The Daredevil series that originally streamed on Netflix is set to finally receive its long-awaited revival in 2024 thanks to Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again. Thankfully, Matt Murdock has appeared since the cancellation of his show in MCU projects Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and the upcoming Echo series, although he has yet to be a main character since his own MCU project ended back in 2018.
On the bright side, Marvel Studios is making up for lost time, as Daredevil: Born Again will not only feature both the titular character and his nemesis Kingpin but is also set to be a whopping 18 episodes. Given this large episode count, there has got to be a large number of characters who will be appearing in the revival, with hopefully several returning cast members amongst their ranks. So, without further ado, these are 12 characters who should make their return in Daredevil: Born Again.
Warning: Spoilers for most of The Defenders shows below.
Foggy Nelson and Karen Page
The two most obvious choices are, without a doubt, Matt Murdock’s best friends and law partners, Foggy and Karen. It’s honestly surprising that they evidently haven’t been locked down to return yet, seeing as to how important they are to Daredevil’s story. Still, according to Karen’s actress, Deborah Ann Woll, she hasn’t been contacted by Marvel Studios, while there has been next to no news regarding Foggy’s return as well.
In the closing moments of Daredevil’s original show, Matt started up his law business once again, forming a trio with Foggy and Karen, calling the firm Nelson, Murdock, and Page. It is worth mentioning that Daredevil seemingly referred to the business in She-Hulk; however, he didn’t do so by name, leaving it ambiguous as to what precisely he was talking about. Overall, it just wouldn’t be an MCU Daredevil show without his two best friends, so hopefully, Marvel Studios has plans for the two to return in Born Again.
Claire Temple
The first full-on romantic partner for Matt Murdock that audiences got to know, Claire Temple, was a significant part of the Daredevil series and was the connecting tissue between the other Defenders shows. It would be incredibly fitting to see Temple return in the first main MCU entry that explores The Defenders’ corner of the Cinematic Universe.
Seeing as how Claire’s character went out with a whimper, it’s easy to forget just how important she was to The Defenders characters, going on to have a serious relationship with Luke Cage. It would be fantastic if Claire could get redemption for the terrible way she left the franchise.
It’s worth mentioning that since Claire’s actress Rosario Dawson obviously has a good relationship with Disney as she’s played the live-action version of Star Wars’ Ahsoka in a multitude of projects, it seemingly wouldn’t be hard for her to jump back over to Marvel for a cameo. This especially could be the case if Disney wanted to form some kind of synergy between two of their most popular brands.
Elektra
Undoubtedly one of the most notable Daredevil characters, it would be fantastic for fans of the mainline MCU entries to get to meet Elodie Yung’s Elektra. Now yes, she did seemingly die in The Defenders, although it was the same destruction that had seemed to have killed Daredevil. Hence, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that she could’ve also survived, especially due to her mystic abilities.
Elektra, by no means, needs to be a major character in Daredevil: Born Again, but due to her somewhat unknown status, it would be nice to give her a bit more of a proper sendoff. Not to mention that the title “Born Again” could very well refer to multiple people like Elektra, not just Daredevil.
She is such an essential character to Daredevil lore, so it would feel strange for her not to be included or even mentioned in a future MCU project; perhaps she could even just be a tease for a future season. Whatever the case may be, Elektra undoubtedly deserves some kind of recognition in Daredevil: Born Again, preferably with a full-on appearance.
Bullseye
One of the strangest decisions that the Daredevil series made was that they never properly adapted his main villain, Bullseye. Now, of course, the show did introduce his civilian identity, Benjamin Poindexter, in season 3. Still, his supervillain alter ego never officially showed up, only setting up Bullseye’s official arrival in the very last scene of the series.
Daredevil: Born Again would be the perfect place to right this wrong and finally have the Bullseye that comic book fans know in the MCU. It would be incredibly easy for the revival to bring this well-known Daredevil character into the mix, and seeing as the show needs to fill 18 episodes, it seems like a no-brainer for the writers to try to include the villain in some way.
The Punisher
Despite having his own series, the MCU’s version of The Punisher did get introduced in Daredevil season 2, with the two Marvel heavyweights pitted against one another. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher has been well-received by fans and has been one of the most requested characters to return, something the Daredevil revival could easily do.
The Punisher series ended with Frank Castle returning to his war on crime, so maybe his war ends up sending him right into the arms of his former ally Kingpin, who will seemingly be the main villain once again. All that being said, the fact that The Punisher is a fan-favorite character and his second season concluding with him being in New York City makes Frank a perfect candidate to get involved in Daredevil’s story once again.
Jessica Jones
Another heavily requested character to return to the MCU is Jessica Jones, with Daredevil: Born Again providing an excellent opportunity for her reappearance. Given that both of Matt’s appearances in the MCU thus far have focused on his lawyer side, it’s reasonable to assume that the revival series is set to do the same, which would provide the perfect opening for Jessica Jones to appear.
It’s conceivable that in Born Again, Matt finds himself in a case where his opposition has hired Jones as a private investigator. Maybe just as how She-Hulk needed Daredevil’s help, he needs help from Jessica Jones in a lawsuit that he has become involved in. Daredevil: Born Again has way too many episodes not to include at least one of the titular character’s fellow Defenders, with Jessica Jones being the clear front-runner.
Kilgrave
One villain who should be in Daredevil: Born Again who wasn’t in the original Daredevil series is the terrifying mind-controller Kilgrave. While it would probably be more appropriate if he appeared in a Jessica Jones revival, for the time being, this is the more reasonable place to request his return. It would be pretty fascinating to see how the MCU would handle a complex and genuinely evil character like Kilgrave.
Furthermore, Kilgrave’s comic book counterpart, Purple Man, actually began as a Daredevil villain, not a Jessica Jones villain, so it wouldn’t be unheard of for the Man Without Fear to go up against the Purple Man. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that Kilgrave is dead, yet that hasn’t stopped Jessica from being forced to hear him from beyond the grave, meaning his appearance likely depends on whether Miss Jones herself appears in Daredevil: Born Again.
Misty Knight
Even though Misty Knight is more of a Luke Cage and Iron Fist character, she would fit in perfectly as a guest star in Daredevil: Born Again. For starters, given that she is a police officer, it would be easy to have her get involved in a case he is wrapped up in. Also, Knight has interacted with Daredevil thanks to The Defenders series, so they are very much aware of each other.
It would be exciting to see what the likable Misty Knight has been up to since Iron Fist season 2. Not to mention that her bionic arm has a ton of fantastic potential for an entry that has a bigger budget, something that was never fully realized in her prior appearances.
Typhoid Mary
Perhaps the most unlikely person on this list, Typhoid Mary is someone who should totally return to the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again. First of all, she actually originated as a Daredevil character, so they have a comic book background that could assist her appearance. A big reason why she should come back to the MCU, though, is because of how great she would fit in with the already established timeline.
For those who don’t remember or know, Typhoid Mary has Dissociative Identity Disorder, just like Moon Knight, making that a perfect place to explore more of her after she gets reintroduced in Daredevil: Born Again. Also, Mary’s DID originated from being trapped in a Sokovia Prison, so she could fit in with a storyline regarding Sokovians Wanda Maximoff and Baron Zemo.
At the end of the day, the reason that Daredevil: Born Again should be the place to reintroduce her is because this is likely the series that will be the major jumping point for integrating The Defenders characters. As for why it is unlikely that she would return despite fitting in well in the MCU, it is because her appearance was in Iron Fist season 2, the series that is generally looked at as being to worst amongst The Defenders shows.
Iron Fist and Luke Cage
Despite being key parts of The Defenders team, there’s been almost no word on whether or not Luke Cage and Iron Fist will return to the MCU at some point. Yet if they were, Daredevil: Born Again would be perfect, as it would get fans incredibly hyped, especially if all four Defenders returned in the same episode. Like the aforementioned Jessica Jones, a great way to include these two is if a case that Matt Murdock gets involved in requires the help of Luke Cage and/or Danny Rand.
Unfortunately, it seems that the two actors have moved on, but never say never that they could at some point return, possibly in a Heroes for Hire project. Although, the Daredevil revival would undoubtedly be the perfect place to reintroduce the two Defenders for fans who have only seen the main MCU projects.
