Daredevil comes back to Hell’s Kitchen, but he’ll have a new job within Marvel Comics.
Daredevil has been on a wild ride since Chip Zdarsky took over back in 2018. Within those five years later, Zdarsky sent Matt Murdock over the edge. He started doing things that Daredevil normally wouldn’t. Nevertheless, he achieved his goal of defeating the Hand. However, his fight wasn’t over.
After defeating the Hand, the Man Without Fear had to save his friends. In order to do that, Murdock had to die and get them out of Hell. He succeeded but didn’t escape the underworld. The last readers see of Daredevil is the portal to the land of the living closing on him while Foggy Nelson, Stick, and others escaped.
Of course, there’s no way that Marvel Comics was going to let one of their most popular characters stay dead. Especially when Daredevil: Born Again should debut in a couple of years. In Daredevil No. 14, Elektra comes across someone who looks exactly like Matt Murdock. The problem is he’s a priest and doesn’t remember Elektra.
Everything became clear soon after they met. The first key was the priest knowing Elektra smelled like Jasmine. It’s how Matt always knows when Elektra is around. Again, that doesn’t mean much. Anyone can smell like that. It was until the end of the issue that everything was solidified.
While leaving St. Margaret Mary’s, the “priest” could hear a fight going on across the street. After that, readers see Murdock’s radar sense, and the loud noises hurt his ears. Instead of Matt ripping off his clothes and jumping into action, he just kept walking.
What’s next for Daredevil in Marvel Comics
When the new Marvel Comics Daredevil series was announced, future Daredevil writer Saladin Ahmed said. “I wanted to only take this job on if I felt like I had a new, unique take on Matt and on Hell’s Kitchen. And so that’s at the center of this… him and his world, but it’s the Marvel Universe.” The conclusion to Chip Zdarsky’s run proved this to be true. It doesn’t look like Matt will be a lawyer. Instead, he’ll be a man of the cloth. After years of doubting his faith and then going to Hell, it could be the profession Matt’s been destined for. He’s never needed the money and being a priest will allow him to move more freely.
There are a couple of things to look for when Daredevil debuts in September. First, how does Daredevil react to being alive again? He was in Hell. That’s a traumatic experience for anyone. The reason he doesn’t remember his past life is because of the floodgates it could open. Who knows what the vile beings of Hell did to him? Or, maybe he was in Heaven for a bit. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy Summers came back from the dead after being in Heaven. It ruined her perspective on life for a while. Either of these explains his lack of memory. It’s kind of a mercy.
Second, how are Matt’s loved ones going to react? Foggy may come to terms with Matt being dead and then see him alive. Seeing him could ruin the work he’s done getting over it. Also, Elektra “knows” Matt is alive and she’s protecting Hell’s Kitchen. She may have an issue if he comes back and doesn’t remember her. She may not even believe he’s forgotten her.
No matter what happens, Marvel Comics’ new Daredevil run will change the future of the Man Without Fear’s life forever. The good news is that the series is in good hands. Saladin Ahmed is a phenomenal writer creating a series for an iconic character. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to see what’s next when the series debuts.
What do you think of Daredevil forgetting who he is? Let us know in the comments below.