Marvel just introduced an important villain to the MCU

It’s the dawn of a new day for the Man Without Fear, and as Daredevil: Born Again rises from the ashes of the Defendersverse, he’s finally being amalgamated into the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Although it wasn’t always the plan, there have been plenty of returning faces and newcomers alike. Alongside Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, newcomers included Kamar de los Reyes’ Hector Ayala, Camila Rodriguez’s Angela del Toro, and the mysterious Muse (although the twist that it’s Hunter Doohan playing him won’t come as a surprise).

Marvel Studios has already mapped out multiple seasons of Born Again, with this freshman outing being loosely based on the “Devil’s Reign” arc from the comics. We’ve just met another new face pulled directly from the pages of Marvel Comics, as Jeremy Earl joins the MCU as Cole North. While we’re expecting a typical MCU twist on the character, his complicated legacy in the comics means he could be a helpful ally or a deadly foe for DD. Given his introduction in Born Again, we imagine North will be the latter.

Cole North Arrives in the MCU

First appearing in “Excessive Force”, Earl’s North is one of the ‘bad apples’ Wilson Fisk (D’Onofrio) assembled as part of his Anti-Vigilante Task Force. Episode 6 sees Fisk’s Kingpin persona starting to seep through again, and like there are theories he was behind the brutal murder of the OG White Tiger, Kingpin’s plans to clean up the streets of New York and stop vigilantes like Daredevil and Punisher from running free are surely not as noble as they seem. For starters, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force is comprised of corrupt cops or those with questionable morals. We’d already seen some of these bad actors adopt Frank Castle’s skull symbol, which explains why Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is so pissed.

As for North, he’s a relatively new addition to Marvel Comics and debuted in 2019’s Daredevil (Vol. 6) #1. He enters the scene after Daredevil accidentally kills a low-level criminal, and Mayor Fisk rolls out his anti-vigilante team. North managed to get the best of Murdock in a fight and even shot the hero, but it wasn't long until the Punisher turned up to help his old pal. Considering all these major players are now active in Born Again, we imagine a violent three-way battle in the season finale between North, Murdock, and Castle.

Later comic issues see North attacked by a group of corrupt cops and eventually questioning his place in the system. After gaining enhanced abilities and joining Murdock’s revamped version of the Fist, North even set up the Nelson North law firm with Foggy Nelson. With Elden Henson (somehow) back for Born Again season 2, this could also play out.

North’s MCU counterpart is a sergeant who’s top of his class, but according to Fisk, ‘lost it all’ and had to move to New York. There's already been some angry fan backlash that Born Again has turned the usually noble North into a dirty cop, but we'll have to see how things play out. Likely motivated by vengeance, North is due to head up the AVTF with a group who aren’t bound by body cameras and are allowed to use excessive force. It’s unclear how many vigilantes are currently active in the Big Apple, but as well as Daredevil, Punisher, Muse, and Angela presumably becoming the next White Tiger, could we have more of a Defenders reunion on our hands? Various stars have teased a return, with Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones being top of most people’s lists. 

We at least know some more of what to expect from North, with set photos spoiling him in a Punisher-inspired AVTF outfit. If he survives a mythical run-in with Daredevil and Punisher, there’s a chance that we could see him cross paths with another fan-favorite hero of the MCU. After shooting Daredevil, Fisk tasks North with apprehending Spider-Man – which turns out to be harder than expected. D’Onofrio has reiterated he’s not in Spider-Man 4, (which we now know is titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and although it was originally thought to be an expanded “Devil’s Reign” story for street-level heroes, it’s now tipped to me more of a magical outing that could even include a new Ghost Rider and Sacha Baron Cohen’s long-awaited Mephisto.

North’s relatively minor role in the comics also mean he’s unlikely to lead a Spider-Man movie as its big bad, but for those who loved Earl in Chicago P.D., let’s hope Cole North can live up to the hype of the uber-violent Born Again season 1.