Daredevil: Born Again is coming to Disney Plus this March, and there are a few things fans would love to see in the new series!
It's been six years since we last saw Netflix's Daredevil series. A groundbreaker for the streamer, it adapted the long-running Marvel Comics character of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind attorney. Thanks to the same chemicals that took his sight, Matt was gifted with heightened senses (and a "radar sense") and uses them to fight crime as the costumed Daredevil while also seeking justice.
The series was a success that spawned several spin-offs. They were all canceled by Netflix when Marvel Studios began developing TV shows for Disney Plus. Eventually, the shows found their way there instead when they were retroactively welcomed into the canon of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To the joy of fans, Cox reprised the role of Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo, officially confirming that the character would become a major part of the MCU franchise.
We're finally getting that long-awaited full-time return in the Born Again series. It brings back almost the entire cast of the original series and is highlighted by Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin, who's now mayor of New York City.
The first trailer has given us hints of the action and excitement to come, but there are a few other items fans would love to see on the show. Some may be unlikely, others are no-brainers, and all would make the return of the Man Without Fear an even bigger deal.
A legal challenge
Reportedly, the original plan for Daredevil: Born Again would have focused more on Matt Murdock as a lawyer and barely in costume. While that's probably a good thing it was shifted, it doesn't mean we should ignore the courtroom aspects of The Man Without Fear entirely. Being a lawyer is as key to Matt's character as being a superhero is and the series should remind us just how sharp an attorney he is.
A long-range subplot of Matt tackling a difficult court case balanced by his vigilante antics would be great. It can address how tough it is for him to balance the two lives and how it interferes with his work. We don't want a pure legal drama, but it's always good to see that Matt is as much a hero out of costume as he is in it.
Matt broken down
To many comic book fans, the original Born Again comic is the best Daredevil story ever told. The plotline sees the Kingpin discovering Matt's secret identity as the costumed crimefighter and thus he proceeds to destroy his life. Throughout the story, Matt is broken down, losing his home, his job, his reputation and nearly his sanity before he finally fights back.
Showing that in a TV series would be a difficult watch but it also fits the character. It can be Matt's life looking up just before the events of the series wreck everything. Charlie Cox can be sensational showing Matt's growing despair combined with the strength to get through it.
If the show pays tribute to this classic storyline, fans can be more than happy, even if it's bad for Matt.
Keep the top-notch fighting
One thing that everyone agrees about is that the fight scenes in the Netflix series are magnificent. The choreography was stellar to make these fights feel real and often brutal, especially the insane hallway battles. It looks like we'll get more of that here in the revival series, which is exactly what fans want and hope to get even better this time around.
We don't need Daredevil doing fancy CGI-assisted moves or super martial arts to take down enemies. We just need some wicked brawling, moves a bit more brutal than your typical Disney+ show and a lot harsher than you'd see elsewhere in the MCU. "Beautiful violence" may be a contradiction but it's also something that fans love about this series.
The teaser trailer suggests things are about to get even more violent than before in the new series, and it goes without saying that fans are ready for that.
More of the classic costume
Adapting comic book costumes to live-action can be tricky. The Netflix show had the Daredevil costume as more of a red jumpsuit, although it kept the horns. She-Hulk had Matt in a yellow costume that didn't quite work for him (but paid tribute to the character's alternate suit in the comics). The first look at Daredevil: Born Again showcase that he's back in red, yet not quite the same as the comics.
We could use a suit that's just the classic red look which fits the Devil's name. It'd also be nice if the billy club the character uses in the comics (complete with the grapple line) makes an appearance here. And even having the "DD" initials logo on the chest would be fun (we've heard the rumors that it might happen).
If Born Again is a rebirth of Daredevil, that should include his costume looking just like the images in Frank Miller's legendary stories.
Karen and Foggy get great screen time
There was concern about the early reports that Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll wouldn't be taking part in the series. Thankfully, the two are indeed back in Daredevil: Born Again and it looks like Foggy Nelson and Karen Page are right at Matt's side where they belong. Now, we just hope they get enough screen time.
We should hope to see the pair not just helping Matt but hopefully having some side adventures of their own. They could be working to find out more about Muse, Fisk and other threats and it would also be fun to see Foggy on his own court case. T
he actors are always engaging in the roles, and this return should hopefully be worth it.
Fisk is still evil
As the show opens, Wilson Fisk is now mayor of New York City and, from the looks of the trailer, it seems as if he really wants to help this city. That may have some concerned Fisk is growing a conscience and softening now that he's a respected figure, particularly as it appears that he and Daredevil may have to put their differences aside to take on a greater threat. Hopefully, the show doesn't go in that direction as fans want Fisk to still be the ruthless criminal mastermind under this façade of a noble figure.
He may not fully run the mobs, but Fisk should still be shown as someone willing to use his resources to crush enemies, strike without warning, and consider other people pawns in his game. He can be more terrifying in this place of power, now protected by the law and thus a far more compelling foe.
Mayor or not, we want the Kingpin to assert himself as one of the MCU's best baddies.
Elektra or Spidey?
These ones may be more wishful thinking but it would undoubtedly still be fun if Spider-Man or Elektra made some surprise appearances in Daredevil: Born Again. Elektra is a key part of the Daredevil mythos with Elodie Yung doing a wonderful job in the role in the original Netflix series. Bringing her back in this one, still reeling from the events of The Defenders, and having a unique reunion with Matt, would continue their strange romance and finally give Elektra more screen time.
The idea of Spider-Man popping in is probably too much to hope for. But, given the long friendship between Spidey and Daredevil in the comics, it'd be inspired for Tom Holland to swing in for a cameo and the pair to share some banter - especially when you take into account all those rumors of the Kingpin becoming a future foe for Spidey in the MCU.
Chalk this up under unlikely, but it would be awesome if they happen.
Bullseye steps up
Season 3 ended with Ben Poindexter barely surviving a battle and the hints he was going to become Bullseye. Born Again should have Poindexter fully embrace the role, becoming the comic book foe with the uncanny aim that turns anything in his hands into a lethal weapon. That can lead to a great fight with DD.
Also, don't hold back on the outfit. Have Bullseye take on the full comic book costume with the target on the mask. It may seem a bit goofy but it's as much a part of his persona as DD's own red suit. To get a real take on Bullseye would elevate this story massively.
Defenders cameos
Even if we don't get Elektra or Spider-Man showing up, it'd be fitting to see more of the Defenders characters pop into the tale. Jessica Jones would be the obvious pick, as Matt could hire her to investigate some part of the case, and it'd be wonderful to see Krysten Ritter back as that sardonic character.
Seeing Luke Cage or Danny Rand would also be great as it would allow both characters to let us all in on what they've been doing since their respective shows ended. Even Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple could work with the storyline (we know she's patched Matt Murdock up more times than we could care to admit!).
Appearances from any of these characters could pave the way for them to return in their own shows and keep up the connections to the original Netflix universe. We know that The Punisher will make an appearance in the series and now there are rumors of a potential revival of his series; could another character get the same potential treatment too? It would be great to see the MCU build the former Netflix universe of Marvel characters back up to where it used to be.
The Line
Really, there's one thing fans want to see from this show. Or rather, hear. It's the line that many hold as the best one from the Born Again comic book storyline, and it's still one of the best in the character's history. It's after Fisk has destroyed Matt's life, only to learn that Matt is still out there. As he works out in private, Fisk realizes he's made a big mistake. By taking away everything Matt had, he's turned into a man who has nothing left to lose, not even hope.
"And I… I have shown him… that a man without hope… is a Man Without Fear."
Hearing D'onofrio uttering that line would make this entire series worth watching. If anything justifies fanservice, it'd be this and thus fans are hoping to hear it spoken.
Daredevil: Born Again premieres Tuesday, March 4, on Disney+.