In what can only be described as the TV event of the year, Daredevil: Born Again has graced our screens. Marvel Television's revival of the Netflix series has been a long time coming, and with it now established that the show and its continuity is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, expectations for the Disney Plus series couldn't have been higher.
There were reports that the original version of Born Again would have established the MCU's Daredevil as a separate entity - a variant, if you will - from the previous version of the character that we met, but an overhaul into filming reset the project as a sequel to the Netflix show. And with that, fans could expect to see more than a few familiar faces return to accompany Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio as the show's respective hero and villain.
If you've watched the first two episodes, you'll probably have noticed that there was another cameo appearance that came as a surprise to viewers, but it was undoubtedly great to see them again.
Josie returns in Daredevil: Born Again's series premiere
The series premiere of Daredevil: Born Again, titled "Heaven's Half Hour", was undoubtedly the most shocking episode of any Daredevil series, so you might be forgiven for not noticing that it also housed a surprise cameo. Susan Varon, who played Josie in the original series, reprises her role in the first episode of the season as Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Karen Page all enjoy a night out at their old haunt.
Josie's Bar was a fixture of Netflix's Daredevil, with the trio frequenting it throughout the series, often to discuss stressful matters related to their jobs as lawyers or to unwind after a long day at work. We knew that the bar would reappear in the revival due to set photos that confirmed Matt, Foggy, and Karen would meet up outside the bar.
That makes Susan Varon the eighth star of the Netflix show to reprise her role in Born Again, joining Charlie Cox's Daredevil, Elden Henson's Foggy, Deborah Ann Woll's Karen, Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk, Ayelet Zurer's Vanessa Fisk, Wilson Bethel's Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter, and Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle / Punisher.
The original incarnation of Daredevil: Born Again featured just Cox and D'Onofrio returning in their roles with a whole new cast, implying that the show would not be a sequel series to the Netflix show. This was particularly evident when it was confirmed that Sandrine Holt would play Vanessa Fisk, but after a creative overhaul, it was announced that the supporting cast of the original show would reprise their roles, with Ayelet Zurer once again returning as Vanessa.
Seeing Josie back on our screens was such a fulfilling moment, and it was a great reminder of one of the many, many things we loved about the original Daredevil series.
Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney Plus.