While there are a lot of TV shows to be excited about this year, Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is right at the top of that list. The Marvel Studios series returns to Disney Plus for its second season this March, and anticipation is extremely high after the success of its first season - which made its presence felt on the streamer at the same time last year.
A revival of Netflix's Daredevil series, it brought Charlie Cox back as the titular hero along the with the vast majority of the supporting cast of that show too, firmly grounding it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But it was just a prelude for what is shaping up to be an even better sophomore offering. We're all hoping it recreates that success, but right out of the gate there will be one big change to its format... and fans aren't thrilled about it.
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will have less episodes
The upcoming second season of Daredevil: Born Again will consist of eight episodes instead of the nine that fans were originally expecting it to. This might come as a surprise due to the fact that the show was automatically renewed for a second season off the principle that the original 18-episode season that was ordered was eventually split into two separate seasons when the Marvel TV strategy changed course. But, somewhere along the lines of development, it was essentially decided that eight episodes would suffice.
Knowing what we know now about Marvel Studios' new approach to television, it isn't too surprising. A change? Sure. But it also falls in line with how the studio has been making TV recently. Recent MCU shows such as Ironheart and Wonder Man have had episode counts of eight, while the upcoming VisionQuest will do the same.
But still, fans are understandably concerned that the slightly-reduced episode count might not allow the season to live up to its full potential. Yes, Marvel has been doing wonders with its new less-is-more approach, but the first season of Daredevil: Born Again struggled slightly under the weight of the creative reboot that it underwent, with early episodes not exactly matching the tone of the later episodes - and the season only truly feeling like it got going in the final three episodes.
While season 2 is starting from scratch in the sense that it doesn't have to worry about the original vision for the show as it will simply pick up from where season 1 left off, the question remains if it can tackle such an ambitious storyline with less episodes than its predecessor. In fact, the eight-episode count makes Born Again season 2 the shortest of any Daredevil season thus far, coming in behind the first season's nine episodes and the three seasons of the Netflix show (which all consisted of 13 episodes each). It ties with Netflix's The Defenders crossover, which also struggled with its shortened episode count when tackling an ambitious storyline.
How ambitious will Born Again season 2 be? We don't know the full extent just yet, but the answer will likely be very ambitious. That much was clear from the season 1 finale, when Matt Murdock, Daredevil himself, began putting together an army of heroes to stand against the reign of terror that Mayor Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin, had unleashed on New York City. And given that we know the stealth Daredevil suit, Jessica Jones, Bullseye and potentially other Defenders will be teaming with Matt through a season in which New York has gone into Martial Law, it's safe to say that the stakes, scope, and action will be felt throughout.
The good news is that Daredevil: Born Again has already been renewed for a third season, so there will be more episodes on the way. So, if the Devil of Hell's Kitchen and his army don't get the chance to take the Kingpin down before the end of the eighth episode of season 2, they'll get another chance in the next one.
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 premieres on Disney Plus on March 24, 2026.