The street-level superhero of Marvel, Daredevil, finally made its Disney+ premiere after three successful seasons on Netflix. Charlie Cox has already shown his presence in the MCU through previous appearances as The Man Without Fear in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Daredevil: Born Again represents one of the highly anticipated MCU projects in 2025, as it reunites fan-favorite characters with new characters. The story represents Marvel’s effort to combine intense and realistic Netflix storytelling with the broad cinematic scope of the wider MCU.
Besides that, there exists a significant amount of groundwork needed to be covered before this new beginning. Many big events have happened since the original Netflix series that have changed the world of our vigilante. Let’s take a look at what viewers need to see before Daredevil: Born Again and analyze its future.
The original Daredevil series where it all began
In the Netflix adaptation of Daredevil, viewers met Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, who brings his courtroom abilities and sensory superpowers to fight criminals. The show kicked off its first season by building up the complex relationship between Murdock and Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, and their confrontation shaped the future of the whole series.
During its second season, the show brought in Punisher and Elektra Natchios and expanded its storyline without losing its dark theme. The plot of this season showed the ethical differences between Daredevil’s no-death policy and the Punisher’s use of deadly force.
Season three introduced Wilson Bethel, who played Benjamin Pointdexter, aka Bullseye. The season climaxed with a series of events where Daredevil claimed his identity back and took down an almost unbeatable Kingpin. Some major events from Netflix’s Daredevil will carry over into the new series, particularly through Bullseye’s injury and Kingpin’s downfall.
The crossover in The Defenders
The Defenders might not be the most popular of Marvel’s Netflix shows, but it is an important connection between Daredevil’s second and third seasons. It gathered together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist to combat a threat that none of them could handle alone.
Daredevil’s apparent death and a new life in the series set the ground for his character arc that led to the third season. Moreover, Murdock’s relationship with other heroes was also seen in the show. Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Alexandra Reid also helped in adding some extra gravitas.
Frank Castle’s journey in The Punisher
Though not directly a part of Born Again, The Punisher spinoff series was important for Frank Castle’s character development, who has been confirmed to join the new series. The show gave Castle’s military history and provided information about his family’s murder conspiracy.
Jon Bernthal‘s acclaimed version of the Punisher delivered the most detailed take on the character, and his Karen Page relationship will likely have some crucial importance in Born Again.
Kingpin’s MCU debut in Hawkeye
Hawkeye became the official MCU return of Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. That series saw Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox, introduced as Kingpin’s surrogate niece, adding some character depth that was absent from the Netflix series.
The show ends with Maya confronting Kingpin, seemingly shooting him after realizing that he orchestrated her father’s death. This moment sets up major threads in the plot that continued to evolve through Echo and into Born Again.
Setting the stage with Echo
Echo was crucial to set up the current situation for both Daredevil and Kingpin. The series marked another previously unknown connection in the timeline between Daredevil and Maya Lopez back in 2018, confirming the survival of the characters from Thanos’ snap.
Most importantly, the show ended with Kingpin running for Mayor of New York City after his confrontation with Maya. The incident will directly become one of the main plots in Born Again and create new obstacles for Matt Murdock.
Some other essential elements to remember before watching Daredevil: Born Again
The law firm consisting of Foggy Nelson, Matt Murdock, and Karen Page continues its operation, which hints at the potential for some joint efforts against Kingpin’s political ambitions.
The relationship between Kingpin and his wife, Vanessa, poses significant challenges to the future premise of the Born Again. Whether Fisk’s mayoral run signifies transformation or retains his corrupt nature stands as the vital plot component in the series.
Some cameos, like that of Jennifer Walters, may also happen after her brief romance with Murdock in the She-Hulk series.
Daredevil: Born Again– Episodes 1 and 2 recap
Daredevil: Born Again starts with Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Karen Page enjoying at Josie’s bar with Nikki James’ new character Kirsten McDuffie, and other friends. Then, the fun quickly turns to tragedy when Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye comes hunting Foggy.
Bullseye kills Foggy while Murdock is away trying to save another client. He arrives just too late, just before Bullseye could shoot Karen also. The fight ends with Daredevil tossing Bullseye off the roof, but the damage has already been done. He throws away his mask and puts aside the identity of a vigilante after Foggy’s death.
A time jump of a year since the event is shown. Murdock is now running a successful law firm with Kirsten McDuffie but is still very much haunted by his past. In the meantime, Wilson Fisk emerged as the newly elected mayor of New York City after campaigning on an anti-vigilante platform. Most importantly, Murdock and Page are no longer on talking terms.
Episode 2 introduces a new character, Hector Ayala, aka White Tiger. Murdock gets involved in Ayala’s case after corrupt police beat him down during his arrest. The episode ends with a confrontation between him and those corrupt cops who pull a gun on him, one of the policemen having a Punisher tattoo.
The time jump has changed all the prominent characters. While Murdock has set up his successful legal practice with McDuffie while battling the guilt, his Daredevil persona is now just a thing of the past.
Fisk went from crime lord to mayor, although his wife Vanessa kept his criminal empire alive in the meantime while he recovered from getting shot in the face. Their relationship appears to be struggling as they now attend therapy with Heather Glenn, who is Murdock’s latest romantic interest.
What to expect in future episodes of Daredevil: Born Again
Future episodes of Daredevil: Born Again promise to increase the involvement of street-level characters in the MCU. The series will have guest appearances from fan-favorite characters, like Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. The hint that the Punisher tattoo is on a corrupt officer’s wrist suggests that the show might deal with how Frank Castle’s vigilante mark has been involved in the corrupt elements within law enforcement.
The rivalry between Wilson Fisk and Matt Murdock will develop in some very interesting terms. This time, Fisk has a strong position as a mayor, and this new development promises to sow the seeds for what could be their most important battle, especially as Murdock is now off his vigilante persona.
The introduction of White Tiger in the first two episodes gives the impression that Born Again will go even further towards exploring street-level superheroes and villains. Characters like Muse will also add some new layers to the story.
Marvel seems to use Daredevil: Born Again to lay the foundation for some future shows as well. It will reportedly set up an upcoming series featuring Jon Bernthal as Punisher, which is also co-written by him. As Daredevil: Born Again progresses, it promises to blend the best elements of its Netflix predecessor with the broader scope of the MCU.
Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+
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