REVIEW: 'Daredevil: Born Again' takes the MCU to hell and back
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 picks up six months from where we left off, with crimelord-turned-mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) ruling New York with an iron fist (not that one), backed by his brutal Anti-Vigilante Taskforce.
When an illegal arms shipment goes awry, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) race against time to uncover the truth and bring the Kingpin to justice. But even as anti-Fisk sentiment grows, and dissenters are placed in an off-the-books detention center, the assassin known as Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) wages his own bloody campaign for redemption. With their enemy tightening his grip on New York, Matt and Karen will turn to allies new and old to try and save their city.
Born Again’s first season arrived at a crucial time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the films that followed 2019’s Avengers: Endgame had largely failed to resonate with audiences as much as earlier entries. The introduction of fully-integrated Disney+ MCU shows compounded matters, as audiences now needed to watch multiple series to fully understand films like Multiverse of Madness (2022), The Marvels (2023), and Captain America: Brave New World (2025).
After MCU head Kevin Feige halted production for a near-total rewrite, the series pivoted to stand apart from their big screen counterparts, mirroring the standalone success of Wonder Man and returning to the gritty, R-rated tone of the original Netflix series.
By the time plans for Cox and D’Onofrio as the only legacy cast members were tossed out, and it was confirmed that fan favorites Wohl, Elden Hensen (as Foggy), and Ayelet Zurer (whose role as Vanessa had previously been recast with Sandrine Holt) would be returning, fans started to get onboard. By the time Jon Bernthal (The Accountant) signed on to reprise his role as the ultraviolent Frank Castle, the hype got real.
If that first season marked a step in the right direction for these characters, Season 2 is a full-on sprint. Where last year’s episodes bore the scars of trying to consolidate two very different concepts for the show midway through production, Season 2 embraces the characters’ established darker tones wholeheartedly, and it shows. The new episodes feature a creative coherence and confidence that last year’s season lacked; this is especially evident in the performances, cinematography, and even the willingness to lean hard into what’s come before, while expanding and building on that lore in genuinely surprising ways.
For characters like Fisk, Karen, and Vanessa, the glow-up is great, as we see them pursue actions that make logical sense for where they came from, and where we know them to be now; it’s not a requirement to have seen Daredevil’s three seasons to understand Born Again, but it goes a long way towards appreciating just how far these characters have evolved since 2015.
The main attraction, of course, remains D’Onofrio’s layered take on the Kingpin, a man whose ruthlessness and barely-restrained brutality are matched only by his devotion to Vanessa. Over the last 11 years, D’Onofrio has taken what could have been a two-dimensional role and elevated it to the upper tier of MCU villains. A man who would just as soon break your spine as make a handshake deal in pursuit of his agenda, Wilson Fisk is genuinely terrifying due to the remorseless ease with which he justifies his actions.
Curiously, the erstwhile hero of the piece, Matt Murdock himself, seems frustratingly stuck in a narrative rut for the first six episodes, repeatedly popping up for one or two action scenes before unmasking to make moral arguments he’s made too many times before. Make no mistake, Cox is still excellent in the part, and he looks great doing action, but it’s hard to side with Matt against Karen when she’s usually 100% right. Thankfully, Murdock’s well-worn Catholic guilt only goes so far before he makes his way back into a courtroom, and Cox gets to flex why he was born to play this role. Forget his She-Hulk legal shenanigans, this is the Matt Murdock we know and love, balancing out his vigilante routine with brains and charm.
Give Frank Castle’s prominence last season, his absence here is somewhat surprising, but at least we have his Disney+ solo special to look forward to, while his big-screen debut in July’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already drawing online buzz. The Punisher-shaped hole here is filled with a couple of great cameos, and solid ongoing storylines, including Daniel Blake’s (Michael Gandolfini) continuing descent into corruption, Cherry’s (Clark Johnson) inability stay out of trouble, and Vanessa’s willingness to get her hands dirty, (while still dealing with the trauma of her previous encounter with Bullseye!).
The series even continues last year’s White Tiger storyline in a way that makes sense (versus being shoehorned in on account of having already been produced), while Tony Dalton’s smarmy, one-joke “Swordsman” from the Hawkeye TV series has been reimagined into someone grounded and sympathetic.
There’s definitely a lot to enjoy here, so one can honestly forgive the occasional contrivances to move the plot along, such as the hilariously careless transfer of a crucial SD card (which apparently isn’t crucial enough to secure immediately?!), or the circumstances that Karen allows herself to fall into (despite having every opportunity to avoid them). Indeed, Season 2 may not be perfect, but the renewed narrative focus, committed performances, and overall willingness to push beloved characters forward make Daredevil: Born Again a genuinely enjoyable follow-up to a brilliant show.
If Born Again and Wonder Man are indicative of what we can expect from the MCU’s small-screen adventures moving forward, then all I can say is, Make Mine Marvel!
PhilSTAR L!fe was provided with early access to Daredevil Born Again Season 2, courtesy of Disney+. The first weekly episode premiered on March 25.