Since launching on Disney+, Daredevil: Born Again has been serving up some truly unexpected and fun MCU Easter eggs that have made watching the new series even more fun for die-hard Marvel fans.
Right out of the gate in the two-episode premiere, Fisk not-so-casually named-dropped one of Marvel’s biggest heroes when he alluded to New Yorkers not needing a man who dresses in a spider outfit in a clear reference to Spider-Man. In that same episode, he also referred to The Punisher, who officially made his debut in the MCU episodes later when Jon Bernthal reprised his role as Frank Castle in the show’s fourth episode.
Then there was the show’s funny nod to the Skrulls which acknowledged the events of Secret Invasion finally, and there was also the unexpected name-dropping of Miles Morales’ father, Officer Morales. Needless to say, the writers have been taking full advantage of being officially part of the MCU timeline with fun references to the MCU, so it seems only fitting that the show’s fifth episode kept the fun going by incorporating the most unexpected MCU cameo – one that featured a fellow Disney+ Marvel show character.
Daredevil: Born Again features Ms. Marvel’s dad, Yusuf, in episode 5
We’ve gotten some fun cameos and MCU references across the first four episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, and the fifth episode gave us one of the most unexpected MCU cameos yet when Mohan Kapur popped up in the fifth episode of the season in a truly imaginative and fun way reprising his role as Ms. Marvel’s dad, Yusuf! The moment marked Kapur’s second return to the MCU following Ms. Marvel, having last appeared in The Marvels movie.
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Daredevil: Born Again season 1, episode 5!
Early in the episode, we see Matt heading to the bank in hopes of securing funding for his firm. When the bank employee finally came to greet Matt for their meeting, he was greeted by Yusuf, who we learn is working at the New York Mutual location in the city.
The two strike up a fun conversation in which Yusuf proudly hypes up Jersey City and its very own hero, Ms. Marvel, and we even get a fun meta moment as Yusuf proudly shows off his custom Ms. Marvel Funko Pop! Figure before the pair start talking business. While Yusuf appreciates how Matt’s firm is helping those who can’t afford high-end lawyers, he’s unable to extend a loan as the firm simply doesn’t meet the required criteria.
Matt thanks him and it seemed like it was going to be a fun and quick cameo, but it ended up turning into a fun guest spot instead as Yusuf proceeded to play a key role in the episode.
Shortly after Matt left the bank, he heard a group of armed robbers entering the bank and so Matt quickly turned around and reentered the bank as the robbery then began to unfold. With the bank manager out, the robbers look to Yusuf to help them get into the bank’s vault, but Matt quickly takes notice that Yusuf doesn’t have the vault code and he encourages him to stall for as long as he can.
Later, Matt makes his way down to the vault, where he saves Yusuf’s life as one the armed gunmen’s patience finally runs out over Yusuf’s stall tactics. Using his heightened hearing, Matt cracks the vault open, and the pair eventually find the safety deposit box containing the item the robbery crew has come for: a large yellow diamond.
Matt ends up helping to save the day, but it looks like the thieves get away with the diamond in the chaos that is until we learn Matt pulled a switcharoo on them replacing the diamond with one of the butterscotch candies from Yusuf’s desk. After the chaos, Matt eventually returns to the bank to check in on Yusuf, who is recovering from the ordeal nicely, and offers to help Matt come up with ways to make his law firm more profitable as he invites him to dinner as Matt leaves, dropping the diamond into the candy dish for a stunned Yusuf to discover.
It was a really fun way to bring in an MCU character, and we loved getting to see Matt and Yusfu interacting together throughout the episode. It was a moment that left us very hopeful that we could perhaps see Matt team up with Ms. Marvel in the future within the MCU, a crossover that seems likely given the close proximity of the two heroes’ home cities!