You just never know what's going to happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you thought that was true before, then it's extra true in the run-up to an Avengers movie that takes place within the Multiverse Saga. Yes, that's a very specific situation, but it also happens to be the very specific moment we are living in right now.
Avengers: Doomsday is gearing up for production in the UK this month, and after Marvel Studios already sent the internet into meltdown with the preliminary cast announcements during that five-hour livestream, anticipation is at an all-time high. And with that, there will no doubt be many surprising announcements, sightings and castings in the months ahead, as fans eagerly research and investigate every little rumor and update in the hopes of learning more about the MCU movie.
But there will also be plenty of surprises in the ongoing MCU titles, as Marvel never fails to surprise audiences - especially when they have their attention. That much is true when it comes to Daredevil: Born Again.
*** This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS from Daredevil: Born Again episode 7. Don't read on if you would prefer it wasn't spoiled for you. ***
Marvel kills off Muse after just three episodes in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again is no stranger to shocking audiences. Its opening episode featured the unexpected death of one of the original Daredevil series' most beloved characters, and through the six episodes that came after that, the shocks have continued. That is particularly true in the seventh episode "Art For Art's Sake", which features another surprising death.
The central immediate villain of the season, Muse, met a bloody end in the midst of a battle with Daredevil. Having taken Dr. Heather Glenn hostage in her own office, he planned on killing her - and himself - in a twisted attempt at making one more homicidal piece of art before The Devil of Hell's Kitchen burst through the window to stop him. The two then engaged in a vicious battle, which got very, very bloody before Heather then shot Muse multiple times, killing him instantly.
As he lay on the white sheet he had left out and his blood continued to stain it, it was a fitting end for the twisted character, but audiences all around the world were surprised at how abrupt it all was. Muse was set up to be the villain of the season, so to lose him when his arc had only essentially started, was unexpected to say the least.
We know that Wilson Fisk is Daredevil's archenemy and we know that the two will inevitably cross paths in the near-future once again. But they haven't been at each other's throats this season, and they have barely crossed each other's minds. While you just know that Matt Murdock is trying to mentally figure out how to stop the Kingpin in the long-run, his mind has been preoccupied with other types of criminal activity throughout the season, and Muse's reign of terror was one of them.
Fans do have a point: Muse was slowly teased throughout the first few episodes before stepping into the spotlight. For that reason - and the fact that even Fisk was concerned about his presence - he was effectively set up as the season's villain. Killing him off so soon does threaten to upend the momentum that it took the show some time to build. And it feels a little redundant considering he was only in three of the seven episodes (albeit with an unmasked cameo appearance in the second episode, too).
We're ready to see where the story of Daredevil: Born Again goes next, but we also feel that the show could have made more of the Muse character even in a limited capacity, especially given how well they had built him up. But again, anything can happen in the MCU - and it certainly did in the most recent episode of the most recent Disney Plus series.
Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney Plus.