To say that Daredevil: Born Again opened on a bit of a shocking note would be a bit of an understatement. The long-awaited series is a revival of the Netflix show Daredevil which was unceremoniously cancelled after its critically-acclaimed third season in 2018 due to Marvel Studios' decision to make new shows for its own streamer Disney Plus. With that in mind, it's no surprise that the show did whatever it took to come back on a shocking note, but not even that - nor the rumors of a potential character demise - could have prepared audiences for the complete shocker that came their way.
The Marvel show arrived on Disney Plus with a special two-episode premiere and it wasted little time throwing us all back into the world of Matt Murdock, his friends, and his enemies. And even though those two episodes were fantastic offerings that really left us asking plenty of questions, the biggest of those questions came from the opening moments of the show's premiere.
*** This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from Daredevil: Born Again episode 1. Don't read on if you have not yet watched the show and would prefer if wasn't spoiled for you. ***
Is Foggy Nelson really dead in Daredevil: Born Again?
If you watched the series premiere of Daredevil: Born Again and were completely floored by the opening moments, don't worry you weren't the only one. Foggy Nelson's apparent death sent shockwaves through the Marvel audience weeks before it even streamed on Disney Plus as a number of set photos teased the terrifying outcome. But fans hoped that it might have been a rouse to throw viewers off the scent.
That is apparently not the case for the first episode of the revival series, "Heaven's Half Hour", saw Matt Murdock, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson himself go out after a long day of working at their law firm (Nelson, Murdock, and Page) for a drink at Josie's. They had continued to do that after the credits rolled on the Netflix series, strengthening their bond over many nights at their beloved, favorite bar in Hell's Kitchen. But this time, the laughing came to a halt when Foggy was shot outside in the street by Bejamin Poindexter, a.k.a. Bullseye.
Foggy collapsed on the street as Karen attempted to save his life, all while Matt - as Daredevil - engaged in battle with Bullseye. It was a truly jaw-dropping moment and there is no doubt that fans were rooting for Foggy to survive, just as he had survived all those attempts on his life in the Netflix series. Unfortunately, he couldn't, and the beloved Daredevil character died in Karen's arms.
There is no doubt about it that this is a bold way for Daredevil to return to screens as Foggy was one of the most beloved characters on the original show. Elden Henson's endearing performance made him an instant fan-favorite and he was such an important element of Matt Murdock's life, both as a lawyer and friend, and as Daredevil. And when we all found out that Henson would be reprising his role in the revival series, we were thrilled.
So the question remains as to whether Foggy is really dead. We want to say no, but all the evidence is pointing towards yes. Although Foggy was an important aspect of the original show, Henson almost wasn't in Born Again as the series initially planned on only bringing back Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin. A creative overhaul meant that the original characters would return, but it was never stated in which capacity. And given that the new show has a main cast of its own, it may be planning to move on from the originals.
But that's all speculation, of course. The main thing that suggests Foggy's death could be final is that we actually saw it play out on-screen. When we all saw those set photos of Bullseye targetting Karen and Foggy, fans speculated that there might be a fakeout, or that the show would attempt to make us believe that Foggy was dead while Matt and Karen really got him into protective custody until his killer was taken off the streets, but that's not how it played out at all. We actually saw Foggy draw his last breath, we heard the final few beats of Foggy's heart through Matt's ears; it's all signs that the character's death really happened. As is the one-year time jump that the show took into the future when Dex was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes.
The one sign of hope is that Elden Henson is billed as a series regular in Daredevil: Born Again, which suggests that he might reappear throughout the series. But then again, if that's the case, it could just be in flashbacks, recycled footage, or some other capacity. We'll have to wait and see, but it goes without saying that the whole Daredevil fanbase is holding out hope that they will see Foggy again.
Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney Plus.