three seasons of the original Daredevil series (although, it’s a highly rated series and worth watching):
Matt Murdock (Cox)
Matt Murdock (Cox) is originally from Hell’s Kitchen in New York. He was blinded in an accident, giving him enhanced hearing and sensing skills. By day he fights for the, “little guy,” as a lawyer, and by night he fights on the streets as the masked vigilante Daredevil. In the first season of the original show, he put Fisk, also known as Kingpin, into prison— both in his role as a lawyer and as Daredevil.
Franklin “Foggy” Nelson
Franklin “Foggy” Nelson (Elden Henson) went to law school with Matt and together they opened a law firm. While Foggy and Matt don’t always see eye-to-eye on Matt’s ventures as Daredevil, they still respect each other and have stay close friends over the years.
Karen Page
Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) was hired at Nelson and Murdock as a legal assistant and eventually became a lawyer, adding her name to the sign; Daredevil: Born Again begins with the trio walking out of Nelson, Murdock, and Page. Karen and Matt are close friends and have always had something of a, “will they/won’t they,” relationship.
Wilson Fisk
Wilson Fisk (D’Onofrio) a.k.a. the Kingpin is a high powered mob boss based in Manhattan. Over the years, he’s sparred with Matt and Daredevil. Both aliases worked to put Fisk in prison but he was eventually let out of prison, put in house arrest, and then got out of the sentence. He will do anything to get what he wants but in Echo he was shot by his protege as she tried to get out of his services.
Those are the most important characters but if you really need a refresher or a quick catch-up, there are a few recap videos you can watch. Warning: Most of them do contain spoilers for the original series:
Daredevil was originally produced by Marvel Studios in association with ABC, and released on Netflix. This was before Disney+ was created and Marvel Studios got into making their own content and releasing it via the streaming service. Since then, Disney regained the license to the characters. When Marvel Studios ventured into the movie industry, their comics were adapted by other studios until Disney bought the company. However those production companies still had the movie rights to some of the Marvel characters.
For a while now, it was rumored that the heroes from the Marvel Netflix shows would make their way back into the MCU and Daredevil is the first to join. Other characters that could join the MCU eventually include Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and the Punisher, just as the characters originally owned by Fox and Sony are slowly making their way into the canon (including the X-Men and the Fantastic Four).
The new series seems to pick up where the previous series— as well as the characters’ appearances in other shows— left off. The Nelson, Murdock, and Page law firm seems relatively stable and Daredevil is doing his thing on the side, including to help fellow heroes, Spider-Man and She-Hulk.
That is, until a previous villain reappears. In a fit of anger and depression following that attack, Daredevil hangs up his mask; the episode skips to one year later and the public hasn’t seen Daredevil since then.
Meanwhile, Fisk has recovered from his gunshot wounds from Echo and decides to run for mayor of New York City. As Matt’s law practice continues and Fisk has risen in political popularity, the two may face each other once again.
The new series is similar to the old one, almost like a fourth season of Daredevil. But there are subtle, differences that enhance the experience of the show. For one thing, the depiction of Matt/Daredevil’s sending capabilities has been enhanced and revamped. Of course, the the most stark comparison happens when watching the series next to each other. But Born Again plays up Matt’s special abilities in hearing and sensing. The sounds of heartbeats, footsteps, and people, are played up with distortion and volume-changes. While the original series tries to give the audience part of the experience of living like Matt, this new series is even more successful, forcing the viewer to be in Matt’s ears.
While there are plenty of action scenes in the two-episode series premiere, it seems that the storyline may focus more on the political situation and the greater state of MCU New York City, than the original story did. Already the first episodes see courtroom scenes, exploring Matt’s life without Daredevil. Though a reduction in action may be a downside for some, that change gives the audience more of a view into Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk as more than just Daredevil and the Kingpin. It may even give a commentary on the concept of vigilantism and justice.
Find out more every Tuesday on Disney+— season 1 will be nine episodes, with season 2 already in the works.
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