We've said it many times before, but allow me to say it again: Anything can happen in the MCU. Marvel Studios is no stranger to making the impossible come to fruition. Remember, this is the same studio that brought together characters of 20+ movies for Avengers: Endgame and now it looks to do the same for characters from across the whole multiverse in the next two Avengers movies.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a breeding ground for potential and, more often than not, it realizes that potential, whether that's in big-budget action movies or in innovative Disney Plus shows that think outside the box. Quite simply, Marvel Studios has all the potential in the world (or multiverse) to make magic happen, and now it sounds like it plans on doing the same again.
According to one trusted insider, we could see the lead characters from multiple shows - either cancelled or one-and-done - return in the same place pretty soon.
The Defenders and Echo to return in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Veteran Marvel insider Alex Perez recently hosted their monthly Q&A with fans via The Cosmic Circus and, in the second installment of March's edition, they revealed that Marvel Studios could be about to bring back some beloved characters whose futures in the MCU franchise have been uncertain for some time. Those characters are Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo, all of whom are rumored to appear in the second season of Daredevil: Born Again.
Responding to a question about whether Elektra could return in the second season of the Disney Plus series, Perez responded with the revelation that The Defenders are expected to return, adding that it will be interesting to see how they factor into everything considering that Wilson Fisk's mayoral run appears to be teasing a Devil's Reign adaptation in which all vigilantes are outlawed. Perez also responded to another question about the character of Echo, saying that they heard a rumor that she'll also appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2.
This would be a major deal if it happened because it would bring together four characters involved in either previously cancelled or standalone projects who audiences simply weren't sure they would see again. Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones, Finn Jones' Danny Rand / Iron Fist and Mike Colter's Luke Cage all headlined their own separate shows on Netflix before uniting with Daredevil for the crossover The Defenders.
Having returned to their own shows after that, they continued to entertain audiences as part of the Netflix Marvel universe until all three shows were cancelled (along with Daredevil and The Punisher) due to the end of the deal between Marvel Television and Netflix.
Five years later, Marvel officially declared that the events of the Netflix series were canon to the MCU, and that official confirmation came the night that Echo premiered, as all of them were inserted into the MCU Timeline on Disney Plus. And with Charlie Cox's Daredevil, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, Jon Bernthal's Punisher, and now all the rest of the Daredevil characters all considered canon to the MCU, it was only a matter of time until Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage returned too.
It would also be pretty ironic if they resurfaced alongside Echo, as it was the origins of that character's story in the MCU that began the journey towards the franchise officially acknowledging the Netflix shows. Maya Lopez (portrayed by Alaqua Cox) made her debut in Hawkeye, which paved the way for the Kingpin to arrive there too. Both of them then appeared in spinoff Echo (which Alaqua Cox headlined) and that also saw Maya cross paths with Charlie Cox's Daredevil, who had already made his MCU debut at that point (he first debuted in Spider-Man: No Way Home).
Having Echo cross paths with The Defenders could very well bring the whole journey to getting the Netflix characters into the MCU full circle, and that would be a pretty epic sight to behold. Their journeys have been intertwined since 2021, so the notion of them all appearing in the same show, led by the original Marvel Netflix hero Daredevil, in 2026 when season 2 comes out really does highlight how beautiful Marvel's long-term storytelling can be. And given that all of them will have a bone to pick with Wilson Fisk - be that personal or simply the fact that they are all now vigilantes - it might not be a good time to the Kingpin.