{🚨SEMI-SPOILERS🚨}: Helmed by Dario Scardapane, Daredevil: Born Again follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, who is fighting for justice through his bustling law firm, while former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York following the events of Hawkeye and Echo. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
The first three seasons of Daredevil are considered by many, including myself, as one of the best comic book adaptations ever made, as well as one of the best comic book shows ever made in the MCU’s TV history. The series was suddenly cancelled by Netflix for unknown reasons causing the series to go into dormancy for several years and deeply upsetting a lot of loyal fans who were left with a cliffhanger ending that was possibly never going to be addressed. But everything changed once the rights of the Marvel characters bought by Netflix reverted back to Marvel themselves.
Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, reprised by their former actors, made surprising but welcome crossover appearances in the MCU in several projects and not long after that a revival of the series was announced, appropriately titled Daredevil: Born Again. But does this revival live up to the greatness of its preceding seasons or even be on par with them after so many years? The answer is yes. Hell yes!
The first season of Daredevil: Born Again is a phenomenal return of Marvel’s most complex and compelling characters in a new chapter that perfectly recaptures the dark spirit of the previous seasons while pushing the series in a bold yet welcome direction. This series is not a reboot at all as some feared it would be but instead it is basically a fourth season of the series that began on Netflix and I couldn’t be happier with this glorious return of one of my favorite shows of all time.
There are a lot of things to discuss about this season that I have to dive into with some spoilers so if you have not seen all nine episodes do not read further beyond this point.
The first thing to dive into is of course the performances by the cast for both returning characters and brand new ones introduced in this series. While I do feel everyone’s performances were perfect across the board there’s no denying that the two MVPs of this season are Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk respectively. Their characters and their journeys are the main focus of this season so they truly gave their all, delivering the most powerful and compelling performances of the entire cast that prove just how perfect they are for these characters.
Charlie Cox delivers his most emotional portrayal of Matt Murdock in the nearly decade-long run he has been on as this character. We have seen Matt endure incredible hardships in the past as a result of his vigilante life and the enemies he’s faced, Fisk included, but yet we always get to see him bounce back, thanks largely to his firm integrity and the support of his beloved friends Foggy and Karen. But things take a very shocking turn for him when tragedy strikes when Foggy gets assassinated by Benjamin Pointdexter, aka Bullseye, causing Matt to nearly kill him and then abandon the Daredevil mantle at the very beginning of this series.
One year passes and we see Matt in a deep state of guilt and grief over the loss of Foggy, the absence of Karen, and the sin he feels he committed that has made him feel like he is past saving, as well as made him live a dull life in the absence of his friends and his vigilante lifestyle. But when Fisk returns to become Mayor of New York, causing a number of shocking events to occur, Matt is reluctantly pulled back into the old life he thought he had abandoned. He is forced to face the fact that the city needs Daredevil now more than ever and so we gradually begin to see him being “Born Again” in a satisfying and emotional journey that is beautifully brought to life by masterful writing and Charlie Cox’s phenomenal performance.
It is difficult to see such a beloved hero being brought down to his lowest and struggle to accept what he needs to be doing, but it is so satisfying to see him build himself back up and make a grand return to being the hero he needs to be for everyone, especially since no one else is able to stand against the imminent threats to the city and its people. Also despite the absence of Foggy and Karen in this season the two characters do still play a large part in Matt’s story and impact his mental state in major ways.
Standing on the opposite side of the line between good and evil is his arch nemesis Wilson Fisk, who is once again up to no good, having now gained a dangerous position of power in New York as Mayor where he begins to slowly corrupt the system in his favor and transform the city into his own image like he always wanted to. Fisk’s multiple defeats at the hands of Daredevil and other heroes, like Hawkeye and Echo, have significantly damaged his reputation as a mob boss and has mentally affected him as a person, forcing him to mostly abandon that life and instead pursue the path of being a politician that he shockingly ends up winning the position despite his heinous criminal past. But of course even with his new status and a potential opportunity to become a better man he cannot hide the rage-filled and impulsive monster that he is within, leading him to go back to his old ways of cleverly corrupting everything and everyone he touches, leading to people getting hurt or worse.
Vincent D’Onofrio once again proves to be the best portrayal of Kingpin with his extremely evil yet compelling performance as the character in a very unique arc that was adapted wonderfully from comics despite a few changes. While he is still the monstrous person that we know will clearly never be redeemed the series continues to highlight the fact that he is still a compelling human character that you can’t help but be invested in, despite us hoping for him to be defeated again. He deals with multiple struggles caused by people and events that impact him personally, which gradually begin to push him back into his darker half in a similar journey to Matt, though of course without any moral boundaries stopping him. You can’t help but feel constant fear and dread every time he is on screen as you don’t know if he’s going to snap or do something that’s going to negatively impact the lives of many innocent people, proving just how fantastic he is as a reoccurring villain and how he can still be a menace even after having been defeated before. While there is a part of you that knows that Matt will eventually be the one to triumph over him you can’t help but doubt that will happen this time without having to cross the line, especially when he is now in a position where he is seemingly untouchable.
The same also goes for his wife Vanessa Fisk, wonderfully reprised by Ayelet Zurer, who proves herself to be just as evil and dangerously intelligent as he is. The stakes have never been higher for both Matt and Fisk and throughout this entire season they are both on a parallel path that’s on a major collision course that you can feel is going to explode at any time and everyone surrounding them both is going along for the ride.
Two other major returning faces of the past make short but powerful returns in this series to make a large impact on the story and the two leads. They are none other than Pointdexter aka Bullseye, reprised by Wilson Bethel, and Frank Castle aka the Punisher, reprised by Jon Bernthal. Many people have been eagerly waiting to see a massive payoff for the cliffhanger ending of season 3 featuring Pointdexter and right from the start of this season that is exactly what they do by having him return with a vengeance, killing Foggy and several other innocent people with lethal precision before being stopped by Daredevil.
Initially, I was worried he was just going to be in the premiere episode only but he returns later on in the season to bring more death wherever he goes. He was executed brilliantly and Wilson Bethel does a fantastic job performance-wise returning as this unhinged character that you can’t help but dread whenever he appears, given that he can kill anyone with any object without hesitation. It will be interesting to see where his story will go next in season 2 after some of the crazy things he pulls off in this season that impacts the lives of Matt and Fisk equally.
It has been six years since we last saw Jon Bernthal don the mantle of the Punisher in the MCU and he makes one hell of a return first through a phenomenal reunion scene between him and Matt and then later in a series of brutal as f**k action sequences that involve him and Matt working together for the first time since Daredevil season 2. Many people were worried the Punisher would be toned down under the Disney Plus banner but that was not the case at all as this is the same psychologically complex and hyper-violent character we all know and love from both comics and his appearances on Netflix, making his mark in this series even when in it for a short amount of time.
Jon Bernthal is beautiful in his reprisal, once again showing he is the best portrayal of this character, both in terms of action and emotionally compelling dialogue. He ends up having a deep and powerful conversation with Matt in their reunion scene that is honestly on par with the phenomenal rooftop argument scene of Daredevil season 2, which is beautifully written and performed by both actors.
Additionally, the series also manages to perfectly tackle how the Punisher has become an unwitting icon to corrupt cops who get recruited into an anti-vigilante task force set up by Fisk that abuses their authority to commit horrific acts while proudly wearing his symbol, which is something that has happened both in comics and unfortunately in real life. I’m glad the new creative team had the guts to do this storyline because it really needed to be told and it is incredibly well done, to the point that it adds further stakes and consequences to the story. By the end of the season it is clear that Punisher’s story involving the corrupt cops is going play a huge part of not only season 2 of Born Again but also potentially in the recently announced Punisher special presentation that will be releasing at the same time next year. I can’t wait to see how it evolves from here as well as see more of Frank in action.
While there are returning characters and cast members present in this season there are also a number of new characters, some pulled straight from comics and others being original, that play a significant part in the story. All are given fantastic performances by their respective cast members but there are definitely some who stood out more to me compared to others.
The first among them was Heather Glenn, played by Margarita Levieva, a therapist and Murdock’s newest love interest that he’s actually committed to for the first time in a while. Matt and Heather have instant chemistry together and she ends up giving Matt the moral and emotional support he’s needed in the absence of Karen and Foggy, but things become complicated between them as Matt slowly returns to his vigilante life and Heather endures a traumatic experience that results in their opposing views on vigilantism get increasingly more apparent, impacting their relationship. By the end of the season Heather ends up being set on an interesting path that could more than likely impact Matt in season 2 as well as make her an even more complex character to follow.
On team Fisk we have a new character named Daniel Blake, surprisingly played by Michael Gandolfini, who is Fisk’s protĂ©gĂ© and a member of his mayoral campaign. I didn’t expect this character to be as interesting as I thought upon seeing him for the first time in this series but I was quickly proven wrong, not only by Gandolfini’s stellar performance but also how this character is molded to be a powerful asset for Fisk to use to his advantage, which in turn makes him such an investing character to follow. Michael’s father would be proud of him to see him carry on his legacy of fantastic acting.
Another notable new character that acts as our connection to the people of New York and offers unique world building is BB Urich, played by Genneya Walton, who is the niece of Ben Urich from Daredevil season 1. Much like her uncle she has taken on the role of a journalist and while initially there didn’t seem to be much going on with her other than acting as a gateway to the lives of New Yorkers impacted by the events of the series, she ends up getting a lot more depth when we see why she is doing what she is doing and how far she is willing to go expose the truth on Fisk, even if it means dragging her name through the mud. I really liked her involvement in this series and I can’t wait to see her story progress further.
Two other new additions that stood out to me both had small roles in this season but their performances by their actors and the actions of their characters leave important lasting impacts on the characters and story of this season, as well as likely to impact the upcoming second season. Those two additions are White Tiger, played by the late Kamar de los Reyes, and Muse, played by CENSORED.
Hector Ayala aka White Tiger was an important hero from comics that gets adapted perfectly in this season. He has taken the role of New York’s protector in the absence of Daredevil and is unjustly arrested for saving a person’s life from corrupt cops, which leads to Matt representing him in a compelling court case reminiscent of when he defended Frank Castle. Kamar de los Reyes brought such authentic emotion and layers to the character in the short time he has in the season that it really stayed with me and his actions are what inspire and convince Matt to return to being the hero the city needs, given everything Hector has done for the innocent people in his absence as Daredevil. Kamar de los Reyes sadly passed away from cancer prior to the series airing and while the White Tiger mantle is destined to continue on in the MCU, Kamar will always be remembered for being the first to beautifully bring the character to life and introducing the world to an inspiring hero. May he rest in peace.
Then there is Muse, a deranged graffiti artist serial killer who uses his victim’s blood to create works of art that plays a large part in the arcs of Matt and Fisk, as well as standing out as one of the most disturbing villains the MCU has given so far. The character’s role in comics was very short so the season in turn follows the exact amount of time the character is involved and while that may seem disappointing to some his presence is felt since episode one, even when he isn’t on screen, and I believe the character was adapted perfectly with his horrifically gruesome actions greatly contributing to the story of our leads. Would I have preferred to have had more of the character? Absolutely but at the same time I felt the role he had was justified and it has been made abundantly clear that the impact he has created on certain characters is going to last going forward. Additionally, I felt the performance by the actor chosen for the role was excellent and I loved how they made his costume out of canvas.
With this series now being connected to the larger MCU many were excepting multiple major cameos or crossovers to occur from either other films or shows. But for this season there are only two major appearances that occur and both naturally fit the story and world of Daredevil, with one of them surprisingly being Yusuf Khan, reprised wonderfully by Mohan Kapur, from Ms. Marvel who plays a major role in the only filler episode of the season that feels pulled straight from the one-shot crossover comics of Daredevil. I loved Yusuf in this episode as he brought the right amount of levity for the series, as well as sharing incredible chemistry with Charlie’s Matt, making for a brilliant crossover that unexpectedly works so well and significantly progresses Matt’s arc.
This first season had to endure a major yet much-needed creative overhaul during its production, resulting in numerous challenges that could have ruined the series, but despite that the new team helming this series managed to pull off everything beautifully. They were able to work with what they were given from the old team while also making their own brilliant additions and necessary changes to create a narrative that manages to flow perfectly and be narratively on par with everything that made the previous seasons of Daredevil so incredible. It also works as its own new chapter that feel likes a natural evolution of the series, emphasizing growth and change rather than getting stuck in a cycle of repetition that it would have most likely been in had it stayed under Netflix’s ownership.
Similar to Seasons 1 and 3, the story of this season is a character-driven narrative that focuses primarily on the parallel journeys of Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk that get impacted by the characters and events surrounding them, which gradually begin to regress them back to their violent sides that they are addicted to. There is a great balance of legal and political intrigue with increasingly violent action that manages to have so many themes littered within that are all brilliantly written and feel extremely engaging. Some of these themes can even be considered highly relevant to current events, which adds more to the realism elements Daredevil is known for in the comics and the previous seasons.
While this series does indeed feel bigger in scale and connected to the larger MCU than it did before it still retains the authentic tone and grit of the previous seasons as well as the masterful dialogue that is as compelling as many would remember. Is there humor present in this series? Yes, but there was also humor present in the previous seasons too despite what some revisionists would claim. And just like those previous seasons, the humor in this offers much-needed levity to such a dark series and it feels extremely natural rather than forced.
The season never drags in terms of pacing and arcs for the major characters in every episode, including the one filler episode that ends up significantly progressing Matt’s arc as well as proving that he can be Daredevil even without the suit and his gear. Every story thread and character journey connects and comes together in such a fluid way, building up to a finale that ends on a big and bloody bang that left me in pure shock and awe while also leaving me feeling very excited for the second season coming next year. With no creative hurdles standing in their way for season 2 it’s going to be fun to see the creative team go all out with whatever magnificent ideas they have in store.
The action feels sharper and grander in scale compared to that of the Netflix series and it gets increasingly better and brutal every episode, resulting in the most violent and gory sequences saved for the last few episodes. The choreography is on point but more importantly, the way it is shot and edited looks amazing as we get to see everything be on full display through stylish choices made by the new creative team, including enhancements to Matt’s super senses that I thought were a really neat upgrade. Some uniquely masterful camera work and audio work is used to really sell the hyper senses of Matt and even showcase that his abilities have seemingly evolved over the years, making it a visual treat to watch.
All of the fights are practical and even feature some incredible practical gore, with the most notable being an unforgettable kill that makes the Fisk car door kill look like child’s play in comparison. I’m glad the series really leaned heavily into practical effects and sets but there are a few occasions CGI is used, mainly to enhance Daredevil’s agility which has also evolved as showcased in his brief appearance in She-Hulk.
With the recent reduction in budget for MCU shows after complaints by critics and fans that certain shows have unnecessarily inflated budgets you can tell this series was impacted by that with its digital effects, at least in the first episode where the agility scenes look a bit off. Could it have looked a little better? Yes but at the same time it is not the worst effects in the world as some people have been claiming. Most people tend to forget that the previous three seasons of Daredevil had their own share of rough effects, with the most notable being the hideous opening shot of season 3. I may love the original series but I’m actually willing to admit not everything about it was visually perfect in some areas. Most people chose to overlook those minor effects moments because of how incredible everything else is so why not do the same here, especially when things look so much better in the following episodes.
The cinematography and lighting of this season is truly stellar in every episode but the most visually stunning episodes are easily the ones directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead who continue to prove themselves as the best directing duo that Marvel Studios has ever hired.
As for the music we get an incredible and masterful score for every episode by the supremely talented Newton Brothers who replace the original Daredevil composer, John Paesano. John Paesano’s music will always be remembered fondly but the Newton Brothers certainly serve as phenomenal replacements that enhance the season with their score that includes the addition of a hellish and angelic choir that gives so much bliss and chills. Additionally, their remaster of the original theme is truly fantastic and is such a beautiful rendition of an iconic theme.
Daredevil: Born Again’s first season may have had many hurdles to face and several limitations yet it managed to successfully live up to its predecessors, thanks to a truly talented creative team that saved the series from potential disaster. I truly can’t wait to see what this team brings to the table for season 2 with zero restrictions and hurdles, especially after the amazing work they were able to deliver with this season. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is back and I’m eager to see what comes next for him in the MCU. I’m going to give Daredevil: Born Again season 1 an A+ = 100.
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