The first season of Daredevil: Born Again was all about superhero comebacks and Marvel Cinematic Universe debuts. While the Devil of Hell's Kitchen was no stranger to appearing on the small screen, he had to wait on the sidelines for a very long time before having the chance to join the same world in which the likes of Thor and Captain America live.
Matt Murdock, The Punisher, Karen Page, The Kingpin, Foggy Nelson, and more are officially back, and they are here to stay (with the exception of the latter, that is). But despite that, not everyone was able to make it into the first season of Daredevil: Born Again. Audiences worldwide turned to the first batch of episodes, wondering if the surprise appearance of Maggie Murdock was on the cards or if Elektra was going to turn Matt's world upside down once again. However, the narrative didn't lend itself to the appearance of these two fan-favorites, which more than explains their absence. Unfortunately, the same reasoning cannot be applied to other characters.
Some key players from the Daredevil Netflix adaptation were unexplainably missing, and fans couldn't help but notice. On the bright side, the second season of Born Again will attempt to undo some of these mistakes and bring more characters from Matt's past back, as highlighted by a recent reveal.
Brett Mahoney will appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 recently wrapped filming, and to commemorate the occasion, Charlie Cox's fitness coach Naqam Washington published a celebratory Instagram post. In it, we can see the cast and crew who worked on the upcoming season, and, wouldn't you know it, Royce Johnson is in it — the same actor responsible for bringing Brett Mahoney to life in the Daredevil Netflix adaptation. That's right, Foggy Nelson's greatest nemesis (and ally) is back.
Throughout most of the events of Daredevil: Born Again, some fans couldn't help but wonder why Brett Mahoney was mysteriously missing, as he could've easily taken the spot that Cherry had. The overall consensus is that this swap-up would've made the series better, as audiences already knew Brett and had an emotional attachment to him. Besides, it would've been more impactful if he had learned Matt's secret identity during the opening episode of the MCU series, as opposed to a stranger like Cherry.
On the bright side, it's all but confirmed that Brett Mahoney will be back. However, that also prompts the question: Where was he during the events of the first season? Surely the Kingpin's sudden rise to Mayor would've inspired him to contact Matt, right? Well, on comic book pages, Foggy Nelson survived an assassination attempt orchestrated by Vanessa Fisk and was put into protective custody to be safeguarded. Unfortunately, this meant Foggy had to move to a new place, get a new name, and cut any contact with his former friends while being monitored by FBI agents 24/7. This comic book arc, titled The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson, could explain Brett's upcoming role in the live-action series.
Daredevil: Born Again laid the foundation for The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson to be adapted in the second season. Fortunately, this goes beyond pure speculation. An easter egg in the series' opening episode indicates audiences may very well see Foggy's comeback in the near future. So if there was a man to put the beloved lawyer into a witness protection program, find him a new home far away from Hell's Kitchen, and follow him everywhere to ensure his safety, then Brett Mahoney would seem like the perfect candidate. That would explain why he was previously nowhere to be seen.
But beyond whether Brett's comeback means Foggy is alive or not, it's nice to know that Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will further strengthen the connection to the Netflix adaptation. After all, when the MCU series first started shooting, it was intended to act as a complete reboot that ignored everything that happened beforehand. It wasn't until a creative reboot that such a decision was undone, and the past was embraced. Unfortunately, shooting was nearly done, and the new creative team couldn't start from scratch. That's why Karen Page and Foggy had very short appearances, while characters such as Maggie Murdock and Brett were missing altogether. On the bright side, that unfortunate scenario won't happen once again moving forward.
If the finale of Daredevil: Born Again is any indication of how season 2 will play out (which it should, as it was created entirely by the new team), then fans are in for an exhilarating new batch of episodes. Coupled with the confirmation that Brett Mahoney will be back, it's easy to see that the future is bright for the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. The best part? It won't be long before we finally get to watch Matt Murdock back in action.
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will be released in March 2026.