Just like the first season, there are plenty of callbacks, references, and direct connections in Daredevil: Born Again – with some of those links relating to the direct Marvel Cinematic Universe, while most echo back to Daredevil’s Netflix days.
Many characters from the original series are alluded to, such as Night Nurse - when Karen asks Matt if she should call for medical assistance from Claire’s place of work, Metro General, while Matt himself suggests enlisting the help of a nurse after saving Bullseye’s life. Then there is the picture of a deceased Netflix Daredevil character, BB’s uncle Ben Urich; shown as a reminder of how Fisk silenced the media in the past. Matt also tells Karen that a “borderline psychotic sensei” taught him how to fight, which is a reference to his mentor Stick.
In middle chapters, the past is depicted via flashbacks that revisit shots of young Matt from the original Daredevil run. And a recurring supporting player from the beginning of that series, Wesley, receives additional screentime (in the fifth episode) revealing he was the one who suggested that Fisk invest in art. In the following week, Karen cites Wesley's name, recalling that she was the person who killed him, even if she doesn’t regret doing so.
A particularly exciting revival comes from Detective Mahoney; a mainstay in the original series as an ally to Matt, he also appeared in episodes of Jessica Jones and The Punisher. Here he helps Karen discreetly meet with Daredevil while she is awaiting her trial in jail. He returns for the final showdown as team Daredevil stares down Fisk.
While many heroes reprise their parts from Season 1, such as Swordsman, BB Urich, and White Tiger (Angela), Jessica Jones is an emphatic new addition in Season 2. Like Punisher before her, Jessica Jones is a major superhero to cross over from the Netflix era to Born Again, although she doesn’t enter the scene until later in the season.
Her entrance into this show also comes with her daughter Danielle; the father is Luke Cage. We learn in the penultimate episode that Luke took up Mr. Charles’ offer to use his unique set of skills in service of the American government. And then Luke eventually comes home, in the aftermath of the story’s climax.
Mr. Charles is an entirely new character introduced this season, played by Matthew Lillard. He is a high-level logistics expert at the CIA, which means his boss is none other than Valentina Allegra de Fontaine… when Mr. Charles interrupts Mayor Fisk’s meeting with the District Attorney, she calls to tell the DA to back off of Kingpin for the illegal shipping mess in the New York City waterways. This means that Val has business with Kingpin, most likely moving concealed items through his free port, that he secured in Season 1.
Val does not materialize in Born Again, nor can her voice even be heard on that call. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss first played the government official in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier limited series, before it was revealed she was the new head of the CIA in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She most recently inadvertently formed the Thunderbolts team of misfit soldiers (she actually planned to kill them) and pivoted by proclaiming the group as the New Avengers.
Some story threads carry over from the original series into Born Again. In the second chapter, Bullseye returns to a scene from one of his Netflix era crimes, the church where he killed the priest who was helping Karen. Poindexter also asks for Sister Maggie, who is shown in the initial show to be Matt’s mother.
The Bullseye-centric fourth chapter begins with Poindexter dropping Frank Castle’s name in a ploy to ambush a group of AVTF agents. The Punisher is not physically present in Born Again Season 2, but his essence endures throughout with Fisk concerned about his previously depicted escape. Born Again has been Castle’s jumping off point in the MCU, and that will branch out into his own special, The Punisher: One Last Kill, followed by his upcoming attendance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
While the pretend Bullseye in the last episode was not previously utilized in the MCU, it does evoke back to Poindexter’s introduction into the Daredevil series, when he posed as an imposter Daredevil. The irony here is how his Daredevil disguise was ordered by Kingpin and now Fisk is playing that same card against Bullseye, while Poindexter is actually working with Daredevil to dismantle the ruse.
Bullseye’s entire redemption arc is an intriguing development during the last leg of Season 2. This reversal is not a direct reference to other MCU content, but has the potential to turn into one, since Poindexter famously becomes a teammate of the Thunderbolts in the comic books. So his moral awakening could tease a future involvement with the group that recently entered the MCU, and is full of members who have disreputable pasts. This possibility increases with the final shot of Bullseye working with Val’s associate, Mr. Charles.
The most surprising connection, in terms of the MCU multiverse, is a quick shot of The Watcher. He is a supreme cosmic entity who observes important events across the universe. His iconic silhouette appears through a broken window after the chaos erupts at Fogwell’s gym – Daredevil prevents Bullseye from killing Fisk, but we later see that Vanessa would not survive the ordeal.
Uatu is voiced by Jeffrey Wright in the animated series What If…? and he has cameos in other shows such as I am Groot, Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Could his inclusion in Born Again equate to an increased involvement in live-action MCU projects, or was this a one-off Watcher Easter Egg?
In the riveting finale, one quote calls back to the very beginning of the MCU. Matt’s “I am Daredevil” admission in court is reminiscent of Tony’s “I am Iron Man” revelation at the end of Iron Man. Both deliver the line in a manner that fits their personas – Matt is reluctant and only publicizes his secret identity as a last resort under dire circumstances, while Tony’s announcement had a sense of satisfaction as he rejoiced in his newfound superherodom.
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