Vigilante justice resurrects as devil gets his due in Disney+ release

The Devil is back in the kitchen- Hell’s Kitchen, that is, as Charlie Cox dons the horns once more in Daredevil: Born Again. Taking place approximately eight years after the original series, Matt Murdock grapples with his alter ego as convicted felon and criminal kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio, Jurassic World) is elected into office as New York’s mayor. 

Following the release of Netflix’s Daredevil season three, the fan-beloved adaptation of the blind hero had ended on a high note with the three protagonists, Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson, The Mighty Ducks), and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll, True Blood), establishing a new law firm appropriately named “Nelson, Murdock, & Page,” only to be cancelled a month later. Going radio silent for the next three years, it wouldn’t be until 2021 that Murdock and Fisk would make their returns, now as part of the MCU in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye, respectively. 

However, though their roles in both projects implied the original series they debuted was now canon, any sign of verification was dubious at best, and the original form of its revival did not aid matters. Flashback to September of 2022, when President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige announced at Disney’s D23 expo an 18-episode series titled Daredevil: Born Again would be released on Disney+, with its filming to commence in the following year. As the months went on, and DD: BA would begin its filming process, insider reports indicated the series would stray away from pre-established lore, upsetting fans and cast alike. Following the outcry, the series returned to the table (having already filmed six episodes) for retooling, this time with a few key members of the original cast. 

Wrapping filming of the revamped series in April of 2024, the most noticeable changes occurred in the season’s “pilot”, and its two finale episodes. While fans rejoiced at the change, this left the question of the quality of the non-overhauled episodes, especially in light of the death of Kamar de los Reyes, who portrayed Hector Ayala, also known as the White Tiger for a significant arc in the series. By the time the series was released, the differences between the two eras were nearly indistinguishable, yet necessary nonetheless. 

Avid fans of the Daredevil Netflix series had also begun to worry that, with the shift to Disney+, it would indicate the dial being turned down on the explicit violence and darker themes the original had prominently featured. This fear was not quelled by the Man Without Fear’s appearance in fellow lawyer serial She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, donning his classic ketchup-and-mustard colored costume from his first appearance and a more lighthearted attitude, even doing the walk of shame after their romantic encounter. Despite these fears, DD:BA retains its TV-MA rating, bending its rating even further, cementing itself as one of- if not- the goriest MCU projects. In large part due to fight choreographer Philip J. Silvera returning to direct the fight scenes in Born Again, the action sequences feel visceral and brutal, with every blow delivered in devastating fashion. 

In terms of adapting the series’ namesake, Daredevil: Born Again is based on Frank Miller’s famous storyline of the same name, which is where the similarities begin and also end. In Miller’s story arc, Matt Murdock’s descent into madness is spurred by Kingpin’s discovery of his alter ego, leading to him giving up his Daredevil persona entirely as he attempts to piece together the fragmented shards of his life. Strangely enough, this plotline had already been loosely adapted in the final season of its predecessor, which left fans wondering what exactly its follow-up would cover. 

In a turn of events, the series version of Born Again instead draws inspiration from a combination of Charles Soule’s run of the Daredevil comics as well as Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s “Devil’s Reign” storylines. For the former, one of the main villains highlighted in both the Soule’s run as well as the series is serial killer and graffiti artist, Muse. Creating murals out of the blood of his victims, his macabre artwork is used to criticize both the various heroes and villains of the streets of New York, in part contributing to the creation of Fisk’s unprecedented Anti-Vigilante Task Force.

As for the latter of the two storylines, parallels to the political climate of the modern day are unavoidable, as “Devil’s Reign” centers around Kingpin gaining office, disregarding any previous laws in place, employing those with a clear and distinct criminal record, and ruling with an iron fist… all for his own benefit as a corrupt politician and billionaire. Regardless of modern-day events, Born Again also takes jabs at the justice system as a whole, with Hector Ayala- a Puerto Rican man- being wrongfully accused of assaulting and killing a police officer, highlighting the flaws in the criminal justice system as a whole. 

Superheroes have never shied away from any form of systemic messaging- from the anti-drug messaging in  “Amazing Spider-Man #96” to the Green Lantern/Green Arrow crossover series criticizing the role of superheroes in who they choose to help. In recent incarnations, however, any of this criticism of the larger world has been either shoddily done or entirely absent, in order not to displease viewers, and Marvel Studios is no stranger to this. Sam Wilson’s “Do Better” speech in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was heavily criticized by fans as for being too afraid to properly address the issue of systemic racism in America, all while the Black Lives Matter movement had been at its peak. In a world where the voiceless are deafened by the loudest, even what seems to just be escapist media fails to provide some sense of hope for a better tomorrow.

As infamously said by an emo Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, “You want forgiveness? Get religion,” DD:BA continues the religious themes of the original series, but not in the way fans would expect. Being Marvel’s poster boy for Catholicism, the Netflix series heavily features Murdock’s faith as he seeks forgiveness for his actions under his moniker of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Being titled Born Again, an obvious reference to the spiritual salvation for Christians, Matt Murdock grapples with his faith as a whole, choosing his life of a lawyer over anything else following the series’ inciting incident. Unfortunately, not all good things can last as the same inciting incident coincidentally came in the form of the unfortunate death of a key character at the hands of the season three antagonist Bullseye (Wilson Bethel, Hart of Dixie). 

SPOILERS:

Prior to release and the news of a creatively renewed series, the reintegration of the original cast had been a highlight for audiences as they would get their long-awaited reunion with the “Avocados at Law,” only to be cut short as Foggy Nelson is gunned down within the first 15 minutes of the new season’s debut. However, although his death appeared to be quite final, some fans have pointed to another storyline in the comics where Foggy had faked his own death to be placed into witness protection, a theory which was reinforced slightly by Marvel Studios’ Instagram posting a panel from the same exact story.

Along with this, Elden Henson among other actors has been selected to return in some form for season two of Born Again, which is currently filming in New York. In the finale episode of season one, Kingpin’s hostile takeover of the Big Apple found Daredevil on the run, teaming up with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal, The Walking Dead) to attempt to regain some sense of control over the city. While Kingpin dispatches his Anti-Vigilante Task Force upon The City that Never Sleeps, Castle does the same in his own fashion, eventually leading to his own capture. 

Although Born Again’s connectivity to the MCU is at a minimum, it predictably leaves viewers on a cliffhanger, setting up even more projects outside of itself. Through set photo leaks, Daredevil now wears his iconic black and red “Shadowlands” uniform, embellished by his iconic double “D” logo upon his chest, a feature longed for by fans for years. In addition to this, the season’s post credit scene also confirms Bernthal’s return in his spinoff Marvel “Special Presentation,” promising more lethal mayhem to come as he serves as judge, jury, and executioner on the scum of the streets of New York. Leaving fans hungry for what’s next in the street-level saga of the MCU, Daredevil’s homecoming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe marks the resurrection of hope for superhero media.

Grade: A+

Daredevil: Born Again is a triumphant return to the “Man Without Fear”’s escapades, dishing out hard-hitting systemic statements and fight scenes.

by Evan Parfitt

Published April 28th, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue VII